A JAUNT TO NORWAY.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 March 1919, Page 6

A JAUNT TO NORWAY.

GERMAN EMPEROR PUT OUT OF THE WAY. Here is the strange story told by the Kaiser of his summer holiday on the eve of war—"sent away." It was told to Professor Dr. George Wegener, in the Kolnische Zeitung he says that he received from Spa orders to follow the Kaiser to the front: "After lunch in the Royal train the Kaiser —it then being the day before the revolution at Kiel and five days before his own flight —accorded me three-quarters of an hour's undisturbed conversation, unattended by any third person, during which interview he expressed his views on the political situation, and asked several questions. The Government policy of the last weeks .before the outbreak of war, the Kaiser said, had been carired on by Herr von Bethmann Hollweg and by Herr von Jagow alone. '1 knew no more about it than that,' he declared. 'Against my will, they sent me to Norway. I did. not wish to undertake the voyage because the gravity of the situation after the murder of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand was clear at first sight; but the Chancellor said to me, 'Your Majesty must take this voyage in order to'maintain peace. If your Majesty remains here it undoubtedly means war, and the world will lay to your charge the responsibility for this war." '"Well, I then undertook the voyage* During all this time I received no ;/ ports from my Government concern/-; current events. Strictly speak in'/ I only learned from the Norwegian pt'/civ of what was occurring in the world, and in this way learnt of the Russian mobilisation measures. When I heard that the British Fleet had put to sea 1 returned of my own accord."