GARDENS OF CELEBRITIES 



old Emperor of Germany, the Queen dined at Marlborough House, 

 and actually permitted .the suspension of the Court mourning for 

 the occasion. Three months later her favourite grandson the 

 now notorious Kaiser William, became Emperor in succession to 

 his father Frederick. 



It is said that the nephew's social charm is as great as was the 

 uncle's ; and one authority states that no personal or political 

 rivalry existed between them, that " there was no estrangement," 

 and that " the ill-feeling disappeared when they met." 



This may be so, but in the light of subsequent events it is difficult 

 to believe it, impossible not to attribute sinister and selfish motives 

 for the German Emperor's professed friendship, and formerly very 

 frequent visits.* 



There could have been no ties of opinion and sympathy to bind 

 the two together, for France was still bleeding from the wounds 

 that Germany had inflicted on her ; and we are told that King 

 Edward, at Biarritz, at Cannes, and in Paris, had long before 

 " emphatically declared in all circles his love for France, his hope 

 of a perpetual peace between her and England, and his dread of 

 another Franco-German War." Nor did he qualify such senti- 

 ments when he travelled in Germany. " He loved France," said 

 Gambetta, " d la jois gaiment et serieusement" and his dream was 

 of an Anglo-French entente. 



In Germany " There's such divinity doth hedge a king " that to 

 dare to criticize the Emperor in the smallest particular is Use 

 majeste, a crime severely punishable. 



The Kaiser is " The All Highest," and regards himself as God's 

 vicegerent upon earth. Because he is " over-lord," he does not 

 acknowledge the rights of small states, nor their just claim to self- 

 determination, but works to bring the whole world under his sway. 

 To this end he has waged ruthless war, bringing bereavement, and 

 untold misery, on half the families of Europe. 



There was, it is true, the tie of blood, but beyond that I fail to 

 see what common interest or purpose could unite him to the gracious, 

 kindly Prince ; condescending without appearing to condescend, 



* This sentence is not strong enough. It was written in 1916, before the Gerard and 

 Lichnowsky revelation, and before the publication of the " Willy-Nicky " correspondence 

 had betrayed to the world the worthlessness of the Kaiser's professions of friendship even 

 for his kinsmen. I think there can be now no doubt but that the uncle read the nephew's 

 nature clearly, and gauged his capacity for evil and his boundless ambition, and that the 

 " estrangement," though not open, was real. 



152 



