PESSIMIST AND KAISER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVIII, Issue 81916, 17 January 1907, Page 4

PESSIMIST AND KAISER.

ATTACK ON HIS MAJESTY'S METHODS. ISorliu, November '2l. The book "Our Kinpcror and his People,'' written under the name of "Pessimist," is being read with avidity in Germany. "Everyone who sees our Kaiser for the first time." says the author, "is powerfully impressed by his strong personality. WiUiam "ll.'s frank natural manners lim.t necessarily captivate every one who comes into contact with him. Hi's lively, expressive gestures, his loud, joyous laugh, exercise a strange charm. The Kaiser' hair is a'ready grey, but his wonderfully intelligent bine eyes look out upon the world with youthful lire. "Like many other inoiiarchs. lie looks fixedly at any one with whom he is in conversation, and those who are not accustomed to this stare easily become confused, thereby contributing to the mental predominance of the, monarch. This is a device intention ally taught to royal personages during their upbringing." According to •TuSsimist,'* the impression which he invariably creates

on other people is a source' of pleasure to the Ka ser. It is such a plea sure that he continually experiences the. desire to measure Lis strength with men of great mental ability, 'lie has made a kind of sport of effecting the mental conquest of men of brains and it is not a sport devoid of danger! William If. forgets that however clever he may be he must always overcome his intellectual opponent because Court etiquette prevents the other man from answering the Kaiser as iie would reply to any other person.

The consciousness of his divine inspiration places the Kmperor, in his own estimation, above ail criticism, and makes it very dillicult for his ollicial advisers to exercise any real in lluencc on his policy. He is not only absolutely intolerant of any form of direct or indirect criticism, but easily becomes impatient when views of which he disapproves are expressed to him. The conviction of divine inspiration also 10/uls the Kmperor strenuously to hold to any .opinion which he- iivi\ oi-Vo fo< d. however erroneous that opinion might appear to lie to alt competent judges. The result is that William li. commits himself with 'surprising sudden ness to regrettable decisions and takes up untenable positions with excessive hate. -The will of the King is the supreme law'' is the Kaiser's favorite motto, and instead of en/trenching 'iiiinself licliir.U the,, responsibility til his Chancellor and Cabinet Minister,;, he systematically endeavors to email cipatc himself from every constitutional check of his absolute rule.

in a chap;er on "I'scless Display' the author declares that at the present time there is nothing but a con tinuou.s endeavor to achieve cheap triumphs. (Ici-iimny is engaged in admiring 'herself, in indulging in al', the bad habits of a vulgar 'parveuu, m [displaying a ridicu (mis. lyiisiifveiiV.ss and an exaggerated fear that sonic thing could happen in the world in which she docs not participate.