The atmosphere in which he lived would have killed the hardiest plant.  Whatever the Emperor said or did, whether it was right or wrong, was received with enthusiastic praise and admiration.  Dozens of people were always at hand to laud him to the skies.

For instance, a book was published during the war entitled, “Der Kaiser im Felde,” by Dr. Bogdan Kriegen.  The Emperor presented me with a copy when at Kreuznach in May, 1917, and wrote a suitable inscription inside.  The book contained an accurate account of all the Emperor had done during the campaign—­but it was entirely superficial matter; where he had driven to, where breakfasted, with whom he had spoken, the jokes he had made, what clothes he wore, the shining light in his eyes, etc., etc.  It also recorded his speeches to the troops; dull and uninteresting words that he addressed to individual soldiers, and much more in the same strain.  The whole book is impregnated and permeated with boundless admiration and unqualified praise.  The Emperor gave me the book when I was leaving, and I read it through when in the train.

I was asked a few weeks later by a German officer what I thought of the book.  I replied that it was trash and could only harm the Emperor, and that it should be confiscated.  The officer shared my opinion, but said that the Emperor had been assured on all sides that the book was a splendid work and helped to fire the spirit of the army; he therefore had it widely distributed.  Once, at a dinner at Count Hertling’s, I called his attention to the book and advised him to suppress it, as such a production could only be detrimental to the Emperor.  The old gentleman was very angry, and declared:  “That was always the way; people who wished to ingratiate themselves with the Emperor invariably presented him with such things.”  A professor from the University had warmly praised the book to me, but he went on to say:  “The Emperor had, of course, no time to read such stuff and repudiate the flattery; neither had he himself found time to read it, but would make a point of doing so now.”  I did not know much of that professor, but he certainly was not in frequent touch with the Emperor, nor was the author of the book.

In this instance, as in many others, I concluded that many of the members of the Emperor’s suite were far from being in sympathy with such tendencies.  The court was not the principal offender, but was carried away by the current of sycophancy.

During my period of office Prince Hohenlohe, the ambassador, had numerous interviews with the Emperor William, and invariably spoke most freely and openly to him, and yet always was on the best footing with him.  This was, of course, an easier matter for a foreign ambassador than for a German of the Empire, but it proves that the Emperor accepted it when done in proper form.