GERMAN MONARCHISTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 March 1921, Page 5

GERMAN MONARCHISTS.

A "CROWN PRINCE BOOM.” Reaction strengthens its hold on the people—-by from the Right or the Central Block of Moderates wrote the Berlin -Correspondent of Dondon Daily Telegraph in December last). The Crown Prince party ventures ever more daringly into the open. In the current number of the Preußßisehe Jahrbuecher, the most serious of the German monthly reviews, Dr. Friedrich Thimme, an historian of some repute, and for many years librarian of the Prussian House of Lords (Herrenhaus), publishes a very long and extravagantly laudatory eulogy of the Prince, which is evidently part of the restoration campaign. It is very significant that the writer opens with an attempt to prove that the character of the Prince is in almost every point the reverse of that of his father. Monarchists now regard the Kaiser merely as an incubus, and realise that anyone with his little peculiarities would have no chance of regaining the throne. In further development of this theme, Dr. Thimme represents the Prince as a man of “stable, tranquil, cool-headed, almost passionless’ character, averse to pomp, shbW, ceremony, and theatricalism of all kinds—“a simple, unpretending, modest nature, quite free from arrogance and prejudice, despising poses, shrewd, and far-sighted far beyond his years.” With one exception Dr. Thimme defends the Prince against all the charges, of which he has been the object. He denies that the Prince favored war, and asserts that he was one of the first to urge a conclusion of peace, even at the cost of sacrifices.

The Prince’s devotion to sport and frivolous pleasures is explained by the Kaiser’s jealous refusal to allow him an insight into or participation in affairs of State. The article speaks of it being “notorious” that the Prince opposed the idea of attacking Verdun, and continually urged the suspension of the operations against that fortress. Again “Instead of the great Spring offensive in 1918, the Crown Prince would rather have seen a. great peafee offensive.” We are also told, With an obvious purpose, that already many years ago the Prince “showed, a distinct leaning towards the -English system of Government.” It is, of course, unquestionable that Monarchism in this country has recovered considerably since its dark days immediately after the debacle, but a great deal of proof will be needed to persuade the masses of the people that the exCrown Prince is not a feather-headed swashbuckler with an exceedingly inflammable heart. Curreni; charges on this latter point are not dealt with by the chief causes of the Prince’s present