A Wreath

At the Ebert funeral appeared a large wreath of lilacs, bearing a ribbon with a crown and the initial "W." The Acht Uhr Abendblatt was overjoyed. "From ex-Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm," the newspaper reported. The Deutsches Tageblatt was certain that it was the ex-Kaiser who had, with characteristic thought, sent the wreath.

At the Presidential Palace in Wilhelmstrasse, an official said both newspapers were misinformed. The wreath in question was from her Majesty Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands.

The Nene Berliner Zeitung thereupon wanted to know: "Why didn't Wilhelm II offer condolences?" and quotes the Prague Tageblatt as saying: "One would think that Emperor Wilhelm would today somehow feel himself still connected with the fate of the German people and would join in the mourning when that Nation is overtaken by a loss for which Frenchmen and Englishmen express their sympathy. The Governments of Paris and London have condoled, but the German at Doom remains silent."

Although the "German at Doom" may have sent a wreath--and if he did, it probably was returned--yet, if he did not, it would seem that he lost a great opportunity to play an important political card.