4
The Private Life of the Kaiser I
j , FROM THE PAPERS AND DIARIES OF
THE BARONESS VON LARISCH-REDDERN
The Kaiser and Kaiserln's lale Major Domo, Chief of the Royal Household at Berlin and Potsdam
Baroness von larisch-Reddern is the TRUE name of the Berlin Court lady, who gave
the story of tlie Kaiser to Henry William Fisher. Ursula, Countess von Eppiiighovcn being
a nom dc guerre, heretofore used to shield her.
J)
JJnhappy Condition of the Kaiserin Her Fear of Her
Husband Details of Family Life at Court
—William's Lack of Interest in His Children
How He Spent His Days His Consuming
Jealousy of His Wife His Brutality
Toward Her Court Scenes During the
Berlin Riots The Royal Bedroom
The Kaiser's Imperiousness
How the Kaiserin Played an
Unexpected Joke on Him
r \
It is not a pleasant duty to nnearth faintly skeletons. The
ITolienzollerns arc gone—but it is our duty to expose them so com
pletely that the Herman people themselves would lie asliamed again
to recognize the mas citizens, —tlx- hoped-for, war-reformed Ger
mans, we mean. As to the pre-war male. German he was just as
bad and detestable as the Kaiser, whom he admired, supported, im
itated and even adored, while the pre-war German women was just
as peevish, petty, tryannieal and small indeed as the Kaiserin.
Baroness von I-arisoli, the Chicf-of-Househrtd in the former im
perial Court, here relates her observations of family life among
the lloheiizollems. It is a recital of jealousy, envy, conspiracy. It
shows that even in his own family the Kaiser practiced deception
and created discord.
\ J
Thompson Feature Service, 1919, Copyright
[Continued from yesterday.] i
The world has a right to know the j
Hohenzollerns though I realize
that I am treading on delicate |
ground when I enter into the do-1
mestic relations in the Kaiser's j
household. But my many years as ,
Chief of the Royal Household, qual- I
ify me to speak with authority. 11
T have already mentioned that the !
Kaiser, in his brusque egotism, j
showed very little respect fqr his |
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THURSDAY EVENING.
wife and that she frequently confid
ed her troubles, even to the extent
of weeping over her unhappincss.
His treatment of her is an index to
his character. But I know that she
loved him and was very jealous of
him. He did not show himself cap
able of loving any one but himself.
The Kaiser is adored by his wife.
That Auguste Victoria's love for him
is only equalled by her fear of him
is perhaps not his fault. He was
heir to a mighty crown when he
married her—she, the daughter of a
penniless pretender who had to sign
away his hereditary rights to the
Dtchles of Schleswig and Holsteln
before the engagement was ratified
by the old Kaiser, and Prussia grant
ed him the indemnity of $75,000 per
year, on which the family was strug
gling, and which the Schleswigs may
lose bye and bye when the Allies
put the financial screws on.
The consciousness of this humili
ating bargain on the one hand, and
of William's overpowering egotism
on the other, have sufficed to make
a wife, constitutionally not without
energy, like wax in his hand.
Sitting one night in the Royal box
at the Opera House with Duke Gun
ther of Schlewig, I heard him laugh
immoderately at the remark of a
stage hero, who asked. "Do you
ever quarrel?" briskly replied: "No,
not if I have my own way."
"It reminds me so much of my be
loved brother-in-law and sister,'
said His Highness; "they never fight,
because he sees to it that his slight
est whims are obeyed, nay, more an
ticipated."
f That fits the case exactly: William
forever enforcing his own will, his
notions, his idiosyncrasies, and
downright crazes by sheer force >f
sublime egomania; the Kaiscrin
perpetually In a flutter to carry out
his demands and moke everybody
else dance to the imperial piper's
tunc!
Kaiscrin Jealous and Unhappy
I remarked that the Empress is
very jealous of her husband. One
day when the Court was established
in Berlin, I undertook to present to
her Majesty "the all-submissive"
compliments of the Countess Broek
dorff, asking leave to be excused
from second breakfast.
"Tell Her Excellency that she has
my permission, and with pleasure,
and that nothing would suit me bet
ter than to have her and the whole
lot of them stay away from my table
all the yea.r round," said Augusta
'"ictoria, with a haughty shrug of
the shoulders.
Being one of the "lot," I was sur
prised and vexed at this outburst.
if that remark was intended seri
ously, I beg to offer my resignation,"
I said, "and I am sure the Countess
and other associates and all func
tionaries will follow suit, seeing that,
for some unknown reason, we have
had the misfortune to incur your
Imperial Majesty's displeasure."
"No, no!" cried the Kaiserin; "I
am very fond of you, and there is
not one in the suite whom T dislike;
but, Countess, can you not see that
a woman even ail Empress wants hep
husband to herself once in a while?"
Implores Husband to Stay Home
"I have begged His Majesty a
thousand times to take at least one
meal beside breakfast alone with me
aiul tile children; I reminded ilini
of the happy family life in his own
father's house, where, except when
guests were present, the Crown
Prince and Princess and all the
children occupied one table, while
the suite sat at another. So both
master and retinue enjoyed perfect
freedom at this pleasantest of ren
dezvous; but the Kaiser will not
hear of it. To compare his Court
with that of his parents is as ridic
ulous as to liken the establishment
of some petty contemporary prince
to that of Louis XIV, he says."
"According to the Duchess of Or
leans, Charlotte Klizabeth of Ba
varia, the Grand Monarque would
have no one at his table but mem
bers of the royal family," l ob
served.
The Empress rose excitedly. "Is
that authentic?" she cried.
"Your Majesty will find it in the
Duchess's memoirs, and no doubt
also, in some of her ietters to the
first Queen of Prussia, kept in our
archives."
1 am under great obligations to'
you for these advices," said Her
Majesty, holding out her hand, which
I kissed; " my good knesebeck shall
look the matter up today—at once.
Do not fail to send for him, I beg
of you, when going out. But," con
tinued the royal lady, and the ex
pression of her face fell, "will the
Kaiser care one way or another''
You know he thinks it duo to his
position to maintain a certain state
at all times; and so our meals
the few we have together—are made
semi-public functions by the pres
ence of officials and strangers, while
my poor children are perpetually
kept up-stairs and hardly see thei<-
father."
Kaiser's Lack of Real Interest in
His Children
"I am afraid the Kaiser wil'l never
take interest in the children until
they actually entei military service "
said the Empress to me, after I had
read to her an article reporting His
Majesty's speech on the occasion of
I-rince Adalbert's entry into the
r -avy. Of course, I politely disagreed
with Her Majesty on that point, but
at the same time could not help
thinking it would be a good thing <f
these fears were realized.
Imagine, a father taking his ten
year-old stripling by the hand, and,
after presenting him to a regiment
of gray-beards, say to them: "Thii
moment, when Prince Adalbert be
comes one of you, is of the mist em
ment importance to the entire his
tory of the Fatherland."
age, say to them: "This moment,
when Prince Adalbert becomes one
of you, is of the most eminent im
portance to the entire history of the
Fatherland."
Who would blame a boy. after
that, for overbearing conduct and
disinclination for study? if, at the
age of ten, he be a historic person
age, to whom old and tried men
must look up as to an idol, a mol
der c: the nation's destinies, what
is the use of further effort? Elag
abalus became Roman Emperor at
the age of fourteen, yet had to wait
four years before he was recognized
as a god.
The Kaiser's Rnlly Program
How did the Kaiser "spend" his
time? I will quote a rough esti
mate, gathered from the Kaiser's
printed calendars published for the
benefit of court officials, body-ser
vants, and newspapers, minutely set
ting forth how and where His Ma
jesty spent his time, or was sup
posed to spend it. This seems to in
dicate that in the course of a year
he is home about one hundred days
—that is for one hundred days he
lives with Her Majesty under the
same roof; but this circumstance
does not in any way indicate that
their Majesties take their meals to
gether, or even see each other daily
except in bed and at breakfast, i
| ■ ,
HXIUUSBURG TEtEGRSPH
clip at random one of those daily
programs:
9.15 a. m. Report by the chief of
the military cabinet.
10.30 a. m. Report by the Chan
cellor.
12.30 p. m. Audience to newly
appointed army officers. Luncheon
on the train.
2 p. m. Departure for hunt at
Count Finkensteln's. At midnight,
return to the Neues Palais.
Or take another day:
9a. m. Review of the regi
ment or, the Bomstedter Field.
1.30 p. m. Luncheon in the mess
room.
.6 p. m. Dinner with the officers
of the Garde du Corps. Hour of re
turn not stated.-
The reader perceives an interval
of several hours between luncheon
and dinner, which might be devoted
to wife and children; but it must
not be forgotten that a person so
continually on the move as the Em
peror needs a corresponding amount
of rest, repose, and freshening up,
even though in the bright lexicon
of William there may be no such
word as knocking off. Unofficially,
the Kaiser retired to his dressing
room after luncheon, weqt to his lit
tle bachelor bed, slept an hour and
a half, and then jumped into a hot
bath, followed by an ablution of cold
sea-water. That, of course, put new
vigor into him, and made him ready
for the evening's campaign, but his
family see him not in the interim.
While not particularly loving to
ward his wife, the Emperor honors
her with excessive jealousy, and is
beside himself with luge if a man
servant, ever so innocently, looks at
Her Majesty when she is dressed in
a decollete costume. As Napoleon
bounced M. Lcroy, the Worth of his
times, for complimenting Marie
Louise on her tine shoulders, so Wil
liam dealt unmercifully with offi
cials and servants who venture to
look at his wife.
Insanely Jealous of His Wife
One day while the Kaiser was on
the way to Dessau, Her Majesty went
to bed early in the afternoon out
of sheer chagrin because she had
not been allowed to accompany her
husband, and, while reading a novel
by lamp-light, she was disturbed by
a stealthy noise at the door.
it made her sit up in eager ex
pectation. Could it be possible that
the Emperor had reconsidered his
decision, and had returned to take
her along as first promised? Auguste
Victoria prepared to look extra
charming; but who shall describe
her terror, when, instead of the ex
pected husband, the black curly head
of a man-servant, bearing a load of
fire-wood on his shoulder, appeared,
and cautiously spied about to see if
he might enter.
The Empress gave a scream of
rage and agony, while a crash, as
if a hundred-weight of sticks had
come to the ground, and hurrying
footsteps, told the fate of the trans
gressor.
Several hours later the whole pal
ace knew that Johann, the wood
boy, had been instantly dismissed
without compensation for his loss
of pension, and a bad "character"
into the bargain while next morning
an autograph letter from His Majes
ty arrived, commanding that hence
forth no male servant should enter
the joint bedroom or the Kaiserin's
dressing-room, all the work, includ
ing wood and water carrying, tak
ing up of carpets, etc., being thrown
upon the maids.
This incident had a sequel, for,
Her Majesty being as fastidious
about girls in her room (when the
Kaiser is present) as William was
about man-servants, was then ob
liged to make her own fire in the
grate on chilly mornings whenever
her husband was at home. What a
parody on royal state this—the Em
press-Queen getting up in the cold
and damp, to liffht her own fire!
Verily, truth is stranger by far than
notion!
The Kaiser detested his wife's
relatives. He hated her mother—
the usual "mother-in-law" situation,
lie quarrelled with the Kulseri.i over
lier kith and kin on frequent oc
casions.
One of these wrangles was over
using, for family purposes, funds
from the so-called "Imperial Dispo
sition Fund," intended to afford re
lief to Prussian and German veterans
of the wars und in case of great na
tional disasters. As its name implies
the right of bestowing grants out of
the three million marks, annually
set aside for the specified
is vested in the sovereign—reason
enough for William who recognized
no obligation that conflicted with his
"all-highest" pleasure, to regard the
money as a sort of augmentation of
the civil list, in the same way as
he took the navak phrases "His
Majesty's cruiser," "His Majestv's
torpedo," etc., literally.
William's Sarcasm
To convey a thorough understand
ing of this matter, we shall have to
go back to events which I well re
call. It was my imperial mistress
who, after the withdrawal of Count
Zedlitz's common-school law, per
suaded von Caprivi to remain in of
fice.
"Votre petite guerre est flni," said
the Emperor to Her Majesty at sup-
Its sjood shopping
to buy the best"
saysfficMff.
—and when it
comes to
corn flakes,
you shouldn't iU
be satisfied y
with ordinary
corn flakes
but you should / jft
ask for j m
PosiToAsrits
i
per, "and- you have not been luck-'
ler than Madame Eugenie. Rest.as
sured, though/ that I will not be
in the market again for any of
Uncle Christian's ultra-Christian
plans. No, we will not go to Cum
berland Lodge a second time."
Her Majesty grew pale and blush
ed violently in rapid succession, fler
bosom heaved, and some of the wine
in the glass she was raising to her
lips spilled over her superb gown.
"I do not quite understand, Wil
lie." she said at last, lisping pain
fully in her agitation.
"Beg Your Majesty's pardon," was!
the Kaiser's sarcastic reply: "I
thought everybody knew by this time
that I had to withdraw the Y olks "
schulgesetz and turn Zcdlitz adrift.
My government was fast becoming
the laughing stock of Europe with
this Augustenburg sort of legisla
tion, as Bismarck styles it."
"The old enemy of our house —"
whimpered Auguste Victoria.
"You are mistaken in your sur
misal: I am not quoting from the
Hamburger Naclirichtcn. The
Prince expressed himself thus to
ward your uftcle Waldersee, point
ing out at the same time the risks
I was running in advocating a law
liable to be associated in public
opinion with petticoat and family
influences."
I did not hear the •whole of this
conversation, and lost the rest of
it altogether, as, by the Empress's
request, William lowered his voice
after this last sally; but Her Ma
jestey repeated it word for word
when we ladies attended her in her
dressing-room later on.
'The Kaiser choose to put all the
blame for this failure upon myself
and my family," she said, amid a
flood of tears; "but, by all that is
holy to me, I swear, neither my
uncle, nor I personally, had any
thing to do with the launching of
the Volksscliulgesetz. Prince Chris
tian, it is true, has endeavored to
impress His Majesty with tho impor
tance of his religious duties as sum
mus episcopus, and the two gentle
men have had conferences about the
best ways and means to combat
disbelief and atheism in Germany,
but I am convinced that my uncle
never ventured advice on matters of
legislation. He merely tried to rouse
my husband's interest in divine mat
ters, as any ardent follower of the
Lord should do. The Volksscliul
gesetz as such was the Kaiser's own
creation, though some of the ideas
incorporated in it might have come
from across the channel."
"Your Majesty should not have
minded tho Kaiser's ill-humor." 1
ventured to say; "the attitude of
Parliament and the press naturally
angered him and "
[To Be Continued To-morrow.]
Two New Towns May
Join the Dauphin-Perry
League This Season
Newport, Duncannon, Marysville
and Dauphin, four of the six towns
represented in the Dauphin-Perry
League in the three seasons of its
existence, will again have teams in
the field this year, their represen
tatives promised at a meeting of the
organization in the Shenk and Tittle
sporting goods store last evening.
The two others, Millefsburg and
Halifax, were unrepresented at last
evening's meeting, but sent letters
telling that they will likely be. Two
new towns, Reedsville and Mifflin,
presented bids for berths in the or
ganization. '
The makeup of the circuit will be
definitely arranged at a second
meeting of the organization which
will be held at the Shenk and Tittle
store next Tuesday evening. Per
manent officers will be elected and
other details pertaining to the com
ing season, will be arranged. Stew
art Duncan, of Duncannon, and D.
B. Taylor, of Newport, were named
at last evening's meeting to serve as
president and secretary pro tern,
until permanent officers are elected.
Master Bakers Plan
For Annual Convention
Plans for the State convention to
be held at Lancaster in June were
outlined at a meeting of the execu
tive committee of the Pennsylvania
Master Bakers' Association held at
the Penn-Harris hotel this morning.
A number of prominent speakers are
to be pcresent at the convention.
Among events scheduled at the
hotel to-morrow are: Dinner of lo
cal freightjigents; American-Syrian
relief dinner and banquet of super
intendents of the Metropolitan Life
Insurance Company.
A meeting and luncheon of the
Philadelphia Charter committee will
be held at the Penn-Harris Monday
noon.
Knights of Malta to
Hold Banquet Tonight
Several hundred members and !
friends are expected to be present I
this evening at the first banquet of
the Knights of MaMa in this ter
ritory. The event, which will be
attended by members from Harris
burg, Carlisle and adjacent towns,
will be held in the Chestnut Street
Auditorium at 8 o'clock. Music,
speeches and an attractive menu
are promised.
Added P. and R. Train
Is Becoming Popular
At the request of businessmen
and business organizations along the
Philadelphia and Reading and Cen
tral Railroad lines, the new Harris
burg Special, between Harrisburg
1 —————————————————————— „
—- 1 \TE would like to
YY have every man
fand young man in Harrisburg see
just how our merchandise is
>ought—how the patterns and
quality of everything from suits to
handkerchiefs are chosen with the
greatest care. Of course it is im
possible for the buying public to
see all this, but that is the reason
the public appreciates the superi
ority of clothing, hats, and furn
ishings from the New Store, over
other stores. The values are more
than fair (but not ridiculously and
deceivingly "sale" priced) and
when anyone is Wm. Strouse
dressed —He is WELL dressed.
We assure every person who
enters our store that he, or she,
will get satisfaction in every con
o ceivable way—lt's as safe for a
six-year old child to buy at Wm.
Strouse's as for an adult—Because
we safeguard the interests of our customers to the extent that
every article on display represents Value.
Stratford Clothes Metric Shirts
Vanitie Hats
—are the best
That's why they're sold by
Mm.
310 Market Street Harrisburg, Pa.
■*■———————— ■
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car more than ever a household word.
fl
it was the only car of its type and
class officially adopted by the War fl
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Army. jj 1
Tlio Gasoline consumption is unusually low. 9 r
Tlic tire mileage is unusually high.
It will pay you to examine thla ear at the ahow. |j
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P® 11 CHARLES H. EARNER, Mgr. £ial jj
| 709 4454 1 1
MARCH 20, 1919.
and New York, on the Reading Rail- I
way, was restored March 10. The
train, which leaves Harrisburg at
4.30 in the afternoon, and returning
leaves New York at 8.20 in the
morning, has already become as
popular as it was before the war.
ROYAL FIVE BEATS ROSEWOOD
In a well-played game the Royal
five defeated the Rockwood five by
the score of 30 to 9. Enney and
Books played best for Royal. Here
is what happened:
Hoyal. Rockwood.
Enney, f. Conley, f.
Strine, f. Cahill, f.
Shickley, c. Sc-hmitt, c.
Books, g. Gougler, g.
Rudy, g. ' Snyder, g.
Field goals, Enney, 4; S trine,
Shickley, 1; Books, B; Rudy, 1; Con
ley, 1; Cahill, 2; Snyder, 1. Foul
goals, Shickley, 4 . Gougler, 1. Rer
eree, Boudman.
MOTHERS
Reduce your doctor's
J3
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