Memories Of The Former Kaiser

(Until 1914, the Emperor of Germany, Kaiser Wilhelm 11, head of the Hohen zollerns, was one of the three most powerful men in the world. Now, 30 years after his downfall, he is little more than a memory.

But there is, in Tonga, in the South Pacific, one man to whom the late Wil helm II is still the Kaiser, and who still reveres his memory. He is 90-years-old F. J. Goedicke, of Haapai, Tonga. A few years ago, Mr. Goedicke succeeded to an old Dutch title, that of Count van Asten.

He was reared in aristocratic circles in Germany and is believed to be of royal blood. He was in New Britain before 1880; and, after roving the world, he settled down in Tonga over 40 years ago, and married a relation of the Queen of Tonga. He was born on August 15, 1861.)

By F. J. Van Asten-Goedicke

IN October, 1949, I received a very in teresting letter. The postmark is Sigmaringen, and the writer is the former Crown Prince Friederick Wilhelm, of Germany.

The Crown Prince writes that, some time ago, he approached the Dutch G9V ernment to allow him to take possession of the estate of his late father (the former Kaiser) at Doom, Holland. This the Dutch Government refused.

Through the influence of Prince Bern hard (Consort of Queen Juliana), who is related to Crown Princess Cecilie, he re ceived many private articles, and the whole of the Kaisers correspondence, which the Kaiser had kept during his stay in Doom.

This correspondence the Crown Prince had read from A to Z; and, while going through it, he came across some of my letters and he now osked me to let him know how and where I met Mr. Poulteney Bigelow. (Bigelow, Poulteney, born 1855; American journalist and author; edu cated in Germany; a friend of Crown Prince, afterwards Emperor Wilhelm II; has written books on Germany; a cele brated canoe-traveller; has written travel books).

I have informed the Crown Prince that, while living in San Francisco in 1889, I took my meals at a restaurant and, at the same table, there sat a Mr.

P. Bigelow, with whom I became very friendly. One day Bigelow told me that while his father was USA Ambassador to Berlin, he (Poulteney Bigelow) studied at the University at Bonn, where Prince Wilhelm of Germany also studied. These two young men became close friends.

When father and son returned to America, Wilhelm and Bigelow kept up a friendly correspondence. Later, when Wilhelm became Kaiser, Bigelow was al ways invited to join him on his Nordland yachting trips.

In 1930, I received from Germany an illustrated paper, showing the Kaiser and Bigelow, arm in arm, at Doom. Another picture showed them with other Princes, playing cards; and another, where they were all chopping wood. The letterpress said that the Kaiser and Bigelow had been great friends, until America entered in World War I. Then Bigelow wrote against the Kaiser, and it hurt the Kaiser very much that an old friend should turn against him when he needed sympathy.

WHEN the war was over and Bigelow found that on some matters affect ing the Kaiser he had been mis informed, he was man enough to say so.

He went to Doom and apologised to the ex-Kaiser, and they became friends again.

Believing Bigelow to be still at Doom, I wrote to him in 1930, expressing appre

ciation of what he had done. This letter he showed to the ex-Kaiser and I re ceived the following letter. The transla tion does not bring out the really kind expressions.

“Your letter, addressed to Mr. P. Bige low, was laid before His Majesty the Kaiser. His Majesty has, with great pleasure, taken notice of the so-kindly used expressions, and was deeply touched.

His Majesty was more delighted when he was told that the writer was his boy hood friend Fritz Goedicke, with whom he had spent six happy weeks, in 1870, in Ludwigslust. I am commanded by His Majesty to send you his love and good wishes for the future. The picture, under separate cover, has been by His Majesty with pleasure autographed. By Command (signed) Count Conrad van Finkelstein, Hofenasschall.”

The following month I received a letter

from Bigelow acknowledging my letter, and in which he wrote warmly of the Kaiser and praised the Kaiser’s good in tentions for peace. This letter I sent to

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