New York Times Current History: The European War from the Beginning to March 1915, Vol 1, No. 2: Who Began the War, and Why?Various
History
New York Times Current History: The European War from the Beginning to March 1915, Vol 1, No. 2: Who Began the War, and Why?
Various
World War, 1914-1918
I am very glad to be able to send you the best reports of the
Nineteenth Army Corps and the Twelfth Reserve Corps. I visited
yesterday the Third Army and greeted especially the brave 181st
Regiment, to which I expressed my recognition. I found your third
son and your brother Max as well as Laffert and Kirchbach in the
best of health. The spirit among the men is splendid. With such an
army we shall be able to complete victoriously the rest of our
difficult task. To this end may the Almighty stand by us.
WILHELM.
* * * * *
HIS INDISCRETION WAS "CALCULATED."
Interview With Kaiser Wilhelm II., Oct. 28, 1908, and Its
Consequences.
_An interview between the German Emperor and "a representative
Englishman, who long since passed from public to private life,"
appeared in The London Telegraph on Oct. 28, 1908, and was the next day
authenticated by the German Foreign Office in Berlin with the comment
that it was "intended as a message to the English people." This last
expression of the Kaiser toward Great Britain--until his declarations on
the eve of the present war--deeply stirred the German people in protest
and resulted in the Kaiser's pledge to Chancellor von Buelow that
henceforth the imperial views would be subject to the bridle of the
Ministry and the Council of the Empire. The interview as recorded by the
"representative Englishman" was as follows:_
Moments sometimes occur in the history of nations when a calculated
indiscretion proves of the highest public service. It is for this
reason that I have decided to make known the substance of a lengthy
conversation which it was my recent privilege to have with the
Emperor.
I do so in the hope that it will help to remove that obstinate
misconception of the character of the Emperor's feelings toward
England, which I fear is deeply rooted in the ordinary Englishman's
breast. It is the Emperor's sincere wish that it should be
eradicated. He has given repeated proofs of his desire by word and
deed. But, to speak frankly, his patience is sorely tried now; he
finds himself so continually misrepresented and has so often
experienced the mortification of finding that any momentary
improvement in relations is followed by renewed outbursts of
prejudice and a prompt return to the old attitude of suspicion.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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