Abdication of Wilhelm II and the Dutch government, however, refused the Allies' requests to extradite him. King George V wrote that his cousin was "the greatest criminal in history", but opposed Prime Minister David Lloyd George's proposal to "hang the Kaiser". U.S. President Woodrow Wilson also opposed extradition, arguing that punishing Wilhelm would destabilize international order and lose the peace. Wilhelm first settled in Amerongen, where on 28 November he issued a belated statement of abdication of both the Prussian and imperial thrones. He also released his soldiers and officials in both Prussia and the empire from their oaths of loyalty to him. Wilhelm
SMS Kaiser Wilhelm II the western Baltic on 21 September. During these exercises, "Kaiser Wilhelm II" served as the umpire ship, and so Hoffmann temporarily transferred his flag to her sister ship . He returned to "Kaiser Wilhelm II" on 29 September after the conclusion of the exercises in Kiel. On 1 November 1900, "Kaiser Friedrich III" replaced "Kaiser Wilhelm II" as the I Squadron flagship; the latter, as the fleet flagship, remained assigned to the squadron for tactical purposes. From 4 to 15 December, "Kaiser Wilhelm II" and the I Squadron went on a winter training cruise to Norway; the ships anchored at