MY RECOLLECTIONS OF WILLIAM 11-1879-1903 233 



are but a part of its garb. He is certainly developing 

 the characteristics of a successful ruler of men and the 

 solid qualities of a statesman. It was my fortune, from 

 time to time, to hear him discuss at some length current 

 political questions; and his views were presented with 

 knowledge, clearness, and force. There was nothing at 

 all flighty in any of his statements or arguments. There 

 is evidently in him a large fund of that Hohenzollern 

 common sense which has so often happily modified Ger 

 man, and even European, politics. He recognizes, of 

 course, as his ancestors generally have done, that his is 

 a military monarchy, and that Germany is and must re 

 main a besieged camp; hence his close attention to the 

 army and navy. Every one of our embassy military at 

 taches expressed to me his surprise at the efficiency of 

 his inspections of troops, of his discrimination between 

 things essential and not essential, and of his insight into 

 current military questions. Even more striking testi 

 mony was given to me by our naval attaches as to his 

 minute knowledge not only of his own navy, but of the 

 navies of other powers, and especially as to the capabili 

 ties of various classes of ships and, indeed, of individual 

 vessels. One thoroughly capable of judging told me that 

 he doubted whether there was any admiral in our service 

 who knew more about every American ship of any impor 

 tance than does the Kaiser. It has been said that his de 

 votion to the German navy is a whim. That view can 

 hardly command respect among those who have noted his 

 labor for years upon its development, and his utterances 

 regarding its connection with the future of his empire. 

 As a simple matter of fact, he recognizes the triumphs 

 of German commercial enterprises, and sees in them a 

 guarantee for the extension of German power and for 

 a glory more permanent than any likely to be obtained 

 by military operations in these times. When any candid 

 American studies what has been done, or, rather, what has 

 not been done, in his own country, with its immense sea- 

 coast and its many harbors on two oceans, to build up 



