We were to drive to Douai, where we were invited to take supper at
8 P.M. with the ... Crown Prince of Bavaria. The distance
is nearly thirty-four kilometres and can easily be covered in
three-quarters of an hour, but the numerous posts stationed on the road
took up much of our time. It was five minutes to eight when we arrived.
An adjutant conducted us to a drawing-room, and we had not waited half
a minute when the Crown Prince entered.
He is one of those rare men whom all love and admire--all except the
English, for I think that even the French cannot help paying him a meed
of respect. In the German army he is looked upon as a very eminent
general--a born strategist and a thoroughly schooled soldier. As
regards appearance, manner and speech, he is fascinating and congenial
in the highest degree, neither regal nor humble, but without artifice
and modest like an ordinary mortal. When one _knows_ that he has
recently experienced the greatest private sorrow which could befall
him, one fancies, perhaps, that one detects a trace thereof in his
features--an air of sadness--but otherwise he does not betray, by a
look or a sigh, how deeply he grieves over the death of the little
prince of thirteen, the darling of all Bavaria. When the country and
the empire are in danger, all private sorrows must be put aside!
The Crown Prince has no time to grieve or to think of the void and
bereavement which he will feel on his victorious return to Munich.
He lives for and with his army, and is like a father to each and all
of his soldiers. He devotes all his power of mind, all his physical
strength, all his time, to the one great object which dominates all
else in the minds of the whole German army.
Crown Prince Rupprecht walks in with brisk and easy stride, stretches
out his hands towards us and gives us a truly cordial welcome. And then
he adds half-humourously: "I expect some other distinguished guests at
my table to-night."
"Who can that be?" asks the Duke.
"The Emperor!" replies the Crown Prince, and clasps his hands together.
"The Emperor?" we cry, for we had no idea that His Majesty was in this
part of the country.
"Yes, the Emperor has visited several units in this neighbourhood
to-day, and has promised ... Hush, I hear his car!" and with that the
Crown Prince hurried out.
Meanwhile the Officers of the General Staff of the Army came to greet
us, and presently the Emperor's suite, among whom I knew several, also
entered. Before I had time to wonder where the supreme War-Lord himself
had gone, we were asked to step into the dining-room. The Emperor was
already seated at the table. We all stepped up to our chairs, but no
one seated himself. The Emperor sat with bowed head, looking very
grave. But suddenly his blue eyes flashed up, and he nodded kindly
in all directions. When he caught sight of me, he extended his hand
across the table and cried gaily: "_Guten Tag, mein lieber Sven Hedin;
es scheint Ihnen gut zu gefallen in meiner Armee_," a sentiment which I
confirmed with the greatest alacrity.
Perhaps it might amuse the reader to hear who were the ten people
seated round Crown Prince Rupprecht's table. Duke Adolf Friedrich of
Mecklenburg sat at the Emperor's right, and Prince Löwenstein at his
left. Right opposite the Emperor sat the Crown Prince--the host--with
Colonel-General von Plessen, Adjutant-General, at his right and myself
at his left. Next to me on the other side was Lieut.-General von
Marschall, with Colonel Tappen, of the Crown Prince's staff, on his
left. To the left of Prince Löwenstein sat General Falkenhayn, Minister
of War, and between him and General von Plessen the chief of the Crown
Prince's staff, General Krafft von Dellmensingen. At another table of
about the same size, covers had been laid for the other gentlemen of
the Emperor's and Crown Prince's staff and suite.