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THE EMPEROR WILLIAM 49
houses, have to be requisitioned for billets. The invaded
country has no alternative but to resign itself to its fate.
But nothing is taken promiscuously, everything will be made
good after the war. The War Ministry is housed in an hotel,
the General Staff—as already mentioned—in a school, the
offices of the Automobile Corps in a private house, and so on.
The Commander-in-Chief, von Moltke, resided at the Kölnischer
Hof, the Imperial Chancellor and the Foreign Minister in an
exceptionally elegant private house, whilst the Emperor’s
personal staff and suite were stopping at the Hotd Staar,
where a room was also placed at my disposal.
But although for several obvious reasons I could not remain
long at the Main Headquarters, I must nevertheless say a few
words about a man whom I met there and whom I regard as
one of the most remarkable figures of the world’s history, the
most powerful and most impressive ruler of our time, and,
moreover, one of the most genial and most fascinating men
one could wish to meet.
When in June, 1913, William II. celebrated his twenty-five
years’ jubilee as German Emperor, I wrote about him in the
Magdeburgische Zeitung the following words, which in a
large measure have already been borne out by events :
" By
his strong and powerful personality William II. stamps his
impress on the era to which he belongs. Hitherto this has only
been in the sphere of peace. What the future carries with it
no one knows. But this much we know, that no foreign State
will unchastised dare to challenge Germany’s honour and
security. Even if an unkind fate should sometime draw
letters of blood across his firmament, the Emperor, with the
same energy and impulsive force which distinguished him in
times of peace, will lead his legions into the fire, and the golden
eagle on his helmet will point the way to fresh victories."
History will bear out as an indisputable fact that Emperor
William throughout a quarter of a century has done all in his
power to keep the thunders of war from the confines of the
German Empire and from Europe. On more than one occasion
peace hung by a hair. All who know the facts agree that it
has been the Emperor’s personal intervention which averted
a catastrophe. Once, not long ago, the war was nearer than
people thought, and here again it was the Emperor’s love of
peace that became the deciding factor. Many blamed him for
this, and called his attitude irresolute and yielding. But here
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