Kaiser's motors in occupied France--a large
Mercedes, run by a skilful driver at a great rate of speed.

The Crown Prince is especially fond of horses and if he succeeds
to the throne will undoubtedly keep up the Royal stable or
Marstall. This is situated on the bank of the Spree across the
square from the Royal Schloss in Berlin. There are kept the
carriages of state, those sent to bring Ambassadors to the Palace
when they first present their letters, two hundred splendid
saddle and driving horses, with modern carriages, four-in-hand
coaches, dog carts, etc. Most of the Foreign Ambassadors use
state carriages for great occasions, with bewigged coachmen and
standing footmen. I think Ambassador White was the last American
who indulged in the luxury of a state carriage. As a plain dress
suit did not exactly fit with a Cinderella coach, I went to
functions, such as the Emperor's birthday reception, in a large
automobile, retaining only of the former state the necessary body
huntsman who acted as footman on these occasions and who wore a
livery of hunting green, a cocked hat, with red, white and blue
plumes and a long hunting dagger in his belt.

Out of consideration for the feelings of others I retained the
porter in his old finery, a Berlin institution. At state dinners
the porter of a Royalty or Ambassador stands at the house
entrance, clad in a long coat, wearing a silver belt diagonally
across his chest, and crowned by an enormous cocked hat worn
sideways. The porter carries also a great silver headed staff,
like a drum major's baton, and when guests of particular
importance arrive he pounds this stick three times on the
pavement.

It used to amuse the Berlin crowd lining Unter den Linden to see
the Ambassadors and Ministers leave the Palace or Cathedral on
the Kaiser's birthday, New Year's day, etc., to see the state
carriages of the other Ambassadors overtaken by the modern
automobile from America.

The Berlin lower classes are renowned for their dry wit and they
find much to amuse them in the tasteless statues and monuments of
Berlin.

In the square outside our house was a statue of one of Friedrich
the Great's generals which seemed to afford the boys great fun.
The General is shown in the act of reflectively feeling his chin
and by chance is gazing uncertainly at the barber shop of the
neighbouring hotel Kaiserhof.

Nobody knows, of course, whether the present Crown Prince will
succeed Emperor William--