EX-KAISER’S VAST RICHES.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3461, 15 April 1920, Page 2

EX-KAISER’S VAST RICHES.

MONEY AND PALACES.

HARD BARGAIN VVITH PRUSSIA

William Hohenzoilern, of .-\lneron~ gen, lms driven a stiff and astounding bai-gain with the Prussia‘ which he was instrumental in running, wrote a special correspondent, from Berlin, in Febi-uary.

Indeed it is not too flluch to 5:13‘ that the settlement arrived at be tween him alld.tlle Gm'el'nlllent of Prussia makes one of the most 211111125ing docunlents of the time. Nat-.ul-ally, the Prussian ‘Assembly will stir up 11 sto'l'ln about it

When Vvilhelm ruled he was unpaid as Kaiser. but he had a. civil list ct‘ nearly a million pounds -.15 King of Prussia; he had estates and wea'.t.h in various forms which made him one of the wealthiest of the world's sovereigns When he fled, and when revolution broke out, the Prussian Government took possession of all the Royal ‘grof)ert_v in order to protect it and to settle its ownership After more tha:-1 a year of deliberation and long ne;;otiationswith VVilhelnr, :1 decision has now been arrived at and embodied in :1 Bill. By its tei-ins the ex~Monarch will drain a hundred million marks (in rim-ma] times £5,000.000) out of a nation already shoulder deep in :.lel.>i'. This :unounl'—and it is only one item——i.< (says the Bill) to be given him “in the gmwl'al illtel‘est,"' in return for his making over to The I‘,l'Ll.~‘.~'i-an I.‘i‘t;ll.e*l of certain lnlnds-_. ivorl;.< of arts, po.~‘ses.<ioxls and rights.

ST.-\'[‘E I’AY‘H \VILI'.IAI\![’S TAXES.

Thur amount will be he from the pz'opus(-("I capital 10-vy chzll‘ges. Prussia takes upon herself‘ to pay that tax.

If -the .Kai.<u,-1' turns this amount into Dutch nioney, at the present bail l“d.tU of’ exchange, he will obtain enough to give him an income of about rwmity frhousmid pounds per nnnuni. But his civil list is King of Prussia actually continues {ill All Fools’ Day of this ye’ai'. That is ‘to say, Wiliain is being‘ paid at the rate of eiglity-tlli'ce thousand pounds (£83,000) nominal 'pcr month for 17 months after running a\\'ay(, from his job.

Yet Prussia, as well as Germany, has had its revolution.

VAST WEALTH IN DEEDS, ETC. Next, VVilliam kindly consents to give up castles and lands which belong to the -State.” But he retains is personal property eight castle7's, 83 villas, many houses in Berlin, Potsdam, Kiel, and elsewliere. with fore.<ts here and there, and V':Ll'louS kinds of ~property dotted up and down the mapf V He also retains 175,000,000 marks (nominally £8,640,000) lWol'l.'-ll of industrial slizues, mortgages, zinrl other (l(!SL‘.l’lptl0l1S of investrnents, including (as the Vorwaerts sncers) “a precious little War Loan.” - CROWN JEWELS.

jl.’russia’.~' Royal jewels he retains, though. \t.'bc co111p:1;1-atively V:llue‘le'ss Royal Insignia pznss into the possoss~ ion of the State.

Then the o.\:—Kaiscr is graciou_sly pleased to sul'mndel‘ 25 minor est-htes and grounds with lxistoric ruins, shooting boxes, etc-.

But‘, as though he were ‘not sufi‘iczicmlly well provided with dwellings in the F:i.tllel'l:lud. he deserted, kindly Prussia 'pl'esent.s him with three more ——zmd big ones. ’ For the space of time: covered by the life-time of the ex-Kaiser, the ex-Kaisei-in, the ex.-Crown '.1"1-ince, and the ex—Crowu Princes, the ex-Royal Hmise retains the castle and park of Hamburg, the Cecilienhof Park and the Zylzll'lnol‘palais rent free. It is added, though (l0i1l)t'lo.~x~: in :90 ironic spirit, that \Villi:lm. retains one mziusaloinn at Potsdam. AN AMAZING CLAUSE.

(mo reason for the unpztmlloled genol'osit_v is stafod in one amazing c.lou.~:e:—

“It is in keeping with the wish of the members ()f the Royal House (not ‘ex-Royal’ be it noted) that the eustles which they prefer for the event of a-return to Germany be placed at their disposal for their lifetime. “As the fulfilment of this desire is not against any State interests, -the three castles (mentioning those above referred to) are ‘piaeed at their service.” The former Royal Opera. House in Berlin, Hanover, Case], and Wiesba~ den are handed over to the State—~ with all’ their debt»: upon them.

VVilli:lm leaves all his .faitllful retainers to be dealt with by the Prus~ sinn Governmenf, which-—-while having given poor lackoys ra.ml coachmen short notir.-0 with no poilsion——is still paying anytliing up f 0 11. tl10u.<:m«1 pounds :1 your “on account of pension" to Court Games, Court nlal'sh:lls and other well orimnientzilporsonages. Sxnd all that more than a /your af’rol- - Tmleoll. flit.‘ Prnssimi Spiril‘ (lrn'.«' HM rlifli