The Secrets of the German War OfficeDr. Armgaard Karl Graveswith the collabaration ofEdward Lyell Fox

FOREWORD

In view of the general war into which Europe has been precipitatedjust at the moment of going to press, it is of particular interest tonote that the completed manuscript of this book has been in the handsof the publishers since June 1st. Further comment on Dr. Graves'qualifications to speak authoritatively is unnecessary; the chaptersthat follow are a striking commentary on his sources of information. 

The PublishersAugust 7, 1914. 

Chapter I. How I Became a Secret Agent

_"O Jerum, jerum, jerum, quâ motatio rerum. "_

Half past three was heard booming from some clock tower on the twelfthday of June, 1913, when Mr. King, the Liberal representative fromSomerset, was given the floor in the House of Commons. Mr. Kingproceeded to make a sensation. 

He demanded that McKinnon Wood, the House Secretary for Scotland, reveal to the House the secrets of the strange case of Armgaard KarlGraves, German spy. 

A brief word of explanation may be necessary. Supposed to be servinga political sentence in a Scotch prison, I had amazed the Englishpress and people by publicly announcing my presence in New York City. 

Mr. King asked if I was still undergoing imprisonment for espionage;if not, when and why I was released and whether I had been or would bedeported at the end of my term of imprisonment as an undesirablealien. 

Permit me to quote verbatim from the Edinburgh _Scotsman_ of June 12, 1913:

The Secretary for Scotland replied--Graves was released in Decemberlast. It would not be in accordance with precedent to state reasonsfor the exercise of the prerogative. I have no official knowledge ofhis nationality. The sentence did not include any recommendation infavor of deportation. 

Mr. King--Was he released because of the state of his health?

The Secretary for Scotland--I believe he was in bad health, but Icannot give any other answer. 

Mr. King--Were any conditions imposed at the time of his release?

The Secretary for Scotland--I think I have dealt with that in myanswer. (Cries of "No. ")

Mr. King--Can the right hon. Gentleman be a little more explicit?(Laughter. ) We are anxious to have the truth. Unless the righthon. Gentleman can give me an explicit answer as to whether anyconditions were imposed I will put down the question again. (Laughter. )

The Speaker intervened at this stage, and the subject dropped. 

Heckling began at this point; word was quickly sent to the Speaker, and he intervened, ruling the subject closed. 

Now consider the Secretary for Scotland's statement. "It would not bein accordance with precedent to state reasons for the exercise ofprerogative. " In other words, high officials in Enghand had found itadvisable secretly to release me from Barlinney Prison by using theroyal prerogative. Why? Later you will know. 

Also, consider the Secretary for Scotland's statement that he had noofficial knowledge as to my _nationality_--significant that, as youwill realize. 

There are three things which do not concern the reader: My origin, nationality and morals. There are three persons alive who know who Iam. One of the three is the greatest ruler in the world. None of thethree, for reasons of his own, is likely to reveal my identity. 

I detest sensationalism and wish it clearly understood that this is nostudied attempt to create mystery. There is a certain dead line whichno one can cross with impunity and none but a fool would attempt to. Powerful governments have found it advisable to keep silence regardingmy antecedents. A case in point occurred when McKinnon Wood, Secretary for Scotland, refused in the House of Commons to give anyinformation whatsoever about me, this after pressure had been broughtto bear on him by three mernbers of Parliament. Either the HomeSecretary knew nothing about my antecedents, or his trained discretioncounseled silence. 

I was brought up in the traditions of a house actively engaged in theaffairs of its country, for hundreds of years. As an only son, I waspromptly and efficiently spoiled for anything else but the station inlife which should have been mine--but never has been and, now, nevercan be. I used to have high aspirations, but promises never keptshattered most of my ideals. The hard knocks of life have made me afatalist, so now I shrug my shoulders. _"Che sara sara. "_ I have hadto lead my own life and, all considered, I have enjoyed it. I havecrowded into thirty-nine years more sensations than fall to the lot ofthe average half a dozen men. 

Following the custom of our house, I was trained as a military cadet. This military apprenticeship was followed by three years at a famous_gymnasium_, which fitted me for one of the old classic universitiesof Europe. And after spending six semesters there, I took my degreesin philosophy and medicine. Not a bad achievement, I take it, for ayoung chap before reaching his twenty-second birthday. I have alwaysbeen fond of study and had a special aptitude for sciences and thelanguages. On one occasion I acquired a fair knowledge of Singaleseand Tamul in three months. 

From the university I returned home. I had always been obstinate andwillful, not to say pigheaded, and being steeped in tales of wrongsdone to my house and country, and with the crass assurance of a youngsprig fresh from untrammeled university life, I began to give vent toutterances that were not at all to the liking of the powers that were. Soon making myself objectionable, paying no heed to their protests, and one thing leading to another, my family found it advisable to sendme into utter and complete oblivion. To them I am dead, and all saidand done, I would rather have it so. 

After the complete rupture of my home ties, I began some desultoryglobe trotting. I knocked about in out-of-the-way corners, where Iobserved and absorbed all sorts of things which became very useful inmy subsequent career. A native, and by that I mean an inhabitant, ofnon-European countries always fascinated me, and I soon learned theway of disarming their suspicion and winning their confidence--aproceeding very difficult to a European. After a time I found myselfin Australia and New Zealand, where I traveled extensively, and cameto like both countries thoroughly. I have never been in the westernpart of the United States, but from what I have heard and read Iimagine that the life there more closely resembles the clean, healthy, outdoor life of the Australians than any other locality. 

I was just on the point of beginning extensive travels in the SouthSea Islands, when the situation in South Africa became ominous. Warseemed imminent, and following my usual bent of sticking my nose inwhere I was not wanted I made tracks for this potential seat oftrouble. I caught the first steamer for Cape Town landing there amonth before the outbreak of war. On horseback I made my way in easystages up to the Rand. Here happened one of those incidents, which, although small in itself, alters the course of one's life. What tookplace when I rode into a small town on the Rand known as Doorn Kloofone chilly misty morning, was written in the bowl of fate. 

Doorn Kloof is well named; it means "the hoof of the Devil. " Astraggling collection of corrugated iron shanties set in the middle ofa grayish sandy plain as barren of vegetation as the shores of theDead Sea, sweltering hot an hour after sunrise, chilly cold an hourafter sunset, populated by about four hundred Boers of the oldnarrow-minded ultra Dutch type with as much imagination as agrasshopper--that is Doorn Kloof. 

When I rode into the village I was in a decidedly bad temper. Hungry, wet to the skin, the dismal aspect of the place, the absence ofanything resembling a hotel, the incivility of the inhabitants, allcontributed to shorten my, by no means long, temper. I was ripe for arow. As I rode down the solitary street I found a big burly _Dopper_flogging brutally a half-grown native boy. This humanitarian had theusual Boer view that the sambrock is more effective than the Bible asa civilizing medium. After convincing him of the technical error ofhis method, I attended to the black boy, whose back was as raw as abeefsteak. Kim completely adopted me and he is with me still. Ichristened him Kim, after Kipling's hero, for his Basuto name isunpronounceable. He has repaid me often for what he considers thesaving or his life. Not many months later Kim was the unconsciouscause of a radical change in my destiny. I have ceased to wonder atsuch things. 

By the time Kim had learned sorne of the duties of a body servant wehad reached Port Natal. War had broken out and I volunteered with aNatal field force in a medical capacity. Field hospital work took mewhere the fighting was thickest. During the battle of the ModderRiver among the first of the wounded brought in was one of the manyforeign officers fighting on the Boer side. It was Kim who found him. This officer's wound was fairly serious and necessitated closeattention. Through chance remarks dropped here and there, the officerplaced my identity correctly. It developed that he was Major Freiherrvon Reitzenstein, one of the few who knew the real reasons of myexile. 

In one of our innumerable chats that grew out of our growing intimacy, he suggested my entering the service of Germany in a politicalcapacity. He urged that with my training and social connections I hadexceptional equipment for such work. Moreover, he suggested that myservice on political missions would give me the knowledge andinfluence necessary to checkmate the intriguers who were keeping mefrom my own. This was the compelling reason that made me ultimatelyaccept his proposal to become a Secret Agent of Germany. No doubt, ifthe Count had lived, I would have gained my ends through his guidanceand influence, but he was killed in a riding race, three years afterour meeting in the Veldt, and I lost my best friend. By that time Iwas too deep in the Secret Service to pull out, although it was myintention more than once to do so. And certain promises regarding myrestoration in our house were never kept. 

Coming to a partial understanding with Count Reitzenstein, I began towork in his interests. The Boer War taught Germany many things aboutthe English army and a few of these I contributed. As a physician Iwas allowed to go most anywhere and no questions asked. I began tocollect little inside scraps of information regarding the discipline, spirit and equipment of the British troops. I observed that manyColonial officers were outspoken in their criticisms. All thesepoints I reported in full to Count Reitzenstein when I dressed hiswound. One day he said:

"Don't forget now. After the war, I want to see you in Berlin. "

In my subsequent eagerness to pump more details from the Colonialofficers, I too criticised, and one day I was told Lord Kitchenerwanted to see me. 

"Doctor, " he said curtly, when I was ushered into his tent, "you havetwenty-four hours in which to leave camp--"

Whether that mandate was a result of my joining in with the Colonialofficers' criticism, or because my secret activity for CountReitzenstein had been suspected, I cannot say. But knowing the waysof the "man of Khartoum, " I made haste to be out of camp within thetime prescribed. 

Later I learned that the Count, being convalescent and paroled, wassent down to Cape Town. After the occupation of Pretoria, I got tiredof roughing it and made my way back to Europe, finally locating inBerlin for a prolonged stay. I knew Berlin, and had a fondness forit, having spent part of my youth there in the course of my education. It has always been a habit of mine not to seem anxious about anything, so I spent several weeks idling around Berlin before looking up CountReitzenstein. One day I called at his residence, Thiergartenstrasse23. I found the Count on the point of leaving for the races atHoppegarten. He was one of the crack sportsmen of Prussia and nevermissed a meeting. He suggested that I go to the track with him, andwhile we waited for the servant to bring around his turn-out, herenewed his proposals about my entering Prussian service. 

"I expected you long ago, " he said. "I have smoothed your way to agreat extent. We are likely to meet one or two of the Service Chiefsout at the track, this afternoon. If you like, I'll introduce you tothem. "

"Is there any likelihood of my being recognized?" I asked. "You know, Count, it will be impossible for me to go under my true flag. "

He assured me there was not the slightest chance. 

"Your identity, " he explained, "need be known to but one person. "

Later I w as to know who this important personage was. 

" Very well, " I agreed; "we'll try it. "

The Count always drove his own turn-out, and invited me to climb up onthe box. When his attention was not occupied with his reins andreturning the salutes of passers-by, for he was one of the mostpopular men in Berlin, we discussed my private affairs. The Countshowed a keen interest and sympathy in them and his proposal began totake favorable shape in my mind. As he predicted, we met some of theService Chiefs at the track. Indeed, almost the first persons whosaluted him in the saddle paddock were Captain Zur See von Tappken anda gentleman who was introduced to me as Herr von Riechter. The Countintroduced me as Dr. Von Graver, which I subsequently altered wheneverthe occasion arose to the English Graves. After chatting a bit, Captain von Tappken made an appointment with me at his bureau in theKoenigergratzerstrasse 70, the headquarters of the IntelligenceDepartment of the Imperial Navy in Berlin, but macle no furtherreference to the subject that afternoon. I noticed though that Herrvon Riechter put some pointed and leading questions to me, regardingmy travels, linguistic attainments, and general knowledge. He musthave been satisfied, for I saw some significant glances pass betweenhim and the Captain. The repeated exclamations of "Grossartig!" and"Colossal!" seemed to express his entire satisfaction. 

Following my usual bent, I did not call at Koenigergratzerstrasse 70as the Captain suggested. About three days passed and then I receiveda very courteously worded letter requesting me to call at my earliestconvenience at his quarters as he had something of importance to tellme. I called. 

Koenigergratzerstrasse 70 is a typical Prussian building ofadministration. Solid but unpretentious, it is the very embodiment ofPrussian efficiency, and like all official buildings in Germany iswell guarded. The doorkeeper and commissaire, a taciturnnon-commissioned officer, takes your name and whom you wish to see. He enters these later in a book, then telephones to the personrequired and you are either ushered up or denied admittance. Whensent up, you are invariably accompanied by an orderly--it does notmatter how well you are known--who does not leave you until the doorhas closed behind you. When you leave, there is the same procedureand the very duration of your visit is entered and checked in thedoorkeeper's book. 

I was admitted immediately. After passing through three anteroomscontaining private secretaries not in uniform, I was shown intoCaptain von Tappken's private office. He wore the undress rankinguniform of the Imperial Navy. This is significant, for it ischaracteristic of all the branches of the Prussian Service to findofficers in charge. The secretaries and men of all work, however, arecivilians; this for a reason. The heads of all departments are Germanofficers, recruited from the old feudal aristocracy, loyal to a degreeto the throne. They find it incompatible, notwithstanding theirloyalty, to soil their hands with some of the work connected with allgovernment duties, especially those of the Secret Service. Thoughplanning the work, they never execute it. To be sure, there areex-officers connected with the Secret Service, men like von Zenden, formerly an officer of the Zweiter Garde Dragoner, but with some fewexceptions they are usually men who have gone to smash. No active orcommissioned officer does Secret Service work. 

Von Tappken greeted me very tactfully. This is another typical assetof a Prussian Service officer, especially a naval man, and is quitecontrary to the usual characteristics of English officials, whosebrusqueness is too well and unpleasantly known. 

After offering me a chair and cigars, Captain von Tappken beganchatting. 

"Well, Doctor, " he said, "have you made up your mind to enter ourService? For a man fond of traveling and adventure, I promise youwill find it tremendously interesting. I have carefully consideredyour equipment and experience and find that they will be of mutualbenefit. "

I asked him to explain what would be required of me, but he replied:

"Before my entering upon that, are you adverse to telling me if youhave made up your mind to enter the Service?"

It was a fair question, and I replied:

"Yes, provided nothing will be directly required of me that is againstall ethics. "

I noticed a peculiar smile crossing his features. Then, looking mestraight between the eyes and using the sharp, incisive language of aGerman official, he declared:

"We make use of the same weapons that are used against us. We cannotafford to be squeamish. The interests at stake are too vast to letpersonal ethical questions stand in the way. What would be requiredof you in the first instance, is to gain for us information such as weseek. The means by which you gain this information will be leftentirely to your own discretion. We expect results. We place ourprevious knowledge on the subject required, at your disposal. Youwill have our organization to assist you, but you must understand thatwe cannot and will not be able to extricate you from any trouble inwhich you may become involved. Be pleased to understand this clearly. This service is dangerous, and no official assistance or help could begiven under any circumstances. "

To my cost, I later found this to be the truth. So far, so good. Captain von Tappken had neglected to mention financial inducements andI put the question to him. 

He replied promptly:

"That depends entirely on the service performed. In the firstinstance you will receive a retaining fee of 4000 marks ($1000) ayear. You will be allowed 10 marks ($2. 50) a day for living expenses, whether in active service or not. For each individual piece of workundertaken you will receive a bonus, the amount of which will varywith the importance of the mission. Living expenses accruing whileout on work must not exceed 40 marks ($10) a day. The amount of thebonus you are to receive for a mission will in each case be determinedin advance. There is one other thing. One-third of all moneysaccruing to you w ill be kept in trust for you at the rate of 5 percent interest. "

I laughed and said:

"Well, Captain, I can take care of my own money. "

He permitted the shadow of a smile to play around his mouth. 

"You may be able to, " he said, "but most of our agents cannot. Wehave this policy for two reasons: In the first place, it gives us adefinite hold upon our men. Secondly, we have found that unless wesave some money for our agents, they never save any for themselves. In the event of anything happening to an agent who leaves a family orother relatives, the money is handed over to them. "

I later cursed that rule, for when I was captured in England therewere 30, 000 marks ($7, 500) due me at the Wilhelmstrasse and I canwhistle for it now. 

Captain von Tappken looked at me inquiringly, but I hesitated. It wasnot on account of monetary causes, but for peculiarly privatereasons--the dilemma of one of our house becoming a spy. The Captain, unaware of the personal equation that was obsessing me before givingmy word, evidently thought that his financial inducements were notalluring enough. 

"Of course, " he continued, "this scale of pay is only the beginning. As your use to us and the importance of your missions increases, sowill your remuneration. That depends entirely on you. "

He raised his eyebrows inquiringly. 

"Very well, " I said. "I accept. "

He held out his hand. "You made up your mind quickly. "

"It is my way, Captain. I take a thing or leave it. "

"That's what I like, Doctor; a quick, decisive mind. "

That seemed to please him. 

"Very well. To be of use to us, you w ill need a lot of technicalcoaching. Are you ready to start tomorrow?"

"Now, Captain. "

"Very good, " he said, "but to-morrow will do. Be here at ten A. M. Then give us daily as much of your time as we require. "

He called in one of his secretaries, gave him command briefly and in afew minutes the man was back with an order for three hundred marks. 

"This, Doctor, is your first month's living expenses. Retaining feesare paid quarterly. "

As I pocketed the check I remarked:

"Captain, personally we are total strangers. How is it that you seemso satisfied with me?"

Again his peculiar smile was noticeable. 

"That is outside our usual business procedure, " he said. "I have myinstructions from above and I simply act on them. "

I was young then, and curious so I asked:

"Who are those above and what are their instructions?"

No sooner had I put that question than I learned my first lesson inthe Secret Service. All traces of genial friendliness vanished fromvon Tappken's face. It was stern and serious. 

"My boy, " he said slowly, "learn this from the start and learn itwell. Do not ask questions. Do not talk. Think! You will soonlearn that there are many unwritten laws attached to this Service. "

I never forgot that. It was my first lesson in Secret Service. 

Chapter II. The Making of a Secret Agent

The average man or woman has only a hazy idea what European SecretService and Espionage really means and accomplishes. Short storiesand novels, written in a background of diplomacy and secret agents, have given the public vague impressions about the world of spies. Butthis is the first real unvarnished account of the system; the class ofmen and women employed; the means used to obtain the desired resultsand the risks run by those connected with this service. Since thedays of Moses who employed spies in Canaan, to Napoleon Bonaparte, whoinaugurated the first thorough system of political espionage, potentates, powerful ministers and heads of departments have found itnecessary to obtain early and correct information other than throughthe usual official channels. To gain this knowledge they have toemploy persons unknown and unrecognized in official circles. Arecognized official such as an ambassador or a secretary of legation, envoys plenipotentiary and consuls, would not be able to gain theinformation sought, as naturally everybody is on their guard againstthem. Moreover, official etiquette prevents an ambassador or consulfrom acting in such a capacity. 

In this age of rapid developments the need of quick and accurateinformation is even more pressing. Europe to-day is a sort of armedcamp, composed of a number of nations of fairly equal strength, inwhich the units are more or less afraid of each other. Mutualdistrust and conflicting interests compel Germany, England, France andRussia to spend billions of money each year on armaments. Germanybuilds one battleship; England lays down two; France adds tenbattalions to her army; Germany adds twenty. So the relative strengthkeeps on a fair level. But with rapid constructions, new inventionsof weapons, armor, aerial craft, this apparent equality is constantlydisturbed. Here also enters the personal policy and ambitions and petschemes of the individual heads of nations and their cabinets. Because there is a constant fear of being outdistanced, everygovernment in Europe is trying its utmost to get ahead of the other. They, hence, keep a stringent watch on each other's movements. Thisis possible only by an efficient system of espionage, by trained menand women, willing to run the risks attached to this sort of work. 

For risks there are. I have been imprisoned twice, once in theBalkans at Belgrade, once in England. I have been attacked five timesand bear the marks of the wounds to this day. Escapes I have had bythe dozen. All my missions were not successes, more often, failures, and the failures are often fatal. For instance:

Early in the morning of June 11, 1903, the plot which had been brewingin Servia ended with the assassination of the king, queen, ministersand members of the royal household of Servia. I shall not go into theundercurrent political significance of these atrocities as I had noactive part in them, but I was sent down by my government later toascertain as far as possible the prime movers in the intrigue whichpointed to Colonel Mashin and a gang of officers of the SixthRegiment. All these regicides received Russian pay, for KingAlexander had become dangerous to Russia, because of his flirting withAustria. Besides, his own idiotic behavior and the flagrantindiscretions of Queen Draga had by no means endeared him to hispeople. 

I stuck my nose into a regular hornets' nest and soon found myself ina most dangerous position. I was arrested by the provisionalgovernment on the order of Lieutenant Colonel Niglitsch on a mostflimsy charge of traveling with false passports. In those timesarrests and executions were the order of the day. The old Servianproverb of "Od Roba Ikad Iz Groba Nikad" (Out of prison, yes; out ofthe grave, never) was fully acted upon. There were really noincriminating papers of any description upon me, but my being seen andassociating with persons opposed to the provisional government wasquite enough to place me before a drumhead court-martial. 

I was sitting in the Café Petit Parisien with Lieutenant Nikolevitchand Mons Krastov, a merchant of Belgrade, when a file of soldiers incharge of an officer pulled us out of our chairs and without anyfurther ado marched us to the Citadel. The next morning we were takenseparately into a small room where three men in the uniform ofcolonels were seated at a small iron table. No questions were asked. 

"You are found guilty of associating with revolutionary persons. Youwere found possessing a passport not your own. You are sentenced tobe shot at sundown. "

The whole thing appeared to me first as a joke, then as a bluff, butlooking closely into those high-cheekboned, narrow-eyed faces with thecharacteristically close-cropped brutal heads, the humorous aspectdwindled rapidly and I thought it about time to make a counter move. Without betraying any of my inward qualms--and believe me, I began tohave some--I said quietly:

"I think you will find it advisable to inform M. Zolarevitch" (thenminister of War) "that Count Weringrode sends his regards. "

I saw them looking rather curiously at each other and then the centerinquisitor fired a lot of questions at me, in answer to which I onlyshrugged my shoulders. 

"That's all I have to say, monsieur. "

I was shoved back in my cell. About four that afternoon one of theofficers came to see me. 

"Your message has not been sent. My comrades were against sending it, but I am related to Zolarevitch. So if you can show me some reason, Ishall take your message. "

I gave him some reason. So much so that he did not lose any timegetting under way. In fact, it was a very pale, perturbed officer whorushed out of my cell. I didn't worry much, but when at about 7. 30the cell door opened and two sentries with fixed bayonets andcartridge pouches entered, placed me in the center and marched me intothe courtyard, where ten more likewise equipped soldiers in charge ofan officer awaited me, I felt somewhat green. I know a firing squadwhen I see one. I knew if my message ever reached responsiblequarters, nothing could happen to me; but these were motley times andall sorts of delays may have happened to the officer. 

"Right about wheel" and myself in the center, we marched out of thecourtyard to a little hill to the west of the Citadel. 

An old stone building--probably a decayed monastery, for I noticedseveral crumbled tombstones--was evidently selected for the place ofexecution. On a little rough, four-foot, stone wall we halted, andthe officer, pulling out a document, began reading to me a ratherlengthy preamble in Servian. 

Up to then not a word had been spoken. I let him finish and thenpolitely requested him, as I was not a Serb and consequently did notunderstand his lingo, to translate it into a civilized language, preferably German or French. He seemed somewhat startled and gave meto understand that he was led to believe I was a Serb. I used somevery forcible German and French, both of which he was able tounderstand, pointing out to him that someone, somewhere, made athundering big blunder which somehow would have to be paid for. Hewas clearly ill at ease, but said, "I have to obey my instructions. "I had told him of my message to the minister, and although it wasquite obvious I was sparring for time he seemed in no way inclined torush the execution. Five minutes went; ten minutes went and lookingat his watch, which showed five minutes to eight (although it was fastgetting dusk, I could see that watch-dial distinctly), shrugging hisshoulders and saying, "I can delay no longer, " he called a sergeant, who placed me with my shoulders to the wall and offered me ahandkerchief. I didn't want a handkerchief. A few sharp orders andtwelve Mauser tubes pointed their ugly black snouts directly at me. 

I hate to tell my sensation just then. Frankly, I felt nothingclearly. The only thing I remember distinctly was the third man inthe second file held his gun in rather a slipshod manner, aiming itfirst at my midriff, next pointing it at my nose--which strangelyenough caused me intense annoyance. How long we stood thus I don'tknow. The next thing I remember was a rattle of grounding arms andthe sight of two other officers, excitedly gesticulating with the onein charge of the firing squad. All three presently came towards meand one pulling out a flask of cognac with a polite bow offered me adrink. I needed it; but didn't take it. All this time I had beenstanding motionless with my arms folded across my breast. I heard onesay to the other, "Nitchka Curacha" (no coward). If he had onlyknown. 

Indeed, had I anticipated such an experience, had I known the things Iknow now I doubt if I would have been so pleased with the results ofmy first visit to Koenigergratzerstrasse 70, where the IntelligenceDepartment of the German Admiralty is quartered. Will the reader stepback with me in the narrative to the day of my officially joining theService? Returning to my hotel after my interview with Captain vonTappken in his office, I began to reflect. 

I had not entered the Service out of pure adventure or for monetaryreasons alone. Money has never appealed to me as the all-powerfulthing in life. I have always had enough for creature comforts and asfor adventure I had had my fill during the Boer War and my worldwanderings. No, I had joined the German Secret Service for quite adifferent reason. I was thinking of the influences that had pressedme out of my destined groove, by every human right my own. I rememberhow sanguine Count Reitzenstein was that through the Service I oughtto gain the power I had lost. But as I sat in the hotel room hadoccult powers been given me, I never would have taken up SecretService work. But one is not quite as wise at twenty-four as atthirty-nine. 

Well satisfied with my prospects, I arose early the next morning andwalked briskly to Captain Tappken's office. Punctually at ten o'clockI announced myself at the Admiralty and after the usual procedure withthe door man, I was received by Herr von Stammer, private secretary ofCaptain Tappken. A very astute and calculating gentleman is Herr vonStammer. Suave, genial, talkative, he has the plausible and unstudiedart of extracting information without committing himself in turn. Amarvelous encyclopædia of devious Secret Service facts, an idealtutor. 

When we were alone in his office, von Stammer began by sayingabruptly:

"From now on, you must be entirely and absolutely at our Service. Youwill report daily at twelve noon by telephoning a certain number. Atall times you must be accessible. You will pay close attention to thefollowing rules:

"Absolute silence in regard to your missions. No conversation withminor officials but only with the respective heads of departments orto whomever you are sent. You will make no memoranda nor carrywritten documents. You will never discuss your affairs with anyemployee in the Service whom you may meet. You are not likely to meetmany. It is strictly against the rules to become friendly or intimatewith any agent. You must abstain from intoxicating liquors. You arenot permitted to have any women associates. You will be known to usby a number. You will sign all your reports by that number. Alwaysavoid telephoning, telegraphing and cabling as much as possible. Inurgent cases do so, but use the cipher that will be supplied to you. "

He went on to give numerous other minor details and instructions, elaborating the system, but which might prove wearisome here. I wasin his office all the forenoon, and when he ushered me out I halfexpected to be called into von Tappken's presence to be sent on myfirst mission. Instead of that, I had to wait five months before Iwas given my first work and an exceedingly unimportant thing it was. During those five months I was kept at a steady grind of schooling incertain things. Day after day, week after week, I was grounded insubjects that were essential to efficient Secret Service work. 

Broadly, they could be divided into four classes--topography, trigonometry, naval construction and drawing. The reasons for theseyou will see from my missions. My tutors were all experts in theImperial Service. A Secret Service agent sent out to investigate andreport on the condition, situation, and armament of a fort like Verdunin France must be able to make correct estimates of distances, height, angles, conditions of the ground, etc. This can only be done by a manof the correct scientific training. He must have the science oftopography at his finger tips; he must be able to make quick andaccurate calculations using trigonometry, as well as possessing skillas a draftsman. In my mission to Port Arthur, where I had to reporton the defenses, I found this training invaluable. 

The same applies to the subject of naval construction. Beforeentering the German Secret Service, I certainly knew the differencebetween a torpedo and a torpedo boat destroyer, but naturally couldnot give an accurate description of the various types of destroyersand torpedoes. My instructor in this subject was Lieutenant CaptainKurt Steffens, torpedo expert of the Intelligence Department of theImperial Navy. After a month of tutelage under him, I was able totell the various types of torpedoes, submarines, and mines, etc. , inuse by the principal Powers. I could even tell by the peculiarwhistle it made whether the torpedo that was being discharged was aWhitehead or a Brennan. 

I was also drilled in the construction of every known kind of navalgun. Dozens of model war-crafts were shown to me and explained. Isaw the model of every warship in the world. For days at a time I wasmade to sit before charts that hung from the walls of certain rooms inthe Intelligence Department and study the silhouettes of every knownvarying type of war-craft. I was schooled in this until I could tellat a glance what type of a battleship, cruiser, or destroyer it was, whether it was peculiar to the English, French, Russian or UnitedStates Navy. As I shall show in relating one of my missions toEngland, I was brushed up on the silhouette study of British warships, for I had to be able to discern and classify them at long range. Thedifferent ranking officers of the navies of the world, their uniforms, the personnel of battleships, the systems of flag signals, and codes, were explained to me in detail. I was given large books in which werecolored plates of the uniforms and signal flags of every navy in theworld. I had to study these until at a glance I could tell the rankand station of the officers and men of the principal navies. The samewith the signal flags. I pored over those books night after nightinto the early hours of the morning. My regular hours for tuitionwere from ten to twelve in the forenoon and from two until six in theafternoon. But it was impossible to compress all the work into thattime. I was anxious to get my first mission, and I presume I did agreat deal of cramming. 

My study was not all in Berlin. I spent most of my time there atKoenigergratzerstrasse 70 and at the Zeughaus, the great museum of theGerman General Staff. But there were side trips to the big governmentworks at Kiel and Wilhelmshafen. There I was taught every detail ofthe mechanics of naval construction and I was not pronounced equippeduntil I could talk intelligently about every unassembled part of agun, torpedo tube, or mine. 

In the course of my five months' instruction under the various expertsof the Prussian Service I had many opportunities to observe theexhaustive thoroughness and the minuteness of detail which the GermanGeneral Staff possesses. I did not lose the chance of thisopportunity. I really did observe and see more than was intended forme to see. Of the amazing amount of labor, time and money that hasbeen spent to gather the information contained in the secret archivesof the German General Staff, the marvelous system of war that has beenperfected in the German Empire, I shall tell when I consider thesecrets of the War Machine. 

Naturally, I soon came to know still other things than what theytaught me. I began to consider the whole proposition of SecretService, and before relating my first important mission for Germany Ishall tell you some of the general secrets of the System. 

There are four systems of Secret Service in Europe, the four leadingpowers each possessing one. First in systematic efficiency is theGerman, next comes the Russian, then the French, and English. Englandhas a very efficient service in India and her Asiatic possessions, buthas only lately entered the European field. Last but not least comesthe International Secret Service Bureau with headquarters in Belgium, a semi-private concern which procures reliable information for anyonewho will pay for it. This service is generally entrusted with theprocuring of technical details, such as the plans of a new kind of gunor data on a new and minor fortification. Mr. Vance Thompson has alsocited special missions like this one that follows. 

Not often does the chance come to leave the regular channels ofespionage and go forth upon a mission out of the ordinary. Thatchance came a few years ago to the Russian agents in Brussels. InSt. Petersburg the chiefs were desirous of knowing the identity andnames of a group of revolutionists who had formed a sort of colony inMontreux, Switzerland. A French woman, known sometimes as TheresaPrevost (the last I heard of her she was in prison) was detailed tothe mission. Young and clever was Theresa; likewise the man who wasordered to accompany her, posing as a "brother, " Charles Prevost. 

The chief of these Russian fugitives, who were down around the lake ofGeneva, brewing their dark plans, was known. He was Goluckoffsky, andhe had a son twenty-two years of age--an impressionable Russian son. Hence the young and pretty Theresa. 

It was decided by her Brussels chiefs that she assume the role of anheiress from Canada. Five thousand francs for preliminary expenseswere handed over to her and with Charles, the brother, she descendedupon Montreux. If you were there at the time you will recall thesocial triumph made by the young Canadian heiress. You may evenremember that she seemed to be infatuated with the youngimpressionable son of old Goluckoffsky. The day long they weretogether. They were going to be married, and Charles Prevost the"brother, " stood in the background, chatted amiably with oldGoluckoffsky and his friends and smiled. 

Then as an heiress should, Theresa and her "brother" invitedGoluckoffsky, his family and friends, to a pre-nuptial luncheon. Noexpense was spared, for the wires had moaned with requests sent toBrussels for money. Young Goluckoffsky was delighted with hisfiancée. She was insistent that _all_ his friends should be there, all the revolutionaries--although of course his dear Theresa did notknow that. How the spelling of their names puzzled her. With gayheart young Goluckoffsky wrote out all their names on a slip of paperso she could send their invitations properly--the names St. Petersburgwanted to know. 

Came the day of the luncheon, a gala affair in the banquet room of thehotel. Theresa looked charming; even the grimmest of the oldrevolutionists were taken with her. Old Goluckoffsky beamed upon thissparkling febrile woman, rich too, who was to marry his son. 

Ices had been served when Theresa, her pretty face in smiles, declaredthat she had a surprise for her guests. To her it was the day ofdays. What better than a group photograph of her dear and newfriends? How she would treasure it! Strangely enough this did notplease the guests. Photographs were dangerous. Suppose, in some way, the _Okrana_ got hold of them. They breathed easier, though, whenTheresa, calling in the photographer--the best in Lausanne, sheassured them--instructed him to deliver all copies toMr. Goluckoffsky, her dear father-in-law to be. So the revolutionistsgrouped themselves on the hotel lawn; the photographer pressed thebulb; and everybody laughed. 

As quickly as the photographer could print his proofs they weredelivered to Theresa; that night she and her "brother" left Montreux. In two days the names of all the revolutionists in youngGoluckoffsky's handwriting and their pictures were delivered to thechief in Brussels. A substantial fee was paid Theresa, besides, andshe must have smiled; some of those young Russians are delightful. 

So much for an example of the clever work done by Brussels. TheGerman Service, in which I served on and off for twelve years, hasthree distinct branches--the Army, Navy and Personal, each branchhaving its own chief and its own corps of men and women agents. TheArmy and Navy division is controlled by the General Staff of Berlin(Grosser General Stabe), the most marvelous organization in the world. The Political and Personal branch is controlled from theWilhelmstrasse, the German Foreign Office, the Emperor in person, orhis immediate Privy Councilor. The Army and Navy divisions confinethemselves to the procuring of hidden and secret information asregards armaments, plans, discoveries, etc. The political branchconcerns itself with the supervision of meetings between potentates, cabinet ministers and so forth. The Personal branch, under the directcontrol of the Privy Councilor, is used by the Emperor for his ownspecial purposes and service in this branch is the _sine qua non_ ofthe service. 

The Personal consists of all classes of men and women. Princes andcounts, lawyers and doctors, actors and actresses, mondaines of thegreat world, demi-mondaines of the half world, waiters and porters, all are made use of as occasion arises. It may well happen that yourinteresting acquaintance in the salon of an express steamer or yourcharming companion in the tearoom of the Ritz is the paid agent ofsome government. Great singers, dancers and artists, especially ofRussian and Austrian origin, are often spies. Notably Anna Pavlowa, famous for light feet and nimble wit, said wit being retained by theRussian government at 50, 000 rubles per annum. When Mlle. Pavlowatravels in Germany, she has the honor of a very unostentatiousbodyguard, the government being anxious that nothing should happen to_them_. Perhaps Mademoiselle may remember a little incident at thePalais de Dance in Berlin--Anna _vs. _ He of Lichtenstein. 

Or perhaps Mademoiselle will recall a little episode in the Eis Arenain Berlin during a certain New Year's Eve carnival when therestoration--not the loss--of her magnificent gold chatelaine bagcaused her much embarrassment. The chatelaine in question beingdexterously commandeered by an expert in such matters of the SecretService squad. 

It happened that the Personal Branch of the German Secret Service wasexceedingly interested in that gold bag. Mademoiselle had beencarrying on an affair with a young ordnance officer of the Potsdamgarrison. Now the Service does not like to see officers, especiallythose of the ordnance, becoming involved with ladies like the Pavlowa. On this particular night he had presented her with the new bag and shehad been injudicious enough to have kept in the golden receptacle adangerously compromising letter that he had enclosed. Injudicious, dear lady! Corsage or stockings, Mademoiselle; but vanitybags--never!

I have reason to believe that the following incident cost the Pavlowaa rather remunerative engagement in Berlin. 

Celebrating the coming of the New Year, Mademoiselle and her partywere feasting in the Ice Arena. I happened to be at near-by table, and saw everything; as well as later hearing the inside of it. 

The gold chatelaine lay on the table at her elbow. Upon observing itsposition, the waiter--a secret agent on the case--deliberately tippedover a champagne glass that stood within a few inches of the bag. Ofcourse, Mademoiselle was worried lest the wine run over on her gownand while thus preoccupied, the waiter, stammering apologies, moppedup the table cloth with his serviette--mopped up the wine and cleverlycovering the bag folded it in the napkin and hurried away. In twominutes he had opened it, abstracted the letter from the youngordnance officer; and was back, apologizing to the Pavlowa. 

"Your pardon, Mademoiselle, " he said, handing her the goldchatelaine. " In my haste I picked up this bag by mistake. I supposeit is yours. "

With a slight start she said "yes, " took the bag and hurriedly openingit felt for the letter. To her dismay it was gone. I saw her eyesnarrow a little and then I marveled at time cleverness of the woman. 

"No, " she suddenly said, "that is not my bag. I never saw it before. I advise you to find the owner. "

Clever Anna! You sacrificed the costly gift, but you went over thefrontier just the same. 

The necessary qualifications of an agent vary of course with the classof work to be done. We can dismiss the waiter and porter class, asthey never receive independent commands and work only under directsupervision on minor details without knowing why. The trusted agenthandling important matters and documents must needs be a person ofintelligence, tact and address. He must be a linguist and, above all, a man of resource and a close student of his fellow men. In the womanagent charm and tact, beauty and manners, _à la grande dame_, knowledge of the world and men are essential. The pay varies, but isalways good. Expenses are never questioned, the money being noobject. For instance, I spent on a mission through the Riviera 20, 000marks in fourteen days. My fixed salary towards the end was 10, 000marks a year, besides twenty marks a day living expenses when not atwork, which was automatically tripled irrespective of expenses whenout on work. Besides, there is a bonus set out for each piece ofwork, the amount of which varies with the importance of the case inhand. I received as much as 30, 000 marks ($7, 500) for a singlemission performed successfully. 

The risks are great, so are the rewards--if successful. If not, thenone pays the usual price of failures, in this case only more so. Forin the event of disaster no official help or protection could or wouldbe granted and quarter is neither asked nor given. The work isinteresting and fascinating to those of an adventurous turn of mindand not overly nervous about their health or squeamish in regards toestablished ethics. I would not suggest the Secret Service as a meansof livelihood for a nervous person. At times it is arduous andstrenuous work and mostly undertaken by men and women who fear neitherman nor devil. It is not compatible to longevity. As a rule, theconstant strain of being on the _qui vive_, playing a lone handagainst the most powerful influences often unknown, having one's plansupset at the last moment and continually pitting one's own brainagainst some of the acutest and shrewdest minds of the world, theknowledge that the slightest blunder means loss of liberty, often oflife, is wearing, to say the least. 

I have known men and women, courageous to a degree, who have brokendowm under the strain; sooner or later one is bound to succumb. Ihave known of a dozen men and women who have mysteriously disappeared, "dropped out of sight, " caught or killed--_not always by theiropponents_. 

To cite but two cases, one of a woman, the other of a man. 

Olga Bruder was a spy. She worked for Germany and for the ServiceBureau in Brussels. A few years ago it was announced in the Europeannewspapers that a woman known as Olga Bruder had committed suicide ina hotel at Memel on the Russian border. Fraulein Bruder had been sentafter the plans of a Russian fort. In Berlin they learned that shehad obtained them, but becoming involved in a love affair with aRussian officer was holding them out, planning to restore them to him. Also, contrary to the service regulations, she knew four foreignagents well. Later reports from Danzig revealed the fact that she hadbecome enamored with a sectional chief of the Russian Service and thatshe was about to give up everything to him. So Olga Bruder committedsuicide. _She was poisoned_. 

As for Lieutenant von Zastrov, an ex-army officer in the German SecretService, he was killed in a duel. Zastrov was suspected of flirtingwith Russian agents--only suspected. He knew too much to beimprisoned. He was a civilian and under the German law entitled to apublic hearing. Had he still been a military man, a secret tribunalwould have been possible, but being the scion of an old aristocratichouse and knowing official secrets, it was not wise to put him inagainst the regular machinery of elimination. So Zastrov waschallenged to a duel. He killed the first man the Service chiefs sentagainst him, yet no sooner was that duel over than he was challengedagain. In half an hour Zastrov was dead. 

Yes, your own employers often think it advisable at times to eliminatea too clever or knowing member of their service, unless that samemember has procured for himself a solid good "life insurance" in thenature of documentary evidence of such character that to meddle withhim brings danger of disclosure. Of late there have been no attemptson my life. 

Chapter III. Into the East

Reclining in my deck chair on the N. D. L. Liner _Bayern_, bound forSingapore, I was smoking a pipe and idly speculating. I hadcultivated the acquaintance of my table neighbor, a Japanese, BaronHuraki, and was at the moment, expecting him to come up thecompanionway and take his place in his deck chair beside me. Insteadcame two officers of the Second Siberian Rifles, strolling along thedeck. It was obvious that, although it still lacked three hours ofnoon, these gentlemen had been quite frequently to the shrine ofBacchus. I had no fault to find with that, as long as they did notinterfere with my own personal comfort. When they began tackingalong, talking at the top of their voices on that part of the deckknown by experienced travelers to be reserved for repose and reading, however, they began to irritate me. When one of them threw himselfinto the Baron's chair and displayed that beastly annoying habit ofcontinually wriggling and creaking the chair, meanwhile shouting tohis companion at the top of his lungs, I lost all patience. It onlyneeded Baron Huraki's appearance and quiet request for the evacuationof his deck chair, and the insolent stare and non-compliance of theRussian, to make me chip in with:

"Damn it, sir! You don't own the whole world yet. "

I went on in terse military German which eighty per cent. Of allRussian officers know and the trend of which is never misunderstood. I pointed out that any further encroaching would be resented in a mostdrastic and sudden manner. The usual farcical exchange of cards, permitting all sorts of bluffs, does not impress a Russian, but theimminent chance of blows from fists does. A pair of astonishedbulging eyes, a muttered apology and quietness reigned. 

With a mild smile Baron Huraki dropped into his chair, but I did notlike the expression in his eyes. Knowing the prowess of the Baron asan exponent of his national system of self-defense (I had seen himharmlessly toss about the biggest sailor on the _Bayern_, the chiefbutcher, who was as strong as an ox), I said:

"It's a wonder to me, Baron, that you didn't throw that boor half wayacross the deck. "

I shall never forget his answer. 

"We of the Samurai never fight when there is nothing behind it. It isnot the time. "

I did not like the expression in his eyes. 

All this transpired because I was on the road to Singapore, away fromBerlin, on my first important mission in the German Secret Service. The Intelligence Department had instructed me to ascertain the extentof the new docks and fortifications in course of completion in theStraits Settlements--an assignment calling for exact topographicaldata, photographs and plans. 

Leaving port, I had found the _Bayern_ comfortably crowded. In theEast war clouds were gathering and among the passengers were a numberof Japanese called home, as I afterwards learned, for the impendingstruggle. At Port Said we had taken on a Russian contingent, quite afew of whom were officers bound for Port Arthur, Dalny andVladivostock, and in view of the gathering conflict I found therelative conduct and bearing of representatives of these races thatwere soon to clash, vastly interesting. 

And after my experience with the Russians, I was to know more. Fromthat time on, I began to notice a subtle change in Baron Huraki'sattitude toward me. Quite of his own accord he discussed with me thecustoms, ideals and aspirations of his caste and country. Wrapped ina Shuai kimono, his gift to me, we spent many hot and otherwisetedious nights, sprawled in our deck chairs, discussing unreservedlythe questions of the East. What I learned then and the insight I gotinto the aims and character of Nippon, were invaluable to me. BaronHuraki, now high in the services of the Mikado, is my friend still. Once a year he sends me _Shuraino-Ariki_, a wonderful spray of cherryblossoms, the Japanese symbol of rejuvenating friendship. 

A Secret Service agent, although making no friends or acquaintances, always makes it his business to converse with and study his fellowtravelers. Following my usual habit, I went out of my way tocultivate the acquaintance of the Japanese, particularly Huraki. Ascholar of no mean attainments was the Baron. 

Quietly, without being didactic, he upheld his end in most discussionson applied sciences or philosophic arguments, putting forth his deepknowledge in an unobtrusive way. I found this trait to be aninvariable rule with most of the Japanese with whom I came in contact. Once or twice during our lengthy and pleasant chats I tried to veerthe subject round to the all-engrossing Eastern question, only to bemet with the maddening bland smile of the East. I was ratherinexperienced in the fathomless, undefinable ways of the Orient, buton the _Bayern_ I learned rapidly the truths that Western methods andstrategy are absolutely useless against the impenetrable stoicism ofan Asiatic and that only personal regard and obligation on their partwill produce results. In striking contrast to the Japanese, small andsinewy, any two of them weighing no more than one Russian, quiet, taciturn, genial and abstemious, were the children of the "LittleWhite Father. " The Russians were an aggressive, big, well set up, heavy type of men, by no means teetotalers, talkative, withoverbearing swagger, always posing, talking contemptuously about thepossible struggle in the East, invariably referring to the Japanese as"little monkey men. " Fortunate for me was it that the _Bayern_ wascarrying both Russians and Japanese; the knowledge I acquired fromBaron Huraki of the Asiatics was invaluable in Singapore; what Ilearned of Russians, I needed at Port Arthur. But I am anticipatingmy narrative. 

Arriving in Singapore, I put up at the Hotel de la Paix on the MarineParade. I posed as an ordinary tourist with a leaning toward huntingand a fad of doing research work in tropical botany. I graduallybecame acquainted with a number of English officers and was introducedat their clubs. The information obtained through these channels aboutthe new naval base was merely theoretical and I soon found that toobtain practical results I would have to get in touch with the nativeclerks. In the English Eastern possessions, you see, most clericaland minor mechanical positions are held by natives. It soon wasbrought home to me, though, that this cultivating natives was by nomeans easy and a rather dangerous thing to do. To be in any waysuccessful, I had to find a native of a higher caste, one withsufficient influence to command the clerks. If I could get hold ofone of the numerable discontented petty rajahs, for instance, theremight be a chance of obtaining what I sought. 

In one of the clubs, I found a clue. A young Rajah, one of thenumerous coterie of petty princes--fair play compels me to withholdhis name--had got himself into some trouble and the paternalgovernment had promptly suspended his income. Here was my chance. Isoon ascertained young Rajah's haunts and made it my business tofrequent them. One day I found him on the veranda of the Marine Hoteland asked him for a match, making a return compliment of a cigarette. This was a procedure against established British social usage in theEast, where it is considered _infra dig_ to meet a native on a socialfooting. Herein lies a grave danger to English colonial policy. Yoursemi-European educated native, having partly absorbed Europeanmanners, resents this subordination and ostracism. So, with thishigh-spirited, rather clever young rajah. I accepted his invitationto whiskey "pegs" and subsequent dinner at his bungalow. One visitled to another and we were soon rather intimate. The young Rajah, having the usual native taste for luxury well developed and his incomestopped, I became of some monetary assistance to him. Also, judiciously fostering his discontent against the government, I soonhad him in a desired frame of mind. Through his influence on thenative clerks, I was able to gain all the plans, data and photographsof England's new naval base in the Straits Settlement. 

By this time my close association with this notorious young Rajah wasmarked and I found it advisable to pull up stakes, which I did inshort order, arranging passage on the N. D. L. Liner _Sachsen_, homeward bound. Having a week to spare and finding that by leavingthe _Sachsen_ at Colombo, I could catch the _Prinz Regent Leopold_ ofthe same line, coming up from Australia en route for Europe, I had myticket transferred. This would give me a ten-day vacation in Ceylon, where I had a number of acquaintances, having hunted there during myearly travels. Accordingly, at Colombo I put up at the Galle FaceHotel, and the first man I met was Allan MacGregor, one of Lipton'stea estate managers, in Kandy and Newara Elya. MacGregor and I wereold pals, having done much hunting and bridge playing in days gone by. I planned to spend a week with him and go after some leopards. By theby, I'd like to see the MacGregor's face when he learns that hisquondam friend and boon companion was an international spy!

"Dinna get sair, Mac. You're no the only chiel what'll tak a weesurprise. "

I was just arranging a hunting trip with MacGregor when Bill Peters, manager of the hotel, another old acquaintance, handed me a cableknocking all my plans to bits. It was a cipher message from Captainvon Tappken, and shortly I was again on the high sea, bound not forhome, but for Port Arthur. My orders were to ascertain how far thePort Arthur fortifications were completed and to report on the generalconditions as I found them. I wondered not a little at this mission, as I could not then see what close interest Germany could have in apossible war between Russia and Japan. Also, I by no means relishedthe assignment, for it was a perilous business and I judged theRussians to be extremely suspicious--which I afterwards learned theywere not. 

I decided to travel under the cloak of a doctor of natural history andbotany, my medical training giving me the necessary knowledge toimpersonate the character. The reader will understand that if DoctorFranz von Cannitz is subsequently mentioned, it refers to me. Almosteverybody, especially my government, knew that war between Russia andJapan was inevitable. I say, all, except Russia. 

To make this situation clear, let me hark back a little. Japan, beating China in the war of 1895, took and occupied Port Arthur. Japan later, compelled by hostile demonstrations on the part of Russiabacked up by France and Germany, restored Port Arthur to China. Notethe holding aloof of England here. The actual text of the ultimatumdelivered was that the possession of ceded territory by Japan would bedetrimental to the lasting peace of the Orient. Japan was bitterlyhumiliated and an Asiatic never forgets or forgives. Japan bided hertime. Russia's duplicity in the Boxer Campaign, and her seizure ofPort Arthur, gave Japan the needed _casus belli_. Result, theRussian-Japanese War. 

Arriving in Port Arthur, I established myself at the Hotel l'Europeand with prospecting spade, botanical trowel and butterfly net, Isallied forth around the hills of Port Arthur. The first thing whichstruck me was the enormous number of Chinese and Chunshuses (badCoolies) employed everywhere. I came to know that they were not allChinese Coolies and that almost every tenth man was a disguisedJapanese. To an observer, trained in the facial characteristics ofthe Oriental, it was not difficult to pick out the Japanese from themass of Coolies. They fairly swarmed in Port Arthur right under thevery noses of the Russians. As Baron Huraki had told me during ourpassage on the _Bayern_, his countrymen were actually employed in thebuilding of the Port Arthur defenses! These Japanese w ere later ableto give invaluable information in directing the Japanese batteries. Numerous other alleged Coolies were acting as servants to Russianofficers. I also found that on the Lioa Teah Shan Railway and atPidgeon Bay the very porters were Japanese. In fact, the entireRussian stronghold was infested with them. 

This carelessness, lack of knowledge or suspicion, with a total lackof belief on the part of the Russian officers, that the "little monkeymen" would ever dare attack, is in my opinion the chief cause of thecomparatively quick fall of Port Arthur. For even with theincompleted defenses the place was tremendously strong. Everywhere Icould see the most elaborate plans incomplete. For instance, as Iwandered through the hills seeking my botanical specimens, I foundthat the chain of forts on the hills of the Quang Tong peninsula southand west of Dalny, were totally unfinished and that the Kuan Lingsection of the Port Arthur and Dalny railway was not even adequatelyprotected from capture by a hostile force. The lack of adequatesupervision and the general slovenliness prevailing made it easy forme to go about unchallenged. I mixed freely with officers and men. The expenditure of a few rubles on _vodka_, in the case of the men, and the never-rejected invitation on the part of most officers to joinin a jamboree, made me a very popular figure indeed. Through them Ilearned that the provisions of Port Arthur were in a most deplorablestate. To use but one instance: Out of 1, 420, 000 pounds of flour, nearly one-half was bad with sour cords, which caused part of theenormous amount of sickness even then prevailing in the Port Arthurgarrison. During the war forty-five per cent. Of the troops wereincapacitated because of unsanitary food. I found 600, 000 pounds ofmaize were wormy and over 700, 000 pounds of corned beef were putrid. Women and wine, however, abounded. 

Never in any place--and I know all the gayest and fastest places onearth--have I seen, comparatively speaking, such an enormous amount ofwine in stock, or such a number of demi-mondaines assembled. Most ofthe officers had private harems. I often sat in the Casino andwatched the officers of the First Tomsk Regiment, the Twenty-fifth andTwenty-sixth Siberian Rides practicing with their newly suppliedMauser-pistols on tables loaded with bottles containing the mostcostly vintage wines and cognacs. At such times the place literallyran ankle deep in wine. There were over sixty gambling houses anddancing halls supporting more than a thousand _filles de joie_. Infact, the general intemperance was such that on the night of AdmiralTogo's attack more than half the complement of the Russian fleet wasashore, dead drunk, in honor of one of the tutelary Russian saints. 

The harbor defenses comprising submarine mines and searchlightstations, etc. , I found to be in the worst condition. In potteringaround, I visited many of the switchboard stations controlling thesubmarine mine fields. Everywhere the eye met evidences of defectivework--rusty contacts, open insulations and exposed connections. Therewere carelessly exposed buoys betraying to the naked eye supposedlyinvisible submarine mines. The whole mine field was so badly laidthat the Japanese were subsequently able to drag and explode three outof every five mines. This explains the astounding fact that duringAdmiral Togo's five dashes, some of them lasting thirty-six hours, allthat he lost from torpedoes and mines was one ship, the _Hatsuse_, which struck a floating mine. 

I did a great deal of investigating the composition and geologicalformation of the ground surrounding Port Arthur. I found most of theground consisting of loose layers of lava scoriæ. The comparativeeasy capture of the otherwise immensely strong 203 Metre Hill did notsurprise me. The texture of the ground, besides having a deadeningeffect on shell fire, made the approach to the forts by means ofparallels surprisingly easy. The Japanese, by the way, also knew thispeculiarity of the ground and used it to great advantage in theiradvances. I also found the forts on 174 and 131 Metre Hills as wellas the north fort of East Rekwan in an incompleted state. Thecommander of the forts, General Smyrnoff, was using strenuous effortsto complete the work, but the personal animosity of GeneralKrondrachinko, the commander of the general defenses, vetoed most ofhis suggestions. The vast sums of money which the Russian centralgovernment appropriated for the fortification of Port Arthur, honestlyused, would have made the place completely impregnable. It is not toomuch to say--and this will be borne out by any trained observer andstudent of the conditions then existing in and around PortArthur--that sixty per cent. Of the money for defense purposesdisappeared mysteriously. 

All the Russian officers, however, were not grafters and drunkenlibertines. Among them I did find men of alert and earnest characterwho were quite aware of the frightful conditions existing, but whowere so used to them right through Russia that they viewed things withtrue Slavonic composure. I even found the searchlight stations backon the hills to be in a deplorable state. Indeed, on the night ofTogo's second attack on Port Arthur the power plant was out of orderand the searchlights which should have flooded the harbor with lightwere dark. The plant was subsequently repaired under enormousdifficulties and cost, but of no avail. Coolie spies had procured theexact location of the power house and searchlight stations and thusaided, the Japanese gunners riddled them with shell. A great deal hasbeen said about the wonderful marksmanship of the Japanese, but forthe most part it was due to data on exact distances and locations, furnished by their spies. 

Although the officers were a careless, thoughtless lot, I found thatthe personnel of the garrison contained, on the whole, a good type ofRussian soldier. They were not brilliant but faithful and obedient. A Russian regiment is never routed. They stand and are killed, beingtoo stolid to run. I found most of the officers of Port Arthur to bebrilliant dashing men of the world, personally of high animal courage, but self-indulgence, neglect, disbelief in hostilities andunderestimation of their foe, undermined them. 

Among the high officials at Port Arthur, Colonel Reiss, Commander ofthe Ordnance Service, stood out alone. He was the only officer, notexcepting General Stoessel himself, who seemed to realize the gravityof the whole situation. In long chats which I had with him, he morethan hinted at the lamentable state of his ammunition. Once I askedhim why these conditions were not changed and he said:

"The Little Father (the Czar) is far away, "--he shrugged expressively. 

Officers told me that tons and tons of ammunition bags did not containfull weight. Whole ammunition trucks had only a double layer ofpowder bags on top, the rest containing sand bags to be used only forbastions and escarpions, the money flowing into the pockets of thearmy contractors. I met General Stoessel at the Casino twice, andneither time did he impress me as a military genius. A soldier of theBuller type, he was bluff, hearty, courageous and stupid. His floridbearded face, thick-set figure and his deep guttural growls remindedme of a Boer _Dopper_. 

Among all the Russians I met at Port Arthur, the most interestingfigure was to me the great battle painter Verestshagin. I am proud tobe able to say that he called me "friend. " I happened to be of someassistance to him in alleviating an attack of malaria. This, with asimilar taste in the arts and literature, soon put us on a friendlyand intimate footing. I have met many men of letters, artists andstatesmen, but never one who impressed me so much with the profundityof his learning and thought as did Verestshagin, and I am not easilyimpressed. 

One night we were sitting on the Casino veranda overlooking thewonderful Harbor of Port Arthur. It was one of those quiet, balmy, semi-tropical nights for which this part of the world is famous, oneof those crystal, clear, soundless nights, and the silhouettes ofRussia's grim silent battle monsters riding at anchor were sharplyoutlined on the moonlit waters of the bay. We were smoking our pipes, having just finished a long chat about the history of theseregions--the old Manchu and Tartar dynasties, how far they hadinfluenced and still influence the history of the world, the_Volker-Wanderung_--of the Huns, the Goths, and Vandals--a subject onwhich Verestshagin disclosed a deep store of knowledge. 

As the night was far advanced, I suggested that I had probablytrespassed long enough on his kindness and hospitality. He turnedaround in his chair and placing his hand on my shoulder said in hissoft deep voice:

"No, Doctor Cannitz, you are doing me a service instead. I amrestless to-night. I have a curious presentiment that before longthese lovely hills will hear the roar of guns in earnest. " Dreamilyspeaking as if to himself he continued, "And Russia will lose . . . But I shall not see it. " Abruptly he looked up, sat erect in hischair and shook himself as if throwing off something that oppressedhim. 

"Do you believe in premonition. Doctor? I know I shall find my deathhere soon. "

An indescribable shuddery sensation seemed to pass over me. I am byno means sentimental or easily moved, nor am I overly superstitious;but I have encountered one or two things in the course of my lifewhich cannot be explained by rule and line. Throwing off my suddenstrange mood, I told Verestshagin that his morbid fancies were due tohis still feverish condition, and the depressing effect of over-dosesof sulphate of quinine. He rose and smiled, and said:

"Of course you are right, Doctor. "

Before parting, he gave me a little sketch of Port Arthur which I havestill. I keep it as a treasured memento of one of the few really goodmen I have met, and one of the few from whom I had been able to partwithout harming. 

Verestshagin's premonition was fulfilled. He died--a hero's death, going down with Admiral Marakoff on the flagship of the Russiansquadron six weeks later. 

I remained at Port Arthur for another five weeks, and exactly sevendays before Togo's first night attack I received a cable from mygovernment. It was in cipher, of course, and I was ordered to leavePort Arthur immediately and make my way home as there was danger of mybeing bottled up at any minute. It is significant that in theIntelligence Department at Berlin they knew an attack was imminent, although they did not know it at Port Arthur. Furthermore, Russiansecurities dropped eighteen points on the New York Stock Exchange, hours before the official knowledge of the attack came through. Thisinformation leaked out through the German Embassy in Washington. Seven days after I left, Togo made the torpedo attack in which he sankthe _Czarevitch_, _Retvitsan_ and _Palada_. 

Before I took the steamer back to Europe, I went to Kiou-Chau, theGerman colony in China, and filed a long report by cipher cable. Sixmonths later I had the satisfaction of having a talk with numerousofficers of the German General Staff and of receiving compliments onthe correctness of my observations, reports and predictions. 

Later I learned the reasons why I had been sent to Port Arthur. Germany desired to ascertain the exact relative strength of the PortArthur defenses and Russian positions in the Far East for thefollowing reasons:

Since the time of Frederick the Great, the only power on the Continentwhich Germany has feared and has always been loath openly to quarrelwith, is Russia. Through the setback she received in the Far East in1905, her influence steadily decreased in the Balkans and the recentfiasco of Russian machinations during the Balkan war, has made herbecome a secondary factor for decades to come. Germany, through herkeen Intelligence Department, foresaw the result of the Russo-Japaneseconflict and immediately set about to undermine and destroy Russianinfluence south of the Austrian border. 

By Russia's defeat in the East, the balance of the power wascompletely shifted. It gave Germany and Austria the desiredopportunities and a free hand in the Balkans and Turkey. Had Germanythrough her Intelligence Department found Russia invulnerable in theEast, the map of the Balkans would have to be painted in differentcolors--as you will see. 

Chapter IV. At the Sublime Porte

I was back in Berlin from my mission to the Far East on March 10, 1905. The next four months were rather commonplace--odd littlecommissions of no particular interest or importance. 

On July the 5th, however, there came a hurried summons from Captainvon Tappken for me to report at Koenigergratzerstrasse 70. I lost notime in getting around, nor did I have to wait to be ushered up. Iwas shown direct to the Captain's office and as he received me, Inoticed that he was in a rather excited frame of mind. 

"Verdammt! Doctor! I am going to lose you. I am requested by theWilhelmstrasse to hand you over to them. Very annoying. I do notlike to lose you from our branch here. But we must obey. "

I expressed my regrets. 

"Doctor, you are bettering yourself. It is seldom that they overthere take any notice of us over here, or request the services of anyof my men. But your work has attracted some attention. I shallrequest that your services are not entirely lost to this department. Herr Stammer will take you over. Good-by and good luck!"

He gave me a hearty handshake and my connection with the IntelligenceDepartment of the Imperial Navy came to an end. Stammer and I haileda taxi and drove to the Wilhelmstrasse, where the doorkeeper put methrough an official ceremony similar to the procedure ofKoenigergratzerstrasse 70. Stammer gave the commissaire his card andwe were shown into a chamber and bidden to wait. I was franklycurious about what was in store for me, but I knew better by now thanto ask questions. Presently there entered a tall, thin, iron-graygentleman, the very type of a Prussian bureaucrat. Walking with quicknervous steps to his desk he acknowledged our bows with a curt nod andturning to Stammer he said:

"Well, Stammer?"

"This is Dr. Graver, your Excellency. "

"Ah, yes. Sehr schön. Convey my thanks to Captain Tappken, Stammer. "

Stammer then bowing himself out, I was asked to step into an anteroom. There a secretary took me in hand and informed me that the tall, thin, iron-gray gentleman was Graf Botho von Wedel, Wirklicher Geheimrat andVortragender Rab Botho Kaiser--(Privy Councilor to the GermanEmperor). 

So--Count Wedel. H'm! Although this was the first time I had seenthe Count, I had heard a great deal about him. The Emperor's PrivyCouncilor and right hand was the head of the political sections of theSecret Service. This promised to be interesting. I wondered what thelikely upshot would be, but I was interrupted in my soliloquy by asummons to reenter the Count's chamber. 

I was shown to a seat. Graf Wedel looked me over carefully andminutely for a considerable length of time with a frank stare ofappraisal. 

"How old are you, Doctor?"

I must confess my extreme youth always made this question one ofsecret annoyance. 

"Twenty-five, your Excellency. "

"Very young, very young. " He stared at me again and after a pausesaid:

"Yet the reports about your work are satisfactory and show discretionand intelligence above your years. "

I bowed in acknowledgment. 

"You will from now on, " he said, "become attached to this section ofthe Service. You will be trusted with some very grave and importantmatters. You will receive your orders and instructions only from me. You will report only to me direct. On no account will you see anysubordinate or any person, no matter what his official status, withoutmy expressed permission. Verstehen sie?"

"Yes, sir. "

"For funds, " he continued, "you will apply to my secretary. Of yourexpenses you will furnish a monthly account. How soon can you beready to go on a mission?"

I told him in two hours. 

"Good!" he exclaimed, "the sooner the better. This is what I want youto do. You will go at once to Constantinople and find out which ofthe court officials are in French and Russian pay. You will find outthe favorites of the high officials and officers, especially thenationality of these women. I will not give you any points ofintroductions. They might lead you to be suspected. They are acrafty lot down there. Be careful and take your time. You knownothing can be done in a hurry down in that country, "--he paused as ifwaiting for questions from me. We discussed a few minor points thenhe said:

"Your official number with us from now on will be 1734. You willalways use 17 to sign personal cipher messages sent to me. You willuse 34 in signing official reports and communications. "

The necessary arrangements for my preliminary expenses were discussedwith one of his secretaries and I then went back to my quarters tothink over a plan of campaign and prepare myself for the mission. Thetransfer from Captain Tappken's department pleased me for I knew thatat the Wilhelmstrasse I would be in closer touch with the biggeraffairs of diplomacy. Tappken had hinted at my finding favor with theWilhelmstrasse and I guessed that coming on top of my Port Arthursuccess a delicate private mission was responsible for it. To citethe case:

Germany keeps a watch on all her officers. When one of them isspending more money than his income, he is promptly investigated. Irecalled how they had sent me to the Spandau Garrison to inquire intothe affairs of an officer who was too lavish with his money to suitthe Intelligence Department. He was an ordnance officer in a smallarms factory at Spandau and it was the natural conclusion that he wasobtaining this extra money by selling state secrets. 

I encountered, however, an entirely different situation. I learnedthat he was absolutely innocent on that score but that he wasreceiving money from a certain princess who had become infatuated withhim. She was of a very high house and I realized that her name couldnot be mentioned in a report to Captain Tappken. This situationrequired delicate treatment. I solved the dilemma by reporting toTappken that the ordnance officer was guiltless of any act of treasonagainst his country. I then made a private report, covering theintimate facts, which went direct to officials of higherresponsibility. The princess' name did not appear as far assubordinates were concerned and the whole affair was hushed up. Myfortunate discretion in this matter undoubtedly strengthened mystanding with the Wilhelmstrasse. 

By this time I had installed myself in quiet quarters on theMittelstrasse, and Kim, who had been transformed from a Basuto boyinto an efficient man servant, looked after my comforts. To securemyself from the questions of prying neighbors, I had caused it to beknown that I was a retired South African planter inclined to poorhealth. This was the most likely explanation for my curious mode ofliving and my sudden periodical disappearances, for I was away fromthe Mittelstrasse for months at a time. Presumably I was travelingabout to the different watering places on the Continent for my health. 

My mission to Constantinople called for some considerable thought inselecting the most advisable character to impersonate. A tourist camefirst to mind. A tourist was out of the question, because tourists donot stay long in one place and I expected to be three or four monthsin Turkey. There was nothing to study in Constantinople. I thoughtof a student of botany, the rôle I had used at Port Arthur. But thatwould not do. The idea of a merchant came to me, but I dismissed theidea of a prosperous merchant, for it would necessitate makingbusiness connections, a careful and slow process, the fulfillment ofwhich would consume entirely too much time. I finally decided totravel as a physician, or to use the Turkish word a _Hakim_. A_Hakim_ is always accorded respect, even reverence, by Turks andArabs. This character determined upon, I went to the telephone andrequested the Service Intelligence Department to give me letters ofintroduction to the German hospital and the Pera Hospital inConstantinople. They were sent to me signed by the authorities of theCharitee in Berlin and described that I was going to study tropicaland Asiatic diseases and requested that the hospitals give me everyfacility for research work. I had Kim pack a case of medicalinstruments and told him to have everything in readiness to leaveBerlin that night, on the Orient Express. He was necessary to myplans and was to accompany me. A messenger from Wedel brought a fewfinal verbal instructions, my funds and sealed instructions. I wasbidden to keep away from all official German intercourse inConstantinople. Wedel might have saved himself the trouble of thatword of caution for I knew enough of the subtle Oriental mind to keepaway from anything that would raise the slightest suspicion in regardto my identity. If I pride myself on anything, it is a knowledge ofEastern character. With the instructions were a thousand marks cashand a draft for 5000 marks on the Ottoman Bank of Constantinople thathad been deposited in my name. 

It may strike the reader as curious that I took Kim with me, but Iknew he could be of tremendous use to me in Constantinople. Inaddition to speaking his _Kaffir_ dialects, he knew Arabic. Any negroboy who could speak Arabic could learn almost anything inConstantinople, which abounds in black men of all tribes andnationalities. Among the servants of every household, Kim would findmany compatriots from whom he could get information, impossible forany European to obtain. 

After an uneventful trip to Constantinople, I took preliminaryquarters in the Brasserie Kor, a quiet, second-rate hostelry on theRue Osmanly. I went to an unpretentious place to avoid attracting anyparticular attention. Had I put up at an expensive hotel there wouldimmediate]y bave been queries about me. Who is this stranger? Heseems to have money. If it isn't his money, whose money is hespending? It is not well to invite a Turk's suspicion. As I wastotally unacquainted with Constantinople, I used the first week forgetting familiar with the geography of the city. It was necessarythat I learn the location of the various legations and the residencesof high court officials. The next week I found lodgings in the verycenter of the district of court residences and began to seek out thehaunts and places of rendezvous of demi-mondaines, favorites andhangers-on of the Turkish officials. On the second day of my arrival, I had presented my credentials and letters at the German PeraHospital, and had my name entered as a visiting honorary surgeon. Every day thereafter, rain or shine, I made it a point to spend sometime at these hospitals, and it was well that I did. Once a day andoften twice I would sign the book at the hospital and I believe thatthe signature Dr. Franz von Graver appears on the record books of thePera and German Hospitals in Constantinople, at least one hundredtimes. Was I not fulfilling my duties as a physician doing researchwork?

I finally located myself in the residential district of Pera where Irented a small residence, typical of the well-to-do Turk of the middleclass and quite in keeping with my assumed character. An elaborateresidence would have aroused immediate suspicion, for there is nocountry on earth where curiosity and suspicion is so easily roused asin Turkey. Kipling, who knows the East so well, portrayed Port Saidas the dwelling place of concentrated wickedness. He is right, but Ido not think he has ever visited Stamboul. In Stamboul there is withno exception the most conglomerate mixture of nondescriptnationalities on the face of the earth. Not only are allnationalities represented but breeds of men that defy all pathologicalresearch, hideous in their conglomerate intermixtures. If an Albanianbandit, himself a mixture of Greek and Nubian mulatto, has issue by anArab woman with French blood--find the genealogy. Can you imagine amore difficult field of operations for an Occidental and a stranger?

In the course of my preliminary observations, I found Constantinopleto be a city of sharp contrasts. The quarters inhabited by your trueOttoman are characteristically clean and comfortable. The remainderof the city except foreign quarters is intolerably dirty. With trueOriental tolerance, the Turk lets things gang their ain gait. Thecasual observer and traveler always confounds the Turk with the restof the nondescript mass of humanity that swarms in Constantinople. That is a crass mistake. Your true descendant of Ossman is a clean, dignified, easy-going gentleman with a deep philosophical strain inhis make-up, contaminated by hundreds of years of contact--notassociation, for your true Turk does not associate--with the outcastMischling of southern Europe and Asia Minor. 

My mission was indeed a difficult one and only by tedious, painstakingwork, observing the life of the city and its character, I succeeded inisolating the individual who gave me the key to the circumventuouspolitical life and the government of Constantinople. It took me afull month of night work to become familiar with the innumerabledemi-mondaines. They were of French, Russian and Circassian birth andextraction, and were identified with the various Turkish courtofficials from the Grand Vizier down to an officer in theGanitsharies. This preliminary work is always exhausting, but it isso necessary on a mission of this kind. One blunder, one step in thedark, and you are gone. One spends months without any tangibleresults, often going on the wrong track. One has to be excruciatinglycircumspect in one's inquiries. To use a hunter's expression, thereis no quarry so wary, sharp-sighted and keen at smelling the wind as apolitical demi-mondaine. 

In this work Kim was of inestimable value to me. In fact, without himI would not have succeeded at all. All the households kept by theTurkish officials and their favorites swarm with negroes of thevarious types. A white man has not the slightest chance of findingthe way into their confidences. The universal golden key does notunloose tongues in such cases in the Orient. But Kim as a member ofthe once mighty Zulu nation (he was really a descendant of a prince ofthe house of Dingnan) was able, through a mysterious free masonrystill existing among colored races the world over, to obtain mostvaluable information. 

My method of campaign was to ascertain the name of one of thefavorites of the Turkish officials, to locate her residence and thenput Kim to work. Finally locating one of these women, I would manageto learn her name and where she lived. Then it was time for Kim. 

"Kim, " I said, "I want you to find out who comes to see her, whetherit is always the same official and if so, how frequently. I want youto learn everything you can about any letters she may receive. I wantto know just where she gets her money from, if she has any outsidesources of revenue, other than in Constantinople. I want every scrapof any kind of information about her. "

And Kim would go his way, seek out the servants in that household andhe would generally come back with all this information. 

Now I noticed that a certain Mlle. Balniaux was very much in thecompany of Abdulla, who was at that time the influential adviser ofthe Grand Vizier. It was known in Berlin that the Grand Vizier hadlately become very deaf and antagonistic to German influence. TheWilhelmstrasse knew that France and Russia were at work, but were inthe dark as to the channels. Therefore I sent Kim to ascertain ifMlle. Balniaux was visited by Abdulla at her private residence. Itold him to learn the exact hour of arrival in each instance and thelength of the visits. The bare fact that Abdulla might be seen in hercompany in public bore no particular significance. These women arealways accompanied by a whole retinue of officers and young Turkishnoblemen. It is part of their work. Their method of procedure is tobewitch young officers and officials, attach them to their person, make them spend huge sums of money and then play their card. Inoticed that the money Turkish officers squandered on these womencompared to their pay and income was tremendous. They think nothingof going ahead blindly and buying the most expensive jewels; I haveseen them even buy motorcars. The result is not difficult toforecast. The young officer soon finds himself head over heels indebt. Two courses are open to him. Either he must pay the debt or betransferred to some dreary interior post, and a Turk who has been inthe gay life of Constantinople would rather commit suicide than go toany inland garrison. Those women then pay the debts, exacting statesecrets as the price of their timely assistance. 

Abdulla, therefore, might only be one of these hangers-on. Kimestablished connections with Mlle. Balniaux's household and soon Ihad the required information. He brought me letters and scraps ofpaper that Mlle. Balniaux's dark skinned servants had stolen for him. He supplemented this by conversations that the servants had overheardand told to Kim. All this showed me that more by good luck I hadstumbled upon the hotbed of the prime mover of the whole intrigue, Mlle. Balniaux. There was not the slightest hope of intimidating orbuying over this particular lady's allegiance. I had to learn exactlywho was subsidizing her machinations and there was no possibility ofobtaining the clew from her. 

I must find the accessible person among her intimate friends. Fromtime to time I had seen her with a pretty little dark-haired girl whodanced in the Folies Arabic. I learned her name was Cecelia Coursan. I began to frequent the Folies, a kind of cabaret crowded every nightwith Turkish officers. Admiration was no longer a delight to her andshe accepted it with a wooden smile. 

The Folies is quite dissimilar from its European or Americanprototypes, by reason of its Oriental atmosphere. Most of the yearround it is conducted in the open. Picture a large court, the centerof which is covered with a priceless Smyrna carpet. Seated around onlittle divans and silk cushions are the principal native performers, Neulah girls wearing the teasing Yamashk, covering half their facesalthough the rest of their figures are visible through gauzy Damasceneshawls. The European performers, dressed in the latest and moststartling Paris creations, flirt and flitter among theaudience--seated round on dainty marble-topped bamboo tables, inhaling, in the case of Madame, a dainty "Regie, " or if Bey orEffendi, a Tshibuk or Narghile, gravely drawing on the ambermouthpiece and slowly exhaling the perfumed smoke. The gorgeousofficers' uniforms, mostly a vivid red, blue and gold; the picturesqueflowing robes and burnouses, with here and there a six-foot stalwartsilk trousered Albanian with gold and silver inlaid daggers andpistols thrust in his sash, make a picture reminding one of theSheherezade. 

Observing that everybody was bent on spoiling this popular littlehouri by emphatic admiration, I made myself conspicuous by apeculiarly British stony indifference. Nor was I wrong in my tactics. The piqued little dancer was not to be ignored. 

One night she approached my table and challenged me in French, atwhich I gave a noncommittal smile. I pretended that I did not knowFrench. Then she tried indifferent German and I looked at her withpuzzled blankness. Finally she spoke to me in a piquant English and Ianswered. She spoke English extremely well and it developed that shehad been a choriphyée at the London Empire. I let the acquaintancegrow leisurely. One night I found her in a fit of despondency, over aquarrel with her friend, Mlle. Balniaux. My subterfuge gettingeffective, I was just beginning to ply her with questions when aTurkish officer full of cognac wandered by and dropped a remark to herin French. It went against the grain for those swine to castinnuendoes to a white woman and forgetting my play acting, I told himhis comments were uncalled for and advised him to draw in his horns abit. After a little bluster to which I angrily replied in French, hedisappeared, and, as I sat down at the table, Cecelia was looking atme with a queer smile. 

"I thought you did not understand French, " she said. "I observe youhave a pretty good Parisian accent. " Then the full significance of myblunder came to me and I felt like the classic capricornus, meaninggoat. She said she was tired of the Folies that night and suggested adrive. I called a careta and as we were driving down the boulevard Isaid to her:

"Is this existence always pleasant? Is it not as it was with thatofficer, often unendurable?"

She replied in a bantering tone, only half hiding a hurt undernote. 

"I'm getting used to it, " she said. "A Turkish pig is no worse thanan English cad or a German boor. "

The typical, philandering Broadway or Bond Street masher makes thephysiological mistake of undervaluing the innate sense of decencyinherent in every woman. Gentle courtesy and manners impress acourtesan by reason of the novelty. The inverse is often useful indealing with a pampered society woman. 

Much to the annoyance of the Turkish officers, I often thereafter tookthe pretty Cecelia away from the Folies, after her performance, for adrive, and I began to compare her small confidences with certain bitsof information that Kim had given me. I knew, or I could pretty wellguess, that she was not staying in Constantinople, enduring theinsults of those Turkish officers, simply for the money she could earnas a dancer. Then I made my second dramatic play for confidence. Isuddenly stopped going to the Folies. I suppose it was ratherlonesome in Constantinople and a man who was not a Turk was a novelty. 

One afternoon she sent for me and I was confronted with a humansituation which I must in this narrative of Secret Service operationstreat as impersonal though it is full of pathetic implications. Ifound her with her luggage packed. 

"Why haven't you come to the Folies lately?" she demanded with apretty air of bossing the situation. 

I told her my work at the hospital had made heavy inroads upon mytime. 

"Oh!" she began, tapping a little boot impatiently on the floor; aftera pause, "I have to leave for Paris. . . . Well?"

"That is most unfortunate. "

"Is that all?"

"To say anything more would only be painful, Machere Cecelia. "

"But there is no need of our being blue. Why not make the occasion ahappy one? Why not come along to Paris?"

She looked up at me with an impudent little smile. 

"My dear little girl, " I said, "I am no man of means and I cannot gogadding about Europe. Besides, I have my work here. I will be busyat the hospital for another month. "

That seemed to displease her. She looked at me carefully, unconsciously her manner changed. She became somewhat appraising. Itseemed as though a different woman was speaking, "Franz, " she said, "a man like you is wasting his time potteringaround a hospital with your evident knowledge of the world and people. With your education and travels you ought to be very valuable tocertin men back in Paris. "

I felt what was coming, but I asked her to explain. She did so andfrom her I received a tentative offer to enter the French SecretService. I had difficulty in mastering the muscles of my face to keepfrom betraying the laughter that was almost ready to break out. Verygravely I asked her to tell me more about Secret Service. Proudly, Cecelia showed me letters that she had received from Paris. From theaddresses and the signatures I thus learned the individuals in directcontrol of the system that was undermining German influence by usingdemi-mondaines such as Mlle. Balniaux. I gathered that CeceliaCoursan was only a go-between for Mlle. Balniaux in making herreports to the French government. I asked her some more questions, exclaiming that her proposal interested me tremendously. 

I pretended to be particularly anxious as to what pay I would receivewere I to come to an understanding with "her friend in Paris. " Sheassured me it was liberal and urged me to hasten to Paris. I told herthat as soon as I finished my work at the hospitals I would do so. She then asked me to take charge of her mail and to forward anyletters that might come for her. I did--to the Wilhelmstrasse. 

That incident is one of those in my Secret Service work of which I amnot entirely proud. Of course from my viewpoint Cecelia Coursan wasnot a woman, she was simply the paid agent of another government andit was a case of her wits against mine; at least with this sophistry Iquieted my doubts. 

Three years later I found the same little woman in an obscure cafe inAntwerp. She was no longer in the French Service. I concluded thather blunder in Constantinople had "broken" her, for she seemed to havegone down the ladder. She did not recognize me, but as she seemed tobe in straitened circumstances, I found a way to assist her to atleast three months' board and lodging by sending her anonymously 500francs. It was conscience money. 

When I had thus located and coupled up the chiefs of the French SecretService with the situation in Constantinople, I began quietly tocultivate the acquaintance of the average Turkish officer. I had tolearn the tendency of their thoughts. I met officers and merchants, administrators and students. From them all I learned that they weresick of the intrigues and wire-pulling of the harems. I learned ofthe discontent of the Young Turk party. I gathered that the time wasripe for an overturning of the government. In my report I made acorrect forecast of the trend of affairs. I drew attention to EnverBey, who was even then considered clever, even dangerous, by the GrandVizier. As a most aggressive Young Turk, they had sent him to anobscure post in Thessalonia, but upon sounding out the youngerofficers I found that he was still regarded highly. Without doubt myreports in addition to the reports made by von der Golz, theaccredited German instructor of the Turkish Army, helped to shape thepolicy of the German Foreign Office. I learned beyond all doubt thatthe Sultan Abdul Hamid was nothing but a figurehead, that the GrandVizier, bought by Russian and French gold, was running the governmentin a way that was antagonistic to German influences and that theswarms of demi-mondaines in French and Russian pay were corrupting thehigher Turkish officials to their cause. All these things I includedin my report and after four months I was back in Berlin. 

To better understand the diplomatic significance of this mission, Ishall recast the political situation. The modern German policy in theEuropean Orient, inaugurated by Bismarck as a defense and checkagainst Russia, has always been keen on the friendship and good willof the Turk for reasons which will be obvious enough later. Duringthe Caprivi Chancellorship, the relation between the two empiresbecame rather lax. Wilhelm II with his keen farsightedness set aboutto remedy this. In his usual spectacular, but in most casesefficient, manner, he went with his royal consort in state toPalestine, calling first on the Sultan. The tremendously enthusiasticreception that the Moslem countries accorded him is a matter ofcontemporary history. This was really a master stroke of diplomacyalthough sharply criticised at the time. 

Until the Kaiser's visit, France, with more or less right, consideredherself protector general of all Mohammedans. From now on this beganto change. The immediate result of the Emperor's visit was a closeunderstanding between the Wilhelmstrasse and the Sublime Porte. Thebuying of vast quantities of guns, ammunition, and the influx ofPrussian officers and drilling instructions, besides huge orders ofall sorts of German goods was significant. 

The always uneasy jealousy of France and Russia was at once aroused, England, in this instance, not taking any decided stand in affairs. England had spent many lives and much money, notably in the CrimeanWar, to keep Russia out of Turkey and was averse to encouragingRusso-French influences at the Sublime Porte. How far England wouldlike either Germany or France to acquire control of the Dardanellesremains to be seen. With Russia, it has been bloody wars and grimstruggles since the days of Catherine, misnamed the Great, togaincontrol of the Dardanelles. Unceasing intrigues have been and arestill going on in Stamboul. Russia's influence has been steadilyundermined by Germany, in Turkey and Asia Minor. Since the disastrouscampaign against Japan, Russia has made strenuous efforts to recoupher sphere of influence through her coalition of the principal BalkanStates. Of this you will learn later. 

Germany, always including Austria (the external policy of bothcountries on all these questions is synonymous), found French-Russianinfluences at work. Through their marvelous, efficient IntelligenceSystem, Germany soon learned who were the prime movers and puppets; inthis instance the Grand Vizier and the Seraglio officers; the thensultan, Abdul Hammid, "The Damned, " being completely cowed and underthe thumb of his Grand Vizier, could not be relied on for a moment. After my mission they knew in Germany that the time was ripe for aradical change, and they engineered it. Result: A revolution and theYoung Turks in power, with Enver Bey, Tuofick Pasha, Ibrahim ManderBey and similar men, with German training and learning, directingaffairs. Germany regained complete sway and is to-day easily the mostpowerful influence in Turkey. What significance this has on thegeneral bearing of European politics, I shall discuss in a laterchapter. 

Chapter V. The Grand Duke's Letter

After a number of more or less strenuous missions, I felt thoroughlyrun down. During the Boer War I had been shot through the left lungand now I began to experience trouble. A series of hemorrhagesbrought about by unchecked cold and exposure, led me to consultProfessor Bayer, the noted specialist in Berlin. He advised me to getaway from everything for a month at least, recommending the pineozone. 

There is no lack of pine forests in Germany or Norway; and I hadplenty of acquaintances in both countries. To any one of them I wouldhave been welcome, but this would have entailed social obligations andI wanted to be absolutely alone. There were but two of my friends atwhose places I could do exactly as I wished, where man and beast knewme. One, whose place was in the Pushta, Hungary, was probably away ona hunting trip and Hungary was too remote. The other, a schoolmate ofmine, lived near Furstenwalde, about fifty-eight kilometers fromBerlin. Furstenwalde, I decided, was an ideal spot, near Berlin, yetisolated enough and in the heart of one of the largest of thewell-cared-for Prussian domain forests. So Ehrenkrug, the seat of the_Koenigliche Ober Forsterei_ and the family seat of the Freiherren vonEhrenkrug, was the place I selected. 

I had enjoyed three weeks of rest and quietness, doing some desultoryfishing and shooting but spending most of my time in a hammock slungunder some of the giant Fichten, when my sylvan idyl was disturbed bythe red-faced, stub-nosed post boy of the Forsterei. 

He brought me a letter from Graf Wedel, an astonishing missive. 

_Dear Graves:_

I hope your health has improved sufficiently for you to attend to thismatter. Be pleased to understand that this is by no means an officialcommand. However, I need not point out to you the advantages, accruing to you through your assistance in the case. The matterbriefly is this. I have been approached by the Grand Duke ofMecklenburg-Schwerein to assist him in the solving of a ratherdelicate private affair. It is outside the usual routine but we findit advisable to comply. The mission is delicate and leads intoEngland, for which reasons I have decided to let you undertake theaffair if willing. In case of acceptance, all necessary leave ofabsence will be arranged. This is not a command but let me againpoint out the advisability of your showing compliance. 

Truly yours, V. Wedel. 

Three weeks in the pine forests had been better than all thephysicians in Berlin. Besides, I was tired of the monotonous countrylife and was hungry for the fleshpots of Egypt. Between the lines ofWedel's letter I could read the opportunities for earning a handsomefee. I wrote Wedel that I had no objections, providing the missionwas something I could accomplish, for I was still in the dark as toits nature. I knew that intruding into the private affairs of ducaland princely houses is often a most unthankful business. I have everfound it more satisfactory and less nerve racking to undertake amission into some foreign country than to become involved with somepetty local affair of royalty. For some such affair I judged to bethe dilemma of the house of Mecklenburg-Schwerein. 

Within two days there came another communication from Wedel asking meto be at Mecklenburg-Schwerein on a certain immediate day. Takingleave of my friends, and thanking them for their hospitality, I leftfor Schwerein. Upon my arrival at the seat of the dukedom I was metby a quiet landau of the Grand Ducal stables. Two flunkies in theGrand Duke's livery took my luggage, escorted me to the carriage and Iwas driven up to the old castle. The landau took me to a sideentrance and I was promptly shown into an austere and unpretentiouschamber. Scarcely had I entered when a quiet, elderly, benevolent-looking gentleman dressed in a shooting jacket appeared inanother doorway, evidently much perturbed. I at once recognized himas the old Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerein. He appraised me forfully a minute; then as if to himself he said:

"You're only a boy, but I suppose they know, " shaking his great grayhead. "Strange times. Strange times. " Then suddenly realizing hisinhospitality, he urged me to be seated. "Take a seat, take a seat. "

Unlike the gentlemen of the Wilhelmstrasse, he did not plungeimmediately into the subject at hand. He began a chat with me aboutpurely personal affairs. Finally the conversation drifting around tothe cause of my visit, he said:

"Can you fulfill this mission?"

I told him I could not say until I had learned what it was. Irequested that he give me the privilege of refusal should I findmyself unable to negotiate it successfully. He agreed that it wasfair and when he looked at me again he seemed to suggest that he didnot believe me so young after all. 

"There's rather an unhappy and most inconvenient entanglement in myhousehold, " he began. "My nephew, the young Grand Duke, is tangled upand ensnarled with a certain lady in England whom he wishes to marry. It is unfortunate that she is of too high a social status to beentirely ignored or roughly bought off. Still, she is not eligiblefor admission into our house. For more than political reasons, it isimpossible that she enter into an alliance with us. " His eyesflashed. "This lady has lately threatened to make trouble through mypersistent refusal to countenance her desired relationship. " Hefrowned. "She has in her possession compromising letters anddocuments which my nephew was foolish enough to give her. These mustbe returned to my hands. Monetary questions need not be consideredfor a moment. Pressure and influence have been tried on both mynephew and the lady. But of no avail. The means I leave to you. Butforce and publicity must at all cost be avoided. I can give you verylittle help as to procedure and information. What do you think of thechances?"

It has ever been my way to he conservative in making promises and Isaid:

"I hope your Highness will pardon me, but I find it often undesirableto voice my thoughts until I have reached a certain stage of myinvestigations. "

This appeared to impress him and he rose saying:

"I am entirely in your hands. Communicate direct with my chamberlain, or if necessary to use cable, I shall arrange with your chief inBerlin for forwarding facilities. Be good enough to wait and I shallsend you my secretary. " Slapping me on the shoulder, "You'll notregret it, helping us out of this quandary. "

Neither did I. The Grand Duke stalked out. A flunky appeared andconducted me to a private little dining-room where cold game and winewere served and at the end of which the secretary came in and handedme an envelope with the Grand Duke's compliments and a request tostart at once on my mission. Assuring him I would be on the road thatsame night, I returned to Berlin. I got Stammer of the Wilhelmstrasseon the telephone and requested a preliminary two months' leave ofabsence. I then caught the Hook of Holland Express en route forLondon. 

Upon opening the Grand Duke's letter I had found it contained threebank notes of 1000 marks each and a draft for 500 pounds on theEnglish, Scottish and Colonial Bank, with a note saying that anyfuture request would be honored at three days' notice to the samebank. Thus I would have all the money I wanted in London. 

On the way over, I followed my usual custom and considered thesituation in detail. The lady in question was in society and thefirst thing to do was to try to get in touch with the little circle orclique in which she moved. This might have been difficult in anyother city but London. But a man of appearance, culture and money, setting his stage right, can with tact and persistence force an entryinto any clique of London society. 

The only thing I had to worry about was a setting of my stage. I wasundecided about it. One often has to leave things to circumstances, being guided by any momentary points that may arise. My first taskwas to create an impression, something that would get people talkingabout me. I did not want to show any sensational parvenuism; Londonis not impressed by that. 

Rather, I must become known for some eccentricity that would arouselegitimate curiosity. Your Britisher, the women included, are alwaysinterested in a man of travel, a hunter, a desultory globe-trotter;and nothing attracts the English mind so quickly as a well-bredeccentricity in manner or habit. The broad lines of my plandetermined upon, I left the precise setting of the stage until thelast minute. 

I quartered myself at first at the Russel Square Hotel, in a few daystransferring to the patrician Langham. I began by making tentativeinquiries. I purchased all society papers which I read from cover tocover, and then carefully feeling my way put further questions thatwould locate the set in which my lady was a central figure. Fromacquaintances I made around the hotel, from the society reporters ofnewspapers, I began to get little scraps of information. Fortunatelyit was the season in London and everybody was coming into town. Isoon knew who the Lady's intimates were and their favorite rendezvous. The next step was to become familiar with the personality of the ladyand to gain some idea as to her habits, her likes and dislikes. Iheard that the lady was in the habit of going horseback riding in HydePark. Every day I made it my business to take a two-hour canter alongthe bridle path. My patience was rewarded on the fifth morning, for Isaw her galloping by with a party of friends. 

The next morning I was on the bridle path at the same hour. Finallyshe came galloping along with the same group, and after they hadalmost gone from sight, I galloped after them. I found out where theykept their horses and after they had dismounted I sauntered up to thestable and made inquiries. I learned that they always went out at thesame time of day. Thereafter I made it my business to pass the ladyon the bridle path day after day. I pride myself on few things, butmy horsemanship is one of them. Many a hard tussle and bleeding noseI got riding Brumbies across the wild tracks of Australia. I alsolearned a trick or two among my Tuareg friends which I exhibited forthe lady's benefit on various occasions. I did not hope to gain anintroduction, but only to attract attention and familiarize her partywith my appearance, applying one of the test points of humanpsychology. I employed the theory of the subconscious attraction ofan often-seen, though unknown face. 

I soon ascertained that my lady and her friends followed all the whimsof London society. One in particular interested me. They were in thehabit of frequenting Carlton Terrace between three and four everyafternoon and eating strawberries. I also went to eat strawberries. 

Carlton Terrace during the strawberry season is an exquisitely coloredfashion plate of life's butterflies and drones. This throng offashion and beauty, marked with its air of distinction carelesslyabandoned to pleasure, ever murmuring pleasant nothings and tossinglight persiflage from table to table, is truly an interesting study ofthe lighter sides of life. One sits on a magnificent markee-covered, glass-enclosed terrace, overlooking the Thames with its ever-changingscenes of fussy tugs and squat barges. 

At Carlton Terrace one pays well for the subtleties of eating. Bycourteous consideration of the waitresses I managed to secure amuch-coveted outside corner table, near to the one reserved for thelady and her party. I always made it a point to withhold my entranceuntil the lady was in the terrace; then I would stroll in alone, takea seat alone, and show a desire to be alone. They have a very cleverway of serving strawberries at the Carlton. A vine, growing from tento twelve large luscious berries is brought on in a silver pot. It isthe acme of luxury. You pick the fresh berries from the vine on yourtable, the Terrace supplies quantities of cream, and you pay half asovereign--$2. 50--for a dish of strawberries. One dish is enough forthe average customer. Every afternoon I ordered five!

Day after day I consumed in strawberries two sovereigns and ahalf--$12. 50--of the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerein's money. Always tipping the girl a half sovereign which made my dailystrawberry bill come up to three sovereigns ($15). For about ten daysI did this, always at the same time, always being careful to make myentrance after the lady's party was seated, always ordering the samenumber of portions, always giving the girl the same tip. It wasn'tlong before I began to be observed. I soon saw that not only theattendants but the patrons of the Terrace were becoming interested inmy foible. One day as I passed I heard someone say:

"Here comes the strawberry fiend. "

I was satisfied. I knew it would be easy now to effect an entrance tothe lady's set. I had been marked as something out of the usual inthe restaurant which from three to four in the afternoon at that timeof the year is the most fashionable in London. Now, a woman like mylady does not flirt. If you glance at her under favorable conditions, such as my strawberry "stunt" had created for me, she will return theglance. You both half smile and do not look at each other again thatafternoon. That is not flirting. Splitting hairs, we shall call itpsychic interest. 

I continued my strawberry festival and one day a manager of CarltonTerrace told me that people were making inquiries about me. Severalmen had wanted to know who I was. Under questioning, he told me thatone of the men was a member of the lady's set. It was easy to puttogether two and two. Obviously the inquiry had been inspired by her. 

Meanwhile I had sent several communications to the Grand Duke, insisting that pressure be brought to bear upon his nephew and to keephim away from London; not even permitting him under penalty ofstopping his allowance, to write the lady in the case until the GrandDuke gave his permission. By now, London had gradually filled and theseason was at its height. I went the rounds of the theaters fromDrury Lane to the Empire, and I visited the clubs. I found here menwhom I had met previously and presently I rounded up two or threefellows with whom I had been fairly intimate at one time or another onhunting expeditions and at continental watering-places. I made themintroduce me to different sets. Dexterous maneuvering obtained meinvitations to afternoon teas and at-homes in the same circlefrequented by my lady. 

I was introduced to her at an afternoon reception. She was a typicaloutdoor Englishwoman. Not particularly handsome, hut possessing tothe full the clearness of skin and eyes and strong virile health, thatis the hereditary lien of Albion's daughters. Tall, willowy andstrong, of free and independent manners and habits, she was the directantithesis of the usual German woman. I reasoned that this wasprobably the reason of the young Duke's infatuation. 

"How do you do, you wild Colonial boy. Still as fond of strawberriesas ever?"

We both burst out laughing. 

"So your ladyship observed and classified my little maneuvers. "

"Of course, " with a toss of her head. 

Unforced and pleasant chatting followed. I could more and moreunderstand the Grand Duke's infatuation; in fact, considered him quitea "deuced, lucky beggar. "

From that day on I made it a point to be present whenever she attendedpublic places, such as the theater, concerts or restaurants. Gradually and imperceptibly, by little services here and there, I wonher confidence. There was an after-theater supper, in the Indian roomof the Windsor, and I was invited. By this time people had come toknow something about me. I was a globe-trotter, a man of leisure, interested as a hobby in research work in medicine. I discovered thather affair with the young Grand Duke was a fairly open secret in herset; also, that she was expecting him in London almost daily. Gradually I hinted that I knew the young Grand Duke. As I gained herconfidence further, I invented amorous affairs for him and hinted toher about them. In this way I finally managed to induce her to talk. Subtly I instilled a vague resentment against him, which wasaccentuated by his non-appearance in London society up to now. HisHighness having been kept away by his Serene Uncle, the serene onehaving been cautioned to do so by me. 

Two months passed before I was invited to the lady's home in Mayfairand by that time, partly because I pretended to know the young GrandDuke, I was on a more intimate footing. I had learned that she hadmet him at a hunting party at the Earl of Crewes' shooting box inShropshire. Later, she intimated that this was but their officialmeeting and that their acquaintance actually dated from a mountaintrip she had taken to Switzerland, the universal playground of royaltytraveling _incog_. I learned too that her heavy bridge gambling hadcost her a lot of money. 

The information that the lady was in debt did not come easily. Toobtain it, I had to work on her maid. Whenever the occasion arose, Imade it my business to tip the maid liberally. I contrived to do anumber of little things for her. Knowing the lady to be out, I calledat the house one day and while pretending to be waiting for myhostess, I put some leading questions to the maid. I learned that hermistress was pressed for money. That was an opening worth working on. 

Thereafter I contrived to be present whenever there was a bridge partyat the lady's. They are pretty high gamblers, those English societywomen, and I came to see that the lady was generally a heavy loser. It was my good fortune for her to lose to me one night. Now, it isthe custom at these gatherings not to hand over cash; instead, theunlucky one pays with what corresponds to an "on demand note. " I tookher note that night and with others--the whereabouts of which Ilearned from the maid and which I indirectly purchased from theholders--I took all these to a notorious money-lender and made a dealwith him. He was to take the notes and press the lady for payment, ofcourse keeping my name out of it. It is obvious that, trying as I wasto w in her confidence, I could not go myself and hold theseobligations over her head. That same day the money-lender paid thelady a call. He paid her a good many other calls, harassing her, threatening legal action and driving her until she was almost to astate of nervous collapse. Well-placed sympathies soon made her talkand she burst out pettishly that she was in debt and that most of heracquaintances were in debt--nothing unusual in that set. 

This was an opportune chance to be of material benefit to the lady. Seriously we talked over her affairs. I found them pretty wellentangled. We discussed the young Grand Duke. I gradually persuadedher that there was no hope of a legitimate marriage with the house ofMecklenburg-Schwerein, but because of her association with the youngGrand Duke and the fact that she had been betrothed to him, it wasonly right that the Duchy provide her with some means of assistance. The ice was perilously thin, for the lady is a high-spirited woman ofideals and I had to be careful to word my language so that it wouldnot appear as though she were blackmailing. In justice to her, Ibelieve that if she had taken that view of it she would have droppedthe entire matter, and retired from society for the season rather thango through with my plan. Finally I said:

" Have you any means by which you could compel the ducal house to makeadequate acknowledgments and redresses to you?"

After a long hesitation, she jumped up, swept from the room andreturned presently with a handful of letters. I saw on some of themthe Grand Duke's coat of arms. The young fool had been carelessenough for that! She shook the letters in a temper and cried:

"I wonder what Franz's uncle would say to these? Why, I could compelhim to marry me. "

Here was the chance. The iron--in this case my lady's tempe--was hot. I suggested that we sit down and talk it over. As an introductoryattack, to create the impression that I knew what I was talking about, I hinted that I was connected with a leading family in Germany andthat I was in London _incog_. I approached the situation from theviewpoint that I was her friend, not a friend of the house ofMecklenburg-Schwerein, but that, by knowing them and their ways, Icould be of great assistance to her. 

"It is regrettable, " I consoled; "but you have no chance for alegitimate, even a morganatic alliance with the young Grand Duke. Iconsider their entire attitude toward you utterly unfair. In view ofyour understanding with him, you are most certainly entitled toadequate recompense from his house. If you went into court you couldobtain this on grounds of breach of promise, but I can understand yourfeelings. Such a step would only cast odium upon an old and noblefamily such as yours. "

That seemed to her liking. 

"But what can I do?" she said. 

"In view of my friendship for you, " I told her, "I would consider itan honor if you would permit me to act on your behalf. I think I cannegotiate with the young Grand Duke's uncle and I promise that he willregard the matter in a fair light. I appreciate the extreme delicacyof the situation and you must observe the necessity of a man handlingthis affair. "

She shook her head and tapped the letters nervously. 

"No. It is intolerable, " she said. "Not to be thought of. "

I saw that I had to make it stronger. I thereupon invented the mostingenious lies it has ever been given me to tell. In about fiveminutes I had painted the young Grand Duke in such colors that theadventures of Don Juan were saintly compared to the escapades of hisducal highness. 

"Why, consider it yourself, " I said. "He was to be over here with youduring the season. He has not come. You told me yourself that he hasnot even answered your letters. Well, that's all there is to it. Your ladyship, he and his house deserve any punishment that you canvisit upon them. "

The idea of punishment appealed where the other had failed. Theoutraged pride of woman, especially an Englishwoman, is a terriblething. Soon after that I made haste to take my leave. At my quartersI wrote two letters to myself and signed the Grand Duke's name tothem. In these I offered to pay her ladyship's debts. They wereaddressed to me and after allowing a reasonable time to elapse, Iagain went out to Mayfair and read them to her. She was now cold andhard and gave me full permission to go ahead and make any arrangementsI deemed advisable. I thereupon went to the Grand Duke's bank inLondon and notified them that I must have 15, 000 pounds ($75, 000). Infour days I had the money. The rest of the transaction wascommonplace. She handed over all the letters and documents and I gaveher the 15, 000 pounds. I know to-day that her ladyship travelsextensively in a very comfortable manner on the yearly appanageallowed her by the old Grand Duke. I do not know whether she stillgoes to Carlton Terrace to eat strawberries, but I flatter myself thather present good fortune is partially due to the fact that she oncewent there. 

At the time of closing our little transaction, she took the precautionto protect adequately and seal all letters and documents from myperusal. Of course that was a disappointment. I put the packet awaycarefully, closed up my aftairs in London and went back to Germany, going direct to Mecklenburg-Schwerein where I delivered the package tothe old Grand Duke in person. He seized it eagerly and opened it inmy presence. I noticed as he ran through the letters that he did notstop even to glance at them. He did, however, stop and pick out fromthe pile an official looking document, at the sight of which atremendous sigh of relief seemed to escape him. The document had adecidedly close resemblance to a marriage license as issued inSwitzerland. Of course I only got a fleeting, cursory glance at it, but the eagerness of the Grand Duke in pouncing upon that one documentand ignoring the letters, and hints previously dropped by herladyship, embellished by rumors I later heard in Switzerland, allleave very little doubt in my mind that a clandestine marriage didactually take place between this lady of the English nobility and theyoung Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerein. 

His Royal Highness must have been satisfied, for besides a fee of 5000marks, I received a few days later through Wedel a diamond pin and amagnficent gold watch and chain inscribed with the Grand Ducal arms ofMecklenburg-Schwerein inscribed:

"For services performed faithfully to my house. "

Chapter VI. The Intrigue at Monte Carlo

Back in Berlin from a mission to Vienna, my dispatches delivered, oncemore comfortably ensconced in my quarters, on the Mittelstrasse, I waslooking forward to an evening at the Pavilion Mascotte. I was justgetting into my dinner coat when my man bowed an orderly through thedoor and at once all my plans took swift flight out the window. Theorderly brought a command for my immediate attendance at theWilhelmstrasse. Now the gentlemen of the Wilhelmstrasse are neverkept waiting and do not accept excuses. Within twenty minutes I wasshown into the chambers of Count von Wedel; in thirty minutes I wasout again, having complete orders. They know what they want at theWilhelmstrasse and they generally get it. 

As I hurried back to my rooms I went over what von Wedel had said:

"You are to be ready to take the midnight express to Monte Carlo. Youwill there keep watch on and report any possible meeting between theRussian, French and English ministers, at present traveling about theRiviera. You will have the assistance, if necessary, of the CountessChechany. If you need her, send her this card" (he had given me thecard with his signature across it, a reproduction of which ispresented on this page). " If meetings or conferences take place, youmust obtain the tenor thereof. Here is an order for your primaryexpenses. " He had flicked an order for 3000 marks, about $750, acrosshis desk. "Anything you wish elucidated?"

Not having met the Countess, I had requested her description. Pushinga button, Count von Wedel had given the answering secretary an order;within three minutes I was shown the photograph of the lady and hersignature, of which I took a copy. Having no further requests I hadbowed myself out. 

My first act was to cash the order; second to decide and prepare thecharacter I wished to assume in Monte Carlo. I decided on a SouthAfrican mine owner. I know considerable about mining, and being wellacquainted with South Africa, the Rand and Transvaal, I had theadvantage of knowing my locality first. A Secret Service agent isalways careful to choose a character with which he is fully familiar. One is certain to meet, sooner or later, men in the same walk of life;and unless one be well primed, one is bound to be "bowled out. " Iknew there would be South African mining men at Monte Carlo. 

Procuring necessary papers, such as mining journals, quotations, acouple of South African newspapers and photographs, I went home andhad my man carefully select and pack my wardrobe. I caught themidnight Lloyd Express. Selecting a pleasant middle compartment, andgetting my seat registered, I made myself comfortable and began to mapout a campaign. This was rather a tough problem. To be in theslightest degree successful, I had to get near, and if possible intouch with the ministers that Count von Wedel had designated. How isthis to be done? I knew it was far from easy, almost impossible, tomake their casual acquaintance. 

I began to cast the personality of the three men over in my mind. There was Prince Kassimir Galitzin, at that time high in the favor ofthe Czar. There were Delcasse of France and Sir Edward Grey ofEngland. All three were gyrating about the Riviera and theSavoy--ostensibly it was for their health, possibly for other reasons. In any case the health of these gentlemen seemed a matter of someconcern to the German emperor. Health trips of more than onestatesman in or about the same locality are looked upon with muchsuspicion and promptly investigated; more so when there is any extrapolitical tension. At that time--it was in 1910--the air was tense, Germany was in the dark, unable to distinguish friend or foe. 

Sir Edward Grey's habits were unknown to me. With Delcasse's I wassomewhat familiar. Prince Galitzin--ah, yes! I knew him pretty well, _bon vivaint_, extremely fond of a pretty face. Um! I began to seelight. Here is where the Countess might come in. By her photograph, an extremely beautiful woman; but photographs often flatter and do notgive an indication as to personality. _Festina lente. I could see. 

Five forty-five the next afternoon and I was installed at the HotelMetropole in Monte Carlo. After a refreshing bath, I had supperserved in my room, and sent for the hotel courier--this an oldglobe-trotter trick. Hotel couriers or dragomen are walkingencylopædias. They are good linguists, observant and shrewd. Theyare masters of the art of finding out things they should not know, andpast grand masters in keeping their mouths shut unless you know how toopen them. Not with palm oil. Oh, no, nothing so crude! You wouldnever get any truths or anything worth while, with bribery. 

I had to find out local intrigues and gossips, who was in Monte Carloand what was doing, who were the leading demi-mondaines and gamblers?Were there any possible Secret Service men? Hence the courier, aSwiss from Ober Arau, a district of Switzerland, I luckily knew well. When he knocked at the door, I cheerily bade him come in. I made mymanner as good natured as possible. I offered him a real Medijehcigarette. As befitting his station, he was slipping the cigarette inhis pocket. 

"Oh, no!" I said. "Light it, won't you? Have a little smoke with mehere. I'm a bit lonesome. I want to get my bearings. Won't you joinme in a glass of wine?"

That was my first oar in. After some commonplace conversation, as tohow the season was, I asked:

"Anybody of interest here?"

I winked knowingly. Possibly it pleased the courier to have someoneto chuckle over a secret. All my oars were in. 

"At the Grand Hotel de Londres, " he said slyly, "there is a gentlemanwho does not fool me. "

I offered him another cigarette, helped him to another glass of wine. 

"He is registered there as Count Techlow, but he can't fool me. He isthe Prince Galitzin. "

"What's he doing; gambling a lot?" (I knew he wasn't. )

"No, " replied the courier, "he's keeping pretty quiet. "

"Is there a Countess Techlow?"

The courier shook his head. _Buenno!_ The coast seemed clear. I knewit was extremely awkward and often dangerous to tempt the quarry awayfrom a demi-mondaine, especially at Monte Carlo. After chatting somemore I bid the courier good night. I would see the Countess the firstthing in the morning. 

Along toward noon I called at the Nouvel Hotel Louvre where von Wedelhad told me I would find Countess Chechany. I sent in my own cardbearing the name of H. Van Huit, Doorn Kloof, Transvaal (the readerwill recall my experience at Doorn Kloof); also von Wedel's card withhis signature. 

I had to wait for some time, but finally the Countess received me inher boudoir. She was in bewitching negligee. From the photograph Iwas prepared to find a very handsome woman, but shades of Helen! Thiswas Venus, Juno and Minerva--the whole Greek and any other goddessesrolled into one! Tall and willowy, superb of figure, great dark-blueeyes, masses of blue-black wavy hair, full red lips forming a perfectCupid's bow. But why go on--I might get too enthusiastic, and misleadthe reader. After my adventure I never saw the Countess again. 

I knew that by birth the Colmtess Chechany was a high Hungariannoblewoman. By marriage she was related to the Counts of TolnaFestetics, a leading house in Hungary. Also, she was one of thosemarvelously beautiful women peculiar to that country. Waving a smalljeweled hand, she begged me to take a chair beside her. A cigarettewas daintily poised in her fingers. 

"Be seated, Mr. Van Huit of Transvaal, " gazing at me with a roguishgrin. 

We both burst out laughing. Of course she knew what I was. VonWedel's card showed her that. But, as her next words plainly showed, she knew a great deal more. 

"I've got a badly sprained ankle, Doctor. Can you do anything forme?"

I must have shown a pretty stupid face, for she laughed amusedlyagain. I certainly was surprised, for up to now I had never met her, and my being a doctor was known only to one or two persons in theService. Besides, it is strictly a rule of the Imperial SecretService never to discuss or divulge personal matters. Her attitude byno means pleased me. I cordially hate anyone, especially women, knowing more than I do. One never knows where one is standing in acase like this. I decided not to show my curiosity, but I wasdetermined to learn how she knew about me. Coolly I said:

"Well, Countess, you have somewhat of an advantage. But if I can beof any assistance to you, pray command me. "

As answer, she sprang up, and pirouetting around the room, exclaimed:

"Now, why be peevish. If you're good and nice, I shall tell yousometime all about it. "

She never did, for with all her ingenuous mannerisms, my lady wasabout the deepest and least fathomable bit of femininity I have evermet--besides being the possessor of a devil of a temper. After somemore banter, which I instigated to become somewhat acquainted with myprospective partner, I came to business. 

"Do you know, Countess, the object of my mission?"

"Nothing beyond the intimation of your coming and the command tocooperate with you if necessary. So you had better enlighten me, monchère. "

I did so with some reservation, it being my habit not to let anyoneinto a thing too much, least of all a woman. I suggested that ourfirst object was to make Prince Galitzin's acquaintance. As hisSerene Highness resided at the Hotel de Londres, we agreed to dinethere. After accepting a dainty cup of chocolate I departed, purposely returning home by way of the Londres. Here, with a littlediplomacy, I managed to reserve for dinner the table I wanted, onenext to the Prince. Well pleased, I later dressed, armed myself witha bouquet of La France roses, and called on my partner. 

I had the roses sent up and waited. The Countess sent word that shewould be down shortly. I smoked three cigarettes. Still no Countess. I have yet to meet a woman who could or would be punctual. Finally Iheard the soft swish and frou-frou of silk garments and looking up sawher ladyship coming down the grand stairway. She was brilliantlyrobed, jewels flashed at her neck and wrists. She was of that type ofbeauty difficult to classify, although assured of approval in anyquarter of the world. 

"Tired of waiting, mon ami?" tapping me playfully on the arm. "See, in return for your patience I am wearing your roses. "

She had them pinned on her corsage. We entered our carriage and droveto the Hotel de Londres, discussing the parts we were going to play. Would the Russian Bear be caught? I wondered. When we arrived, I sawthat the hotel was pretty well filled. Everybody who was anybodyseemed to be there. I noticed a number of prominent American societyladies. Experience has taught me that there are three places whereyou meet sooner or later every known person in the world, --PiccadillyCircus, the terrace of Shephard's Hotel, Cairo, and Monte Carlo. 

Remembering our diplomatic conversation of the afternoon, the maîtred'hôtel came rushing forward and with profound bows directed us toour table, which was tastefully decorated with La France roses, theCountess' favorites (charged to expenses). As we walked slowly downthe passage to our table, many eyes were turned toward us. TheCountess appeared unconscious of it all. Lazily, half insolentlyobservant, yet wholly unconcerned, she was without doubt the moststrikingly beautiful woman in the assembly; this, though the societyof the world seemed to fill the Londres that night. Poor Galitzin!

As we seated ourselves, a hush fell about the immediate table to ourright and left. It was followed by a low buzzing of curious orinterested, wise or ignorant, human bees. On our right I saw thePrince Galitzin. From the moment of our entrance he had kept lookingat the Countess. I watched him out of the corner of my eye, andabruptly he changed seats with one of the gentlemen at his table. Obviously his view of the Countess' face was not at the angle hewished. Screwing his monocle in his eye, he began to stare prettyconsistently. 

Of course this delighted me. The avidity with which his SereneHighness was swallowing the bait promised much. I thought itadvisable, however, to create a little diversion, something that woulddrive away a possible suspicion that this was a "plant. " It wasperfectly obvious to all that the Prince was becoming fascinated. Also, he was losing his head, for he was showing his fascination in arather rude manner. His staring began to attract some attention. 

That was the opportunity I was looking for. Calling the maîtred'hôtel, I requested him, pitching my voice so that it would beeasily audible at the surrounding tables:

"Persuade the gentleman on our right to discontinue his annoyingstare. "

I saw that the Prince had heard my request. Flushing deeply red, heabruptly rose and with a bow to the Countess went out of the room. Itwas as I wished. 

We finished our exquisite and excellently well-served dinner, and wentout to the Terrace Gardens to have our café Turc and cigarettes. This, to my mind, is the most enjoyable hour of the day, especially ina place like Monte Carlo, well groomed, well fed, surrounded by anever-varying throng of interesting people, beautiful scenery, exquisite music, the ideal _dolce far niente_. 

Slowly inhaling the smoke of my excellent Medijeh, I fell into a sortof contemplative reverie while waiting for the Prince. I knew hewould come. Back and forth in front of me wandered humanity, allgrades and shades. Here a prince, scion of a noble house, there aparvenu, fresh from his latest stock-jobbing victory. Here amondaine, a demi-mondaine with a reputation in half a dozen countries. Here a group of famous lights of the stage, there a couple of eminentstatesmen. Truly, a cosmopolitan crowd. What if the antecedents ofsome of the pleasure seekers here were known? I recognized many andit being my business to know such things, their stories came back tome magically. Skeletons at the feast? Oh, yes, grewsome ones, too. Just as well, an all-wise Providence has ordained our inability to seebehind the veil. I knew that the woman opposite me could no moreafford to lift her veil than I could mine. 

Then one of the gentlemen from the Prince's table came up andaddressed me. First, however, he handed me a card, which I saw borethe name of Prince Kassimir Vladimir Galitzin. 

"Monsieur, " said the Prince's companion, "I'm deputed by the Prince toconvey his regrets, should he have caused Madame or you any annoyance. The Prince begs permission to make his apology to Madame in person. "

I replied in words to the effect that Madame being a free agent andonly an acquaintance of mine, must decide this for herself. 

"Personally, " I added, "I have no objection. "

The Countess simply nodded. The Prince's envoy bowed and went away. 

He returned in a few minutes with the Prince. Mutual introductions, general chatting, the Prince confining himself exclusively to theCountess. About half an hour's talk, refreshments, and there came anarrangement for luncheon the next day at which the Countess and myselfwere invited to be the guests of the Prince. 

The luncheon was duly gives at the Hotel Londres and the Prince was aprincely host. Having been invited, I had to attend. There was atheater party that evening however, to which I was not invited, andsupper after, to which I was not invited. Indeed, when I met thePrince Galitzin on the grand promenade the next day, he gave me a veryprincely stare and kept on walking. All of which suited me perfectlywell. He was in the hands of the Countess. 

From afar I watched him become daily more infatuated. They wereconstantly driving and attending theaters together. The Prince wasshowering valuable presents right and left. In the midst of this, Ireceived information that Delcasse had arrived at Nizza. The Countesshad her eyes on the Prince, so this left me free to take care ofDelcasse. My work was now to learn if the French minister held anymeetings with Sir Edward Grey or Winston Churchill, ministers fromEngland, who were shortly expected also to arrive at Nizza. Subsequently I guessed there would be a final meeting with the Prince. I continually and unobtrusively followed Delcasse everywhere, butnothing eventuated owing to unforeseen circumstances in the House ofCommons, and the Cabinet of England, Sir Edward and Churchill wereunable to take their "vacation trips" in person. So they sent anemissary with important documents to Delcasse, one of which came tolight in his subsequent meeting with Prince Galitzin. 

On the night of the ninth of November I received a wire from theCountess. It w as delivered at the Hotel Anglais, Nizza. Opening it, I read:

"Return. De Camp here. Meeting our friend. "

Of course by De Camp she meant Delcasse. Clearly he had slipped awayfrom me. "Our friend" referred to the Prince. This was news indeed!Hiring an automobile I made record time for Monte Carlo. I arrived atmy hotel about three o'clock in the morning of the tenth and foundawaiting me in my room, the Countess' maid. She delivered part of animportant conversation which had taken place between Delcasse and thePrince, and of which I shall presently give the substance and itsexplanation. Instructing the maid to inform her mistress that Iwished to see her at ten A. M. At the Casino, in the Salle desEstranger, I dismissed her. I chose the Salle des Estranger becauseit was the most frequented and for that reason the least suspiciousmeeting place. 

We met as appointed and the Countess confirmed the maid's report. Forabout three hours on the evening of the ninth, Delcasse, of France, and Prince Galitzin of Russia were in conference in the Prince'schamber at the Hotel de Londres. Having changed her hotel and beingin a chamber adjoining the Prince's, the Countess had managed tooverhear most of this conversation. In her report there werenaturally some blanks. She had not been able to hear every worduttered. But the purport and trend showed me it was of tremendousimportance. 

It was evidently an arrangement between France and Russia, with theunderstanding of England, to force Germany into an abject isolation. Going further, they were trying through a closer alliance of thesethree great powers to curtail the activities of German expansion andcompletely coup her up diplomatically. The Countess told me thatPrince Galitzin and Delcasse were going to meet again that sameafternoon about five o'clock. As it was absolutely imperative toobtain knowledge of the rest of the conversation I enjoined theCountess to exert all her skill to secure the details at this mostimportant interview, and to meet me once more in a corner of the Salledes Estrangers, this time at seven o'clock. 

I returned to my hotel, settled my bill and had my grip taken over tothe railway station; I got a ticket for Milan. It is always advisableto lay your plans carefully for a possibly very hurried exit, thenearest friendly border in this instance being Italy. In the event oftrouble arising, hurrying through France would have been out of thequestion. Switzerland is an independent country which would have heldme up officially on being requested to do so, although they do notextradite for political offenses, but being held up is bad enough. But once across the Italian border, I was safe enough. Asemi-official hint from the Wilhelmstrasse to the Quirinal wouldalways procure an open sesame for me--no danger of being held upthere. Hence the ticket for Milan. 

The intervening hours I spent on the outskirts of Monte Carlo, dropping into many a quaint little wine cellar. At dusk I entered theSalle des Estrangers of the Casino and settling myself comfortably inthe appointed corner, awaited developments. It was a trying wait. Isat there from seven to ten-thirty, smoking incessantly. I was justfinishing my last cigarette and I had about come to the end of myresources in entertaining myself. One has ample time to conjectureall sorts of possible mishaps, and mishaps are deucedly uncomfortablein this sort of work. 

Not to create curiosity or suspicion, by my long occupation of thisparticular corner, I had started a tremendous flirtation with a ratherplain, rather rotund lady of the English Cook's Tour type. Her returnglances and smiles attracted the amused attention of most of thepassers-by, especially the attendant of that part of the Salle. Thiswas rather good, for if one does not gamble or flirt in the Casino heis regarded by the commissaires as a Chevalier d'Industrie, in otherwords "confidence man. "

Just then I saw the Countess' maid making a signal to me from theentrance door and without as much as by your leave I hurried afterher. In about ten strides, I overtook the girl. 

"Have you got anything for me?"

"No, sir, " she replied. "But her Ladyship wishes to meet you. Youare pleased to make a rendezvous. "

This was clever and suited me; knowing that she must have procuredsomething of importance, I selected a little café, the Boulanger, close to the station, and after giving the girl a louis, I jumped intoa carriage and drove there. In a short time I was joined by theCountess who had thrown a hooded mantle over a brilliant evening gown. Quietly slipping into a chair next to me she took some folded papersout of her glove, and while fastening a little rosebud into my lapelslipped them into mvv pockets with the words:

"All I could obtain, but you'll find it sufficient. I'm leaving forRome to-morrow night. Bon voyage!"

I looked at my watch and saw I had time to catch the train for Milan. No sooner was I locked in my coupe and the train in motion, when I hada good look at the papers. They were two half sheets of note paper, embossed with the princely coat of arms and containing abbreviatedsentences of dates, and names and a route, all in the handwriting ofDelcasse and the Prince. The whole gist with her repeated, overheardsnatches of conversation showed clearly an intended secret visit ofthe President of France to the Czar of Russia, the names of theofficials to be present and the meeting place, the Czar's yacht, the_Staandart_, off Kronstadt. This meeting, however, did not takeplace, the Kaiser forestalling it by his quick action on the Moroccansituation. 

From Milan I went to Berlin and within forty-eight hours the documentswere delivered into the hands of Count von Wedel, and then into thehands of the Emperor. Their significance was this:

The Moroccan trouble was very ominous. Germany was in a positionwhere, sooner or later, she would be forced to act. Before thismission the Kaiser was in the dark. France, Russia and England didnot have their cards on the table. He did not know which countrieswould remain neutral in case of war with France. He had suspectedthat there was some sort of an understanding brewing against him. Theresults of my mission--learning of Sir Edward Grey's message toDelcasse, Delcasse's meeting with Prince Galitzin of Russia--confirmedthis beyond all doubt. 

But how strong was this alliance? How close would England stick toFrance? This he did not know. He only knew that there was a sort ofan agreement, and to find out just how strong was the bond betweenEngland and France, he used a master stroke of diplomacy. He broughtthe Moroccan question to a crisis, long before it was anticipated; hesent the warship _Panther_ into Agadir Harbor and forced England andFrance to show their hands. How close war was averted, only fourpersons knew at that time--the Captain of the _Panther_, von Wedel, the Kaiser and myself. And how Europe just missed being plunged intoa tremendous war I shall tell of in my secret mission that nipped warin the bud. 

I came near forgetting. For his discretion at Monte Carlo, the Czarrewarded Prince Galitzin by transferring him to a province in Siberia. 

Chapter VII. The Kaiser Prevents a War

It was Kaiser weather in Germany. Back from a five months' trip tothe Far East, Berlin seemed to me like Heaven. I had finished asecret diplomatic mission for the Kaiser and as a result my pocketbookwas full. Days and days in the Orient make a man try to crowd intothe first twenty-four hours home, all the enjoyments that his cityoffers. Accordingly, with money running through my fingers like sand, I planned a long ride in the Grunewald; I saw myself ordering the fewspecial dishes one gets at Kempinsky's; I would buy a good seat at theMetropole and to wind up I would look in at the Admiral's Palace whenthe performers were mingling in the audience. It being my first dayback in Berlin, that programme appealed to me a lot more than did theEuropean diplomatic tangle. I had been idling the early afternoonhours at the Café Bauer, Unter den Linden, but my programme for therest of the day finally chosen, I got up, paid my bill and strolledhome. 

My boy Kim must have been on the lookout for me; before I could use mykey the door flew open. 

"Master!" he exclaimed in his heavy, jerky voice. "You are wanted onthe telephone. "

I had an uneasy suspicion of what that meant, which was confirmed whenmy boy added, "Number A 11 wants you. "

Bismillah! That settled it! That ended my Grunewald, Kempinsky's, the Metropole, the Admiral's Palace. It meant the highway away. Italways means that when a man of my position is in Berlin and somebodysays to call up that number, A 11. Whenever A 11 summons it is wiseto be prompt. It is the number of the Wilhelmstrasse, the foreignoffice of Germany. 

I lost no time in getting a connection and I was told to report at theWilhelmstrasse at 10. 30 that night. I was to hold myself ready forinstant service. I must come prepared possibly for a long journey. 

I gave orders for my boy to have me dressed by ten o'clock. I decidedto take a nap, for I knew that midnight interviews with the gentlemanat the Wilhelmstrasse often led to some mighty unexpected andprotracted traveling. Before going to sleep, however, I went over theEuropean situation. What had loomed big? I hoped it was somethingbig, for while a Secret Service agent doesn't get blasé, he likes towork when thrones or the boundaries of empires are involved. 

I reflected that June--it was in 1911--had been a decidedly strenuousmonth for more than one cabinet in Europe. Germany and France weresnapping and snarling. France was going around with its chest stuckout; its attitude decidedly belligerent. Of course, this cockinesswas due to the fat fingers of honest John Bull; indeed, England hadmore than ten fingers in this pie that was baking. I knew that theair was full of Morocco and war talk. I knew that there was a certainfaction in Germany that was trying to push the Kaiser into a war. This clique, composed of army and navy men and the junker, the "Jingo"party, the big gun interests, backed by public opinion, were tryingtheir utmost to urge war with France. What was the latest at theWilhelmstrasse?

On the stroke of 10. 30 I was there. I handed my number to thecommissaire. This number is important. All German secret agents areknown by number, all carry little cards and a photograph of mine ispublished between these covers. 

Presently the commissaire returned and showed me into the chambers ofGraf von Wedel, Privy Councilor to the German Emperor. With anotherman in evening dress, I was told to wait in an antechamber. We bowed, and although we took pretty good stock of each other, neither spoke. It is an unwritten law not to hold unnecessary conversation in theImperial Secret Service. After about half an hour's wait, we wereshown into the Count's private room. This rather astonished me, forthe usual rule at the Wilhelmstrasse is to interview only one man at atime. Clearly something out of the ordinary was in the air. Afterthe Count greeted us, he inquired if we were known to each other. Receiving a negative, he introduced us. My companion was a Herr vonSenden, ex-officer of the Zweite Gaarde Dragona. 

"You will both be taken at half-past eleven to a certain room, " saidthe Count. "You will advance to the middle, wheel to your right, facethe portière and stand at attention. You will answer all questions, but make no comments or queries yourself. I need not enjoin you tototal silence. You understand?"

We bowed. Just then a gong boomed somewhere below us. A last wordfrom the Count, "Be ready!" He left us. Reappearing almostimmediately, he beckoned us to follow him. We noticed that he seemedeven more grave than usual. Down a flight of stairs along a greatcorridor we made our way, no one speaking a word. At the end of thecorridor we saw two sentries; then, a big solid oak door, guarded byan attendant in the livery of the Royal Household. At a sign from theCount we halted; he knocked. The door was opened by an officer of theErste Gaarde du Corps and, remembering our instructions, we enteredand came to attention in the middle of a large room, facing anadjoining chamber, the portières to which were divided. The room inwhich we stood was brilliantly lighted, but the other was dark, savefor a green glow that came from a shaded reading lamp on a big writingdesk. Senden looked at the desk and gave a sort of gasp. 

Then I quite understood his emotion. For seated behind that heavy, old-fashioned desk, was Wilhelm II, Emperor of Germany. 

We stood at a rigid attention, absolutely silent, for full fiveminutes. The dimly lit, solitary figure at the desk made no sign butwent on writing. I am not a timid or a nervous man, the sort of workI was doing seasons one pretty thoroughly. But this began to get onmy nerves. Drawn up in front of the Emperor and waiting, waiting. Contact with the great ones of the earth, especially through SecretService, can take some almighty queer turns and a short circuit isconfoundedly unhealthy for the negative wire. The more I looked atthat silent, lonely figure, War Lord of Europe, the more I began tofeel a great big longing for the African Veldt, a thousand miles northof Port Natal, preferably. 

Suddenly the Emperor made a move, and there came a sharp, rather highpitched voice, saying, "Wedel, I will see the doctor. "

At once Herr Senden was shown from the room; obviously the mission, whatever it was, was not for him. I never saw him again. 

I was bidden to step to within three paces of the Emperor; the officerwho escorted Herr von Senden from the room attempted to return, butwas waved out. There were just the three of us: Count Wedel, standingat the corner of the desk on the right, the Kaiser and myself. I hadseen the Emperor on many occasions, but never so close before. Heappeared to be lost in some document. He looked well but older thanany of his portraits. Tanned, almost dark, his rather lean face borea striking likeness to Frederick the Great; more so than ever, for heis getting gray. I realized that none of his portraits do his eyesjustice. Of a bluish-steel gray, they have an icy, impersonal, weighing look in them. It is hard to define. It struck me in thatmoment that Lord Kitchener, Teufick Pasha, Cecil Rhodes, and Li HungChang had exactly those same eyes--the eyes of men who feel it in themto master the world. 

Presently His Majesty looked up, and in that same, rather shrillvoice, asked:

"How long are you in the Service?"

"Three years, sir. "

"You know Morocco?"

Morocco! So that was it. France and Germany quarreling over thebone, at the point of war! I replied:

"Yes, sir!"

"How long were you in Morocco?" continued the Emperor. 

"About twelve months, sir. "

On this he seemed to hesitate. Frankly, I was nervous, so instead ofthinking about Morocco, I noticed that the Kaiser wore the undressuniform of a Colonel of the Grenadier Guard with the star of the OrderPour le Merite, dangling from his coat button. As if making up hismind, he turned again on me those gray eyes. 

"You know Kaid MacLean?"

"Yes, sir. "

"How did you get to know him?"

"I happened to be of assistance to Sir Harry Kaid MacLean who was atthat time Commander-in-Chief and Man-of-Affairs to the Sultan ofMorocco. "

My answer seemed to please the Emperor, for his eyes gleamed. 

"Any likelihood of his remembering your services?"

I hesitated, then said:

"I cannot vouch for another man's memory, sire. Besides, I do notcare to put the Kaid to the test. "

The Emperor looked at me queerly, but, evidently satisfied with myanswer, he turned to Count Wedel, saying:

"He will do. Have the dispatches ready. "

At once the Count hurried noiselessly into an adjoining room. TheKaiser, making one of his characteristic sudden movements, flunghimself back into the chair, looked steadily at me, and added:

"Besides the official dispatches you will memorize these commands, forthe Captain of the warship _Panther_. " He handed me a note, which Idid not immediately look at, for he continued: "Outside of CountWedel, no one is to know anything of your mission. No one is to knowthat you are carrying a verbal message from me to the Captain of thewarship _Panther_. Understand?"

"Yes, sir. "

The Emperor as abruptly drew himself forward, and propping his headwith his hands, fell into a deep study, gazing fixedly at nothing. Heseemed in that moment to be considerably older. His face, even forthe tan, had that grayish look of a man who is carrying sometremendous responsibility. It came to me swiftly, the popular clamorfor war, _Panther_!--the _Panther_ was lying off Spain ready to steamacross the Mediterranean to Morocco. And I was to bear secret ordersfrom the Emperor to the _Panther's_ captain. 

Then I opened the note that the Emperor had given me, and began tomemorize its contents. Amazement must have shown on my face. A blowwith a feather would have knocked me down. So wonder Wilhelm II wasstaring blankly, no wonder this message had to be delivered verbally. Hurriedly I began to memorize it. Presently, I saw Count Wedel comein and he and the Kaiser began to talk in whispers. Then Wilhelmlooked up and said:

"Have you memorized it?"

"Yes, sir!" Taking the note from me, he at once struck a match andheld it under the paper until it was reduced to ashes. Then making acurt gesture of dismissal, Wedel gave me a signal to retire and webacked toward the door. I was in possession of a secret known only tothe Emperor himself and which at that moment the cabinets of Franceand England and the financiers of the world would have given hundredsof thousands of dollars to possess. Out into the hall we backed, always being careful never to commit the discourtesy of turning ourfaces away from the Emperor, and the last I saw of him, was thatlonely figure seated at his desk, the greenish light playing over him, around and beyond him darkness and his face illuminated against thatbackground, grayish, old. There he was, at his desk at midnight, inan underground chamber of the Foreign Office, the Emperor of Germany, working in solitude, while most of his subjects slept, tirelesslymapping out a policy the trend of which he dared discuss with no mansave Wedel and possibly his oldest son. 

Bowing, we were out in the hall; the big oaken door closed. Wedel ledthe way to his private chamber. He produced a package of sealedpapers and handing it to me, said:

"Doctor, this is a most important affair. There is a most serioustrouble brewing somewhere--trouble about war. We have our suspicionsas to what power is behind all this and we are going to find out. Youare well enough acquainted with the situation to require no furtherillustration. You know how here at home they are also trying to forcethe Emperor into a war-- You will leave this package at the Embassy inParis. It must be there at the Rue de Lille to-morrow noon. To do soyou will have to catch the Orient Express at half-past three thismorning. At the Paris legation you will receive another package whichyou will take on to Madrid. After delivering this, you have _carteblanche_ to make your way to the _Panther_, which you will find offBarcelona. Also, you will visit Gibraltar and inform yourself of thestrength and state of preparation of the British Naval Squadronthere. " He paused. "This time you will not apply at the cashier'sdesk. Your expenses are borne this time out of the Emperor's privatechatulle. In a few hours time I will have French and Spanish moneyready for you and send it to your lodgings. You thoroughly understandyour instructions? Of course, you have not forgotten the message thatyou memorized before the Emperor?"

I assured him I had not and after a cordial handshake I bowed myselfout and hurried back to my quarters. Here I found that my boy had mytraveling bag ready with his usual completeness. One does not takemuch baggage on these trips. Pajamas, slippers, smoking cap, toothbrush, have seen me three-quarters around the globe, and I nevercarried a six-shooter in my life. In all my experience I have seenfew secret agents who do carry it. The only protective article I evercarried was a little silk bag containing a mixture of cayenne pepper, snuff and certain chemicals. It is very effective to throw into thefaces of those who attack you. 

Soon there came a messenger from Wedel with the promised funds, athousand francs and two thousand pesos. It lacked a half hour tothree-thirty, so I made my way to the Friedrichstrasse depot on foot. Experience has taught me that the Orient Express is generallyovercrowded and that unless one reaches the depot early and uses agood deal of palm oil, it is impossible to secure a decent seat. Ajudicious oiling of palms enabled me to get a very pleasant windowseat in the middle compartment. After making myself at home I took atour through the train. It is my invariable custom to take stock ofmy fellow travelers and in this case it was most imperative. 

Nothing happened until we pulled in at Frankfort-on-the-Main, thesecond last stop for the express in Germany. Glancing out of thewindow I saw a party of three entering the carriage. They selectedthe compartment next to mine. Obviously they were traveling together, equally obvious was it that there was plenty of room in their owncompartment. The train was hardly in motion, however, when the womanof the party entered my compartment. She started to complain aboutbeing annoyed by the man next door and to ask my protection. As amatter of course, I got up and offered my assistance to remove herbelongings into my compartment. I had, up to now, not the slightestdoubt as to there being anything fishy in her request. I had, infact, no reason to be apprehensive of any interference, because onlytwo people besides myself--Wedel and the Emperor--knew my mission. Ofcourse, there were others who would have given anything to know of it, who would have done anything to prevent my reaching my destination. 

I had hardly entered the compartment and tried to remove the travelingbag indicated by the lady as hers, when one of the men exclaimed:

"How dare you remove my wife's property?"

The lady in question stood in the corridor of the carriage. I had myback to her but I could see her by means of the looking-glass withwhich the sides of the compartment were framed. I noticed her make asign to the man. Of course, this put a different light on the affair. It was preconceived. For the life of me, though, I could not see howthey could use the situation to advantage. 

Presently I was enlightened. When the conductor came along, the"husband" coolly requested my detention on grounds of interferencewith his wife's luggage. He was stanchly supported by the other manand by the lady who had come to me for assistance. I attempted toexplain, but it didn't go down with the conductor. Pending ourarrival at Cologne, he locked me up in my compartment and leaving me, said that he intended to hand me over to the station master here. 

I had time to ponder over my situation. I was thoroughly angry, chiefly with myself. Here I was, an old, and presumably experienced, secret agent and I was caught by a simple device. But the simplicitygot me! When one is prepared for elaborate schemes, the simplesttrick lands one high and dry. Still I could see no daylight. Theycould not hope to keep me on this preposterous charge. A single wireto Berlin would settle the matter, but then there would be a delay. Iwould not reach Paris until six o'clock at night. Wedel had insistedthat I be there at noon. Hum!

Delays at this time were of tremendous importance. A difference ofsix hours might mean war. Powerful influences in Germany were all forwar. It filled the air. It needed only a false or overstep on thepart of any government official to bring about an explosion. Franceseemed fairly itching for a fight. My verbal message to the captainof the Panther must be delivered on schedule or the explosion mightoccur. I began to see what they hoped to gain by the trick ofdetaining me, but how they got word of my mission I have never beenable to learn. I must have been shadowed from my lodging to theWilhelmstrasse and subsequently lain in wait for on generalprinciples. 

According to the time-table, the Orient Express stops at Cologne nineminutes. This time it stopped eleven. The station master held it up. After the party in the next compartment made their charge, we allhurried to his office. I called the station master aside and showedhim my Secret Service card. 

I showed him a package addressed and sealed to the German Embassy atParis. It was an official linen envelope tied with a black and whitesilk cord and with the Foreign Office seal on the back. He wasimpressed. 

"This is a ridiculous charge, " I declared. "Telephone theWilhelmstrasse at my expense. Detain me and you do so at your ownperil. That is all. I have given you the facts. I put no obstaclein the path of your duty. I judge, though, that you are a man ofdiscretion. "

The station master _was_ a man of discretion. I could imagine whatwas going through his mind:

"This fellow who says he is the Emperor's messenger, " he doubtlessthought, "has three more hours on that train before he crosses theGerman border. If he isn't what he claims to be, we can catch him atthe Frontier. If he is what he claims to be and I hold him here, Iwill get in trouble. "

Finally, he told the others that their charge was too thin and theyhurriedly left his office. I never saw them again. The stationmaster escorted me to my compartment and I noticed that from Cologneto the French Frontier I had no other traveling companions. Myarrival and what I accomplished in Paris is commonplace. Arriving inthe Gare du Norde, I took a taxi to the German Embassy on the Rue deLille, where an under-secretary signed for my dispatches and handed metwo letters addressed to the Embassy in Madrid. I immediately postedhis receipt to the Wilhelmstrasse, something German secret agentsalways must do--mail the Foreign Office signatures for documents assoon as they are delivered. Without further adventure I reachedMadrid. As the train was four hours late I did not present myself atthe Embassy. I was met by a commissaire at the station, delivered himthe paper, received his signature, posted it to the Wilhelmstrasse, and made connections for Barcelona. Somewhere off the city, on theopen sea, the _Panther_ was waiting. 

With the utmost difficulty I chartered a tug and in the twilight setoff to find the _Panther_. It was coming night when we finally sawher dark trim hull lying against the horizon. Well named the_Panther_, for in this case a false spring by her meant war. As westeamed up alongside a sentry hailed us from the deck. I shouted thatI had come to see the Captain, but he told us to stand off. Finally, after persistently hailing the warship, the officer of the watch cameto the rail and held parley with me. 

"I have Imperial orders to see the Captain, " I shouted. 

Apparently this satisfied him, for he let me come on board. Withoutfurther delay I was shown into the Captain's room. Very important, the Captain. Picture him, a man in the forties, straight-backed, rather jolly, and with one of those German naval beards. Theslightest mistake by the Captain of the _Panther_ and England andFrance would have flung themselves into war with Germany. He stoodfor a moment regarding me, then he said, "Well, what is this? What is your Wilhelmstrasse number?"

"Seventeen, " I told him. 

That appeared to satisfy the Captain. I knew that the Wilhelmstrassehad wired him that "Number Seventeen" was coming. Still he wascareful. 

"Where were your first instructions received?"

"From Wedel. "

"Subsequently?"

I felt him looking at me sharply. 

"Confirmed by the Emperor, " I replied, "and I deliver you herewith thefollowing message. You are requested to use the private service codeas soon as I have delivered this message to you and repeat it at oncedirect to Count Wedel. "

The Captain got up and, moving noiselessly to the door, opened itswiftly. There was no one about. 

"All right, " he said, "let me have it. "

I repeated what I had memorized, what the Emperor had given me in thesecret chamber and immediately afterward destroyed all visible traceof. I said: "On no account, it does not matter what official commandsyou have received or may receive, are you to use open force when the_Panther_ goes to Agidir. No matter what stress is brought to bearupon you by arising conditions, no matter what affront may be doneyour code of naval honor, you are under no circumstances to use anyforce against France or England. "

Like myself, when the Emperor gave me that message, the Captain of the_Panther_ was dumbfounded. It was a direct contradiction of theofficial orders he had received from the Foreign Office to go toMorocco and make a demonstration against the French and the Englishinterests. Those previous orders had been to create war, this verbalmessage was to stop war. Could the German "jingos, " the big gunmanufacturers, the shell people, the army and navy men, the powerfulfeudal faction have heard me deliver that message to the Captain ofthe _Panther_, they would have bellowed in rage. The whole empirewanted war, but the tired, swarthy faced man in the little undergroundchamber at the Wilhelmstrasse, not "absolutely absolute" as he ispopularly supposed to be, deemed it wise not to fly in the face ofpublic opinion at the time and countermand the official orders to the_Panther_. So he had done so in the dark, verbally, by me, knowingthat so he served the best interests of his empire. 

The rest is contemporary history. You remember how, on Sundaymorning, July 7, the _Panther_ steamed to Morocco, how it forced itsway into the harbor of Agadir and created an international sensationby remaining there more than two weeks. You remember how a French andan English warship came simultaneously, how they formed in what wasequivalent to common line and how, with officers and everybody itchingto open fire, war just missed being precipitated. You may not knowthat the British and French officers sent an ultimatum to the Captainof the _Panther_. Unless he left Agadir he would be forced to leave. That meant war. 

Now, had the Captain of the _Panther_ not received the private messagefrom the Emperor, he would have been forced by his naval code toresist this ultimatum by force. Had he gone there acting under theoriginal official orders, red war would have blazed across in AgadirHarbor. The slightest slip would have caused it--the report of arifle. But the _Panther_ steamed away. 

And this is the cleverest part of the Emperor's scheme; he knew thatFrance and England were allies, he didn't know, though, just howsincere this alliance was. By sending the _Panther_ into Agadir helearned that the _entente cordiale_ really meant something, thatEngland and France were allies, that they were prepared to resistGermany shoulder to shoulder in war. It took a master stroke to bringthe situation up to the point of war--for it was a dangerous business, with all Germany roaring for war--and then avert war when England andFrance were on the verge of it. But with his verbal message theEmperor shrewdly accomplished it. The results were before him. Bycreating the situation he knew that he had two powerful nationsopposed to him. Good!

What he would do now would be to try to take one nation and secretlyally himself with it, leaving the other out in the cold. Then beganthe intrigues which planned the isolation of France, an amazingsituation, a bombshell in present day international diplomacy, that Ishall discuss fully in the next chapter. 

Chapter VIII. The Isolation of France

After my experiences with the earlier stages of the French, English, and German situation, I was quite prepared for the most unexpecteddevelopments. What occurred in the middle of October, 1911, was, however, beyond what I had imagined. The Morocco incident had shownthe German Emperor that the _entente cordiale_ was indeed solid. England and France would stand shoulder to shoulder in war. Beingused to the ways of German diplomacy, I knew that from theWilhelmstrasse would come a quick countermove. I guessed, too, thatwhen it came I would be employed. It stood to reason that, knowing somuch of the trend and importance of the affair--I had seen theintrigue grow step by step--I was the logical choice. 

Nor was my reasoning at fault. I soon received the expected summons, and it brought me into the most amazing of my diplomatic adventures-amission which showed me the utter ruthlessness that characterizesforeign ministers, particularly when the vital interests of theircountries are concerned. 

Word to appear at the Wilhelmstrasse came when the autumn holidayswere in full swing. The usual procedure of the Foreign Office havingbeen observed, I found myself in Count von Wedel's private study. After an invitation to be seated, the Count surprised me. Hecomplimented me on my previous missions on the _entente cordiale_situation, and handed me a pretty substantial check. It was actually10, 000 marks--$2, 500--which the stubs of the royal check book willshow. 

As I took the money he remarked "Seine Majestät"--Foreign Officebrevity for conveying that His Majesty was satisfied. Without moreado, von Wedel plunged into the subject. Leaning back and crossinghis legs, he began to talk in his abrupt way. 

"I want you to go with his Excellency, Herr von Kinderlen-Waechter, ashis private attendant and secretary, '' began von Wedel. "I haveselected you because of your knowledge of English and your insightinto the whole matter in hand. There is to be a meeting of certainstatesmen in a certain spot in the range of the Schwarzwald. You areto be the sole attendant of these gentlemen. You'll see to it thatnothing of their identity becomes known. You will look after them inevery way. You will destroy all writing, such as paper and blotters. You will burn any such things in the presence of Herr vonKinderlen-Waechter. "

He paused impressively, and I found my mind in a whirl. What hiswords portended I could guess. This mission promised to be veryinteresting indeed. 

"I want you to be at the place of meeting, " von Wedel continued, "three days before the arrival of these gentlemen. You will have tomake arrangements as regards catering and so forth. You'll be theonly attendant. Means have been taken to assure strict privacy in thedistrict. Understand that we want this to be thoroughly cloaked. Isuggest to you the idea of a hunting party. The details I leave toyou. The gentlemen in question may or may not be known to you. Ishall write you their names. "

His pen began scratching across a piece of paper, and I had a momentin which to realize the grave importance of this mission: the futureof Germany menaced, complete isolation was in the making betweenEngland, France, and Russia; and the Kaiser was about to save Germanyby a master stroke of diplomacy. Of what tremendous importance itwas, however, I did not learn until I had gone down into the forest. 

Looking up, von Wedel tossed a piece of paper across the desk to me(the identical paper which has been reproduced in connection with thisarticle). It bore these names in his handwriting:

Viscount Haldane, Winston Spencer Churchill, Admiral von Tirpitz, General von Heeringen, General Moritz Ritter von Auffenberg, Herr vonKinderlen-Waechter. 

I suppose, had it been my first Secret Service mission instead of theclimax of eleven years in the service, I could not have controlled mysurprise. These men, all meeting in a lonely spot in Taunus Hillsregion, foretold a grave situation. Especially was this true in viewof the newspapers of Europe. Here was all the press having Germanyand England ready to rush at each other's throats in war. It was thetime of the German spy scare in England. And now here were the twopowerful members of the English Cabinet meeting the Kaiser's Ministerof War secretly. 

I also knew of a secret visit Churchill and Haldane had made at theForeign Office's invitation. Significantly these English diplomatshad been shown certain of Germany's preparations for war, notably warin the sky. 

But von Wedel was not yet through. 

"These gentlemen, " he said, "will meet at Schlangenbad about themiddle of this month. You know the place, in the Taunus Hills--one ofthe Emperor's hunting lodges. I suggest that you get down thereto-morrow and have everything ready. You thoroughly know what isrequired of you, Doctor?"

On my assenting I was dismissed. I lost no time in getting home to myquarters and into comfortable togs. This mission needed some thinkingout. And after I told my Basuto boy to pack my bag, I glanced againat the list von Wedel had given me. 

Haldane, Lord Chancellor of England, persona grata with the Kaiser--infact, a personal friend. Churchill, First Lord of the BritishAdmiralty. Waechter, the German Minister of Foreign Affairs and, despite court opposition, the trusted man of the Kaiser. Tirpitz andvon Heeringen, chiefs of the German navy and army staffs, the latter asecond Moltke. When I came to von Auffenberg's name I whistled. VonAuffenberg was Minister of War and the right-hand man of theChancellor of the Austrian Empire. Thus three great powers wererepresented. Six men of this eminence, the brains and force of threenations, to meet in secret in a little obscure hunting lodge in theforest! It portended darkly for France; but how darkly I could notthen conjecture. It interested me tremendously, but I consoled myselfthat I would probably know all when the party gathered in thatsecluded hunting lodge. 

According to instructions, I presented myself early next morning atthe residence of Herr von Kinderlen-Waechter. It was in theThiergartenstrasse. Without delay I was shown into his Excellency'sroom. He was seated at his desk, and while we exchanged a fewperfunctory words I permitted myself a moment's brief conjecture. 

Judging from appearances, you would never have taken this portly, rubicund, iron-gray, bushy-browed gentleman for a statesman. But astatesman he was for all that, and the Emperor and Germany miss himsorely. I would have taken him for a Boer Dopper or an Englishyeoman. This suggestion was supported by his atrocious taste in fancywaistcoats. The one he had on still sticks in my memory. It was alurid peach-blossom creation, spotted with green. But once hissteel-gray, deerhound eyes looked you up and down you forgot all aboutthe fancy waistcoat and got right down to business. I told hisExcellency I had come for his personal instructions. 

Besides telling me to "halt my maul" (a German military expressionliterally meaning to keep your mouth shut, but implying the need forutmost secrecy) he gave me certain general instructions. But fromthem I could gain no idea of just what was going to happen. I couldonly guess. How big was the gathering storm he never even hinted. 

Remembering von Wedel's suggestion about the hunting party, I procuredsome guns and reached the station in time to catch the 12. 30 expressfor Schlangenbad. 

It was early in October when I went to the Kur Hotel and registered asHerr Bamberger from Berlin. If you ever go to Schlangenbad, look upthe register. Schlangenbad is a mineral watering place in Prussia, near the Black Forest, and within easy distance of our ultimatemeeting place, the hunting lodge that von Wedel had mentioned. 

I was alone at the hotel for several days. Then, traveling incognito, the dignitaries be, ,an to drift in. First came the Austrian, GeneralMoritz Ritter von Auffenberg. A distinguished, quiet, unassuminggentleman, he is known to be high in the confidence of Francis Joseph. I found the War Minister very fond of salmon fishing, and got quiteinto his good graces by enthusiastic tales of fly fishing in NewZealand. 

Admiral von Tirpitz and General von Heeringen came next. The Admiralis typical of the German sailor, a big man, six feet, wide ofshoulder, blue-eyed, and full bearded. His manner I found genial andcourteous. His exact opposite was von Heeringen, thin, almost crookedof body, stoop shouldered, unusually taciturn, and possessingdeep-sunken, smoldering black eyes. He struck me as an animated mummyof the Rameses dynasty--come to think of it, he much resembles RamesesII. 

The exact date of the meeting, as I recall it, was October 12, and theplace a shooting lodge, named Ehrenkrug. On the morning of thetwelfth I hired a vehicle and, loading provisions, wine, and othernecessaries aboard, drove to the lodge, sixteen miles into the forest. 

No farmhouse or other human habitation was within a radius of severalmiles. It was a large stone and brick building, somewhat similar toyour colonial style. It had five or six guest rooms, a large generalmeeting hall, and a morning room. It being the property of the royalfamily, I found two old pensioners of the Imperial Forest Service incharge. They had a good fire going in the grate, which was welcome, for it was still a little damp and chilly, especially in this wetmountain forest. 

Patroling both ends of the road were a number of gendarmes. They werescattered through the woods, too, forming a cordon through which noone could come. Indeed, they had challenged me. About three o'clockin the afternoon the German and Austrian envoys came out from thehotel, and at a quarter to four (I remember Waechter remarking"They're three-quarters of an hour late!") the chug of a motorannounced the others, Lord Haldane and Winston Churchill. 

I had never happened to meet Haldane before, and I found him theEnglish gentleman personified--polished and reserved. Yet hisreserve, tempered by age, blended into a genial mellowness. The usualEnglish arrogance had evidently been subdued by reason of his trainingand cosmopolitan knowledge. In speech and action he was aChesterfield, but in appearance he was not unlike a canon or a bishop, a little ascetic looking, and rather bald. 

Quite the other type of Anglo-Saxon, still boyish in looks, high-strung and nervous, erratic in speech and action, just a bitself-conscious, Winston Churchill was the youngest member of thisremarkable gathering. I had met him during the Boer War, and as hetook off his motoring coat he looked at me closely. 

"I believe I've seen you before, " he said. 

"I met the right honorable gentleman in the Bloemfontein FieldHospital during the war. "

"Ah, yes, " said Churchill, his face lighting up. 

He had had his wound dressed there; his recognition showed hisremarkable memory. 

After refreshments the envoys immediately adjourned to the big morningroom, and I was posted outside to see that no gendarme or forestpensioner carne within earshot. I was not present at the beginning ofthe conference, but after an hour had passed I was summoned. My firstimpression as I opened the door was of an air of tenseness. It wasobvious in the way Churchill was staring across the table at Haldane. It was an ordinary large German oak dining-room table, and in themiddle were two big shaded lamps. It was growing dusk, and afterlighting the lamps, I backed away to a corner of the room. I had adistinct impression of the features of the six men who were makinghistory round that table. There were writing materials, stacks ofpaper, and documents at every place. Sheets and sheets of paper werecovered with their handwriting. Only in front of von Heeringen werethe sheets blank, for he never makes a note of anything, carryingeverything in his marvelous memory. 

Obviously what were the last words of a speech came from Moritz, theAustrian, as I entered: "And to make this all possible, " he wassaving, "we must break the Russian Federation in the Balkans. "

From his place at the head of the table the iron-gray-hairedKinderlen-Waechter rose slowly. I noticed he wore another of thoseatrocious vests. Turning on his left he gazed at Churchill andTirpitz; his careful measuring eyes then met Moritz, an expectant, slightly nervous figure at the other end of the table awaiting thereply to the point he had raised. And Waechter's eyes turned from himto Heeringen, to Haldane; then he spoke. I recall distinctly theimport of his remarks. 

"Gentlemen, " he said, "the point raised by General Moritz must stand, and, of course, it needs the sanction of our respective heads. AsLord Haldane has pointed out, it does complicate matters to someextent. The Balkans concern Austria most; to my way of thinking it isquite within reason to accede this point. [As I write I recallvividly how grave they had all become. They knew what this meant--warin the Balkans. ] On all main points, " said Kinderlen-Waechter, "we areagreed. As indicated by his Imperial Majesty, the primary reason ofour meeting is to come to a tacit understanding in regard to technicaldetails. This we have done. It is unfortunate, however, that thispossible phase, the Balkan point, has not been gone into before. Isuggest that we adjourn, to inform our respective Governments of thispoint. If necessary, we will meet again on Wednesday. "

This second meeting, by the way, was not necessary, all theGovernments represented tentatively agreeing with Austria. Thetreaty, however, was subject to signatures and if it was officiallyclosed, I cannot tell. 

Apparently the conference was at an end. But what had theyaccomplished? From the general tenor of their conversation it wasobvious that they all agreed. But what were the terms of theirbargain? Presently I was to know. 

"Bamberger, " said Kinderlen-Waechter, addressing me by the name I hadtaken, "gather up any pieces of paper on the table and consign them tothe fire. "

I replied: "Yes sir. " Then turning to the others, he continued:

"Gentlemen, select the memoranda you wish to keep. The rest is goingto be destroyed immediately. "

While they ran over their papers, saving necessary scraps, I stoodback from the table. It was characteristic of the men that WinstonChurchill should have taken the most voluminous notes, while Heeringenhad not put down a line. I then gathered up every scrap of paper lefton the table--blotters, little note pads, foolscap--used or unused. Everything was to go into the fire. 

I went about this slowly and deliberately, taking care to glance ateverything before I carried it over to the grate. I wanted to makesure that nothing of value was destroyed. Here and there came a goodchance to read some of the contents. Piece by piece from thememoranda the different men had made, always being careful not toconfuse individual notes, thus learning one by one their train ofthought, the thing began to piece itself together for me. There wereextensive notes on army and navy matters. Churchill, for instance, had carefully noted the full strength that Austria and Germany couldmuster in case of war. Kinderlen-Waechter had recorded the fullstrength of England and Austria as given by Churchill and Moritz. Sohad Moritz taken down German and English statistics. Obviously it wasa triangular alliance, each noting to what extent dependence could beplaced upon the other. Then there were data on the French and Russianarmies and navies. The significance of that was apparent. Whatpuzzled me, hovrever, were numerous statistics on Holland and Belgium. 

Not until Kinderlen-Waechter and Churchill, squatting down by thefireplace and poking the burning papers with old-fashioned irons, notuntil then, when there began a conversation and other pairs conversedon certain points all around the room, did I gain a clear idea of justwhat had happened. What they said, the vital scraps of theirconversation as they drifted to me while I moved to and from the tableand fireplace, I shall now present as close to the words of the meninvolved as I am able. 

Heeringen, who had drawn Haldane aside, said: "We are ready at anytime with 3, 500, 000 men without any further straining of our reserves. According to our latest agreement Austria will support us with2, 000, 000 more men. The financial aspect of this is, of course, outof my hands. "

Haldane mumbled something that sounded like "that is verysatisfactory. " At any rate, he nodded an affirmative. 

By this time the positions had changed somewhat, and Churchill drewTirpitz aside. Churchill spoke German only indifferently, so theyconversed in French and partly in English. I heard Tirpitz say:

"We could bottle up the Baltic in twelve hours. Russia would not havea chance to stir. Of course, in the event of any outside situationarising, we shall look to England to take care of such new conditions. That seems to rest clearly with your navy. "

Churchill became a little cautious. 

"There is a certain contingency that might arise, " he said. "Suppose, under stress of circumstances the United States should take a definitestand against us in this matter?"

The reply of the Admiral was the very expressive Germanword--_Quatsch_! He further intimated that the United States was sointerested in its own internal affairs that it would not be drawn intothe question, and that in any event its navy would be needed for itsown immediate protection. He had a disposition, however, to put theentire situation up to Churchill. 

Kinderlen-Waechter and Moritz were deep in the Balkan question, and Isensed then the coming Balkan imbroglio. 

"Without doubt, " Moritz said, "we will bring that to an issue within afew months. " I knew he meant that Austria would precipitate theBalkan question. Kinderlen-Waechter was serious. 

"It has got to be done. "

There were other snatches, all bearing on the same subject, andgradually the situation began to clarify in my mind. It was not, however, until I had noted the contents of certain documents beforedestroying them that the tremendous importance of the big stakes theywere all playing for became apparent. What I shall now do is toreveal the substance of these documents, coupling them with overheardconversation, thus interpreting the full significance of theconference. 

Within the last twenty-five years Germany has so enormously advancedin commerce that she urgently needs some further outlet on a northernseacoast. This means Holland and Belgium. Hamburg and Bremen are theonly two practical harbors that Germany possesses for the distributionof her enormous export. The congestion in both places is such thatsteamers wait for weeks to load. One-quarter of Germany's exportsgoes through Antwerp. Germany must have Antwerp. Practically thewhole of southern Germany's commerce, especially along the Rhine andthe highway of the Rhine, pours into a foreign country at present. Germany must have Antwerp--in fact, the whole coast, Amsterdam andRotterdam included. 

The empire wants harbors, not colonies. The colonizing idea is afallacy. Germany is, first and last, a manufacturing country. Itnever was and never will be, for a long time to come, a successfulcolonizer. At present all that Germany wants is markets, andfacilities for extending her markets. These markets Germany willalways be able to command because of her intense scientificapplication to all branches of manufacture. But these products needoutlets. Germany is quite willing to let the others colonize so longas she has a chance to get her goods in. So much for the Germansituation. 

England, in her vast oversea domains and possessions, wants roundingup. England has not been able in the past, and certainly is not atpresent able, to supply herself and her colonies. In Germany she hasa first-class workman. Germany manufactures what England needs. Germany's building of her navy was never meant as a real menace toGreat Britain. It was solely a means to impress the English thatGermany would make a powerful and valuable ally in every shape andform. Conversely, it was a threat that she would be a dangerousopponent. This is clearly understood in the English and GermanCabinets. Public opinion is being rapidly educated up to this in bothcountries. All the war-scare talk between Germany and England hasbeen and is only a means to an end. The end is to throw dust in theeyes of the rest of the world. Germany and England will neverwillingly war. Destruction of one would mean the destruction of theother. They are too equally powerful to be able to fight each other;their real interests run too close together. Indeed, they are mutual. Germany manufactures, England uses. Only a miracle would separatethem. 

Shoulder to shoulder, Germany and England (Germany, of course, including Austria, and possibly Italy) could dictate to the rest ofthe world. There is one stumbling-block. This is France. 

Well-informed Frenchmen have known and feared this for a long time. They have, of course, never mentioned it in public. Shrewd Frenchstatesmen have long kept it in the seclusion of their own minds. Itwould be political and possibly physical death openly to assert thatFrance is doomed. But doomed she is. 

With all her gallantry, hysterical patriotism, and wealth, she wouldnever be able to hold out against Germany alone. Her attempts atalliances have been frenzied. To secure Russia's friendship she hasloaned enormous sums of money. But the Japanese war and internaltroubles have eliminated Russia as a high-class ally. She was at thetime of the Black Forest conference but a secondary power. She isto-day balanced by Turkey and Austria. The Balkan States are smashed. So France did her utmost to solidify the _entente cordiale_ fosteredby the late King Edward VII under the stress of public opinion inEngland. 

To what extent she met success we have seen. The Moroccan questionshowed England ready to back up France in war, but now comes thismeeting in the Black Forest. Germany has shown England the greateradvantage of a German-English coalition, and France is frozen out. England, with her shrewd alertness to make the most profitable deal, entertained if did not close the German proposition. In a nutshell, it is this:

Germany must have the lowland ports. Holland is not adverse to cominginto the German Federation. Belgium is adverse, but could be snuffedout as easily as a candle. But French public opinion would nevertolerate under any circumstances this German aggression. France wouldfight, even though knowing it to be a losing fight. If only she wouldlet Germany have what she wants, there would be no war. But theFrench temperament, public opinion, years of decorating with flowersthat Alsace-Lorraine symbol, the Strasbourg statue in Paris, have notbeen conducive to fostering a submissive spirit in France. To resentGermany's inevitable aggression is equally inevitable. 

So much for what Germany gets out of it. Austria wants to round upher empire in the Balkans. Austria has to have outlets in theMediterranean. England, if she stands by Germany, will be rewardedwith French Northern Africa and the Dutch East India possessions. What will become of France? Reconstruction, partitioning, possibly alittle kingdom, probably under the Orleans régime. France is in thelap of the gods. I know these things, for I possess them in black andwhite. 

Chapter IX. In the Balkan Country

After my mission in the Black Forest, I went to Albeck, a well-knownseaside resort on the Baltic. For more than a year the gentlemen atthe Wilhelmstrasse had kept me on the run, and a vacation atAlbeck--much like your Atlantic City only smaller--was not onlywelcomed but needed. I was just settling down to a period of quiet inand around the Kurhaus when there came a wire for my attendance at theWilhelmstrasse. "At your earliest convenience" was the phrase which, of course, meant at once. Germany's language to her Secret Agents isalways polite. 

I am very frank to confess that the message put me a little out ofsorts. All my plans for resting at Albeck went to smash. I knew thatsomething big must be in the air else I would never have been recalledfrom a vacation that was only beginning. Wiring a reply I stated thatI would arrive in Berlin on the 7. 30 train and that any furthercommands would receive attention at my standing quarters in theMittelstrasse. In a few hours I had caught a train and was beingwhirled south. 

During the three-hour run I speculated on what was likely to berequired from me. An inside rumor then current among us SecretService men gave me the clew. I marshaled past events and ran themover in my mind. I knew that the Kaiser's diplomatic master strokeundermining the _entente cordiale_ and tentatively holding off GreatBritain, left the way clear for the execution of Austro-Germanpolicies in the Balkans. 

As the express hurried me toward Berlin, I reflected that since theRussian-Japanese War, Russia, weakened as she was, felt her influencein European affairs waning. I knew it was about time for her to makea desperate effort to regain European prestige. I recalled that uponRussia's plight after the Japanese war, Austria immediately annexedHerzegovina and Bosnia. She did this with the tacit understanding andbacking up of Germany. I knew that as a result of this, Russia wasagain at work in the Balkans. Greeks, Servians, Bulgarians, andMontenegrins, up till now suicidal enemies, were arriving at anunderstanding. There are as many differences of nationalities, castesand opinions in the Balkans as there are in India and it took clevermanipulation, much money, and strenuous efforts on the part of Russiato unite these countries under Russian influence. The visit of theCrown Prince of Servia to Sofia, the Bulgarian capital, was engineeredby Russia, and was a triumphant success in bringing about anunderstanding between Bulgaria and Servia. It absolutely unifiedServia and Bulgaria. Why then the completely changed attitude ofServia and Bulgaria after their mutual successes against the Turk?Presently I shall show you the vast undercurrent forces forever movingbeneath the Balkan situation. 

I recalled having heard high Servian officials speculate as to theirchances of reviving the ancient empire, so with the Bulgarians. Afterthe reunion of Wallachia and Moldadia, I heard Roumanian officialsexpress the wish to gain Dacia through the addition of Transylvania, Bukovina and the Banate of Ternesvar. This longing can easily beunderstood when one remembers that each of these States maintainsroyal court legations and an army the quality of which in the case ofthe Allies has just been tested and shown in their splendid fightingand sacrifices, but which is all out of proportion to their individualsizes and resources. 

I knew there were armies mobilizing in the Balkans at a high mark ofefficiency. They were equipped in a way totally beyond the means ofsuch little countries. Who was supplying this driving force, themoney, officers? They were but pawns, the Balkan States on aninternational chessboard. 

Now before I relate my mission, consider these test points: Thealliance of States usually hereditary enemies; the downfall of anempire, a background of the world's powers pulling the strings; thesuccess of the Balkan Allies. Then the most amazing part of it all. Turkey, well thrashed, lost little save a few islands in the ÆgeanSea, some of which it has already regained. The Allies gained nothingbut debts--debts and empty honor which leaves them so exhausted thatthey can be no real factor in the world's politics for decades tocome--and there lies the key. 

Arriving in Berlin I made my way to my quarters in the Mittelstrasse. It was about eight o'clock when I put my key in the door. I found Kimvery much awake and somewhat excited. At this unseemly hour there wasa visitor! This was all the more unusual for I was not in the habitof receiving my most intimate friends or acquaintances at my privatequarters. 

"_Koom_, massa!" (Salute, master!) "Gentleman him here to see you. Kim him don't know if he do right, maybe wrong; but gentleman said itall right that him come in. "

All apologies, Kim was fretting himself almost into a nervous collapseover the visitor. Rather curious, I walked into the sitting-room andfound a man I had seen pretty often at the Wilhelmstrasse. I knew himto be Herr von Stammer, the right hand man of von Wedel. Although wewere well known to each other by sight, we hardly conversed ten wordsoutside of official business. At the time I thought it a little oddthat the usual procedure was not observed, that someone came to myroom instead of my going to the Wilhelmstrasse, seemed a bit unusual. As things developed, however, I saw a possible reason why. 

"Your quarters are pretty well guarded here, Doctor, " said Herr vonStammer. "Your Cerberus didn't want to let me in. "

I half smiled. I could imagine what a battle a stranger must have toget by Kim. 

"We received your wire from Albeck and as the Count is inaccessible, your orders will come through me this time. "

There was an interruption, for Kim had appeared with cigarettes. 

"The Count, " continued von Stammer, driving direct to the point, "wishes you to go to Belgrade and get in close touch with existingconditions there. We wish you to ascertain the undercurrentsituation. The official status is, of course, well known to us. Butwe want definitely to find out just how far Russian influences are atwork in Bucharest and Sofia, just how far they have progressed and howfar they are prepared to go in this Balkan affair. If you cannot getin Belgrade the wanted information--and absolute accuracy isimperative--go to the Bulgarian capital. But--and this isimportant--no time must be lost. A definite insight into the innerworkings of the situation must be in my hands at the earliest possiblemoment. "

Here indeed was a task. 

"Understand, " continued von Stammer, "you will have the assistance inthis case of Austrian Secret employees. But, as I need not point outto you, it is inadvisable to take any of them with you, as all theAustrian agents are known to the Russian agents down in the Balkans. I suggest that you stop at Budapest and get all connecting links ofpossible help to you. You will obtain these from Kasimir Kowalsky, anAustrian agent whom you will find at Donaustrasse 24. By the way, doyou know him?"

I said no. 

"In this case, " went on von Stammer, "I shall give instructions tofacilitate matters. It is necessary for you to have passports. Haveyou any reason to fear your previous mission to the Balkans?"

He referred to that incident in 1903, current with the assassinationof King Alexander and Queen Draga of Servia--an incident I don't liketo think of, for it landed me on a blank wall looking into twelve uglyMauser tubes, as you will recall from a previous chapter. 

I considered that there were only two men in the Balkans who couldhave placed me from the 1903 incident. One Colonel Niglitch was dead, slain at the time of the Alexander assassination; the other wasStamboul and he was no doubt moving in the circles where my missionwould take me. Were I to meet him it would mean recognition, apossible knife in the back. No, I was in no way keen to undertakethis mission. My previous experience in the Balkans and all that ilkhad given me a thorough distaste of the people there. There is nomixture of races so dangerous. Nearly every man is for a small sum atraitor and potential assassin. I had had a taste of their methodsand I didn't want another. Von Stammer must have noticed myhesitation, for he grinned and said:

"Nervous about it?"

I frankly was. I told him so. 

"Yes, I understand your attitude. " [I had been on the go for overfive months solid and I wanted a rest. ] "I beg of you to considerthough that you are the only man we have at our disposal who can seethis thing through. "

He then began to hint in such a way that it became obvious to me thatrefusal on my part would not be at all to the liking of theWilhelmstrasse. Refusal would mean loss of favor and with it thechoice jobs. As an added inducement, von Stammer promised double theusual remuneration. Frankly this was a point. I considered that themission would not take me over three or four weeks and he had agreedto pay me $2, 500, aside from the bonus always attached to successfuland quick work. Still, I wasn't sure that I wanted to go. I knewthere was the danger of recognition, and I knew the kind ofirresponsible, hotheaded, temperamental people I was going among. Itwas far more difficult, far more hazardous, than any mission I hadever undertaken, in England or France; even the tremendousresponsibilities of the affair in the Black Forest carried with themnone of the personal dangers that this did. When he pressed me for adecision I requested some little time to think things over. Asking meto telephone his home before midnight and let him know what I wasgoing to do, he departed. 

I hope I am still a Christian, but contact and intercourse with themysticism of Africa and India has made me superstitious. I have acurious habit at momentous times of indecision of taking two fullpackages of cards and playing Napoleon's solitaire. If I get it outonce in three times, I generally go into the matter in hand withoutquestion. It never has failed me. Twice in my life I went againstit; twice I had bitter cause of regret. 

Well, I didn't give von Stammer his decision on the moment because Iwanted to try the old test. Kim produced the cards and I began toplay. I got it out the second time. Going to the 'phone I called vonStammer and told him I would undertake the mission. He asked me tocome at once to his house, and there I received final instructions andpassports, the latter essential south of the Austrian frontier. 

At three o'clock in the morning I boarded the Orient Express viaVienna and made a stop over of a day at Budapest. I went immediatelyto Donaustrasse 24 and saw the Austrian agent Kowalsky. From him Igained points that were invaluable to me. For instance, he gave methe names of men who frequented certain places in Belgrade, men w howould be of use to me. He also warned me of certain persons, especially women whom he knew to be in Russian employ. That night Icaught a train for Belgrade, well satisfied with the results of myvisit to Kowalsky. 

Before dinner time the next day, I was installed at the Hotel de Parisin Belgrade. My rooms had been engaged for me beforehand and theywere the most expensive in the hotel--for a reason. I found myself inan elaborate suite on the first door, known as the suite Des Princes. This was a necessary move of the parvenu as money is the first andlast word in the Balkans. Belgrade and everybody in it pridethemselves on their up-to-date Parisian style. Everybody lives in theParisian way. Army officers, whose pay is infinitesimal, all livelike Russian Grand Dukes. How they are able to manage this on theofficial Servian army salaries of 65 cents a day would naturallypuzzle an outsider. The answer is, Russian gold. It buys anythingand everything south of Budapest. It cannot buy in Montenegro wherepatriotism is supreme, nor can it buy what it wants among the Osmans. To be sure it can buy the Turk; but there is a vast difference betweenan Osmanly and a Turk. 

Through my lavish expenditure of money, I soon was a marked person andcourted by all the gay officers of the capital. One of their numberwas a Major Schuvealoff. A _bon vivant_ and gambler, was MajorSchuvealoff, with the tastes of a Grand Duke. On a mission of thiskind a secret agent always likes to find a man who is "fast. " I knewthe Major to be in the Russian pay. Kowalsky tipped me off to that. I knew that it was from him I could get everything I wanted, eventhough he was taking the Czar's gold. 

Into the gay life of Belgrade I plunged a-hunting, the Major thequarry. I gave a series of dinners at the Hotel de Paris. After thedinners there was gambling. I always lost to the Major. He lost toothers but I was careful never to win from him. He fell into the wayof dropping around at my quarters. Like most of his set, the Majorwas a heavy drinker. When his face would become very hushed and histongue very glib, I would try to draw things out of him, but I nevercould get anything worth while. The slightest suspicious questionmade him close up as tight as an oyster. 

I had seen him often in the company of a French lady, a Mlle. ReneValon. It was obvious that she and the Major were on pretty goodterms. Little incidents, things that happened in a room full ofpeople, led me to guess that she was extremely fond of him. I made itmy business to cultivate her acquaintance, for experience had oftenshown me that where gold and myself failed, a pair of flashing eyesand other felicities will often succeed. Like all the other women ofthat set in Belgrade, Mlle. Valon was woefully extravagant. Shegambled heavily and one night I assisted her with a loan of 500francs. I came to know her fairly well. 

I had no previous indication of her being in any way connected withany foreign service. Indeed everything pointed to the contrary. Butwhen on these missions, one is always on the _qui vive_. Mlle. Valon's French was perfect. She looked French, her mannerisms wereFrench. Still I wasn't satisfied. In a case like this, it is wise tobe suspicious of every one. I began to make the most delicateinquiries. In conversation I tried to draw out little things. I feltshe was playing a rôle. I used outside sources, but everything boreout the French origin. Still I wasn't satisfied. Subsequently my_quasi_ suspicions proved to be correct. 

One night Mlle. Valon gave a supper party in her apartments in theHotel de Paris. After the supper there was gambling among the guests. Here in the privacy of her rooms was an opportunity to discover somelittle thing that would either confirm her French claims or confirm mysuspicions. I kept my eyes open, but they could find nothing thatwould show any connection with Russia. That is, they found nothinguntil Mlle. Valon got up from the table, went to her boudoir andreturned nibbling on a piece of candy. It was the candy that gave heraway. 

I saw at once it was a particular brand of Russian candy quitedistinct from similar confections in France and Turkey. In realitythey are natural flowers such as roses and violets with theirfragrance and natural taste in a champagne-colored, crystal substance, the nature of which is a secret. Made solely by Demitrof and Sons ofMoscow, they are usually appreciated only by a born Moscovite. Thetaste for them must be acquired. Only a Russian or one who had foryears lived in Russia would have it. 

Although Mlle. Valon was personally unknown to me, five out of everyten of these women were invariably known to the Secret Service branchof the Continental police. My suspicions as to her confirmed, it wasan even chance that I might be able to place her. I procured twosnapshots of her and a specimen of her handwriting. These I forwardedto the chief of the sections in Vienna and Berlin, with a request towire any possible information about her. Within forty-eight hours Ihad a reply. Mlle. Valon was well known to the Austrian police as aone-time keeper of a fashionable gambling resort in Galicia. She hadleft the country hurriedly after a stabbing affray. She was known inCrakau as Paula, and she was wanted by the police. 

I engineered my next meeting with Mlle. Valon to be alone. Afterpresenting her with a box of perfumes, I said abruptly:

"This is a change from Crakau, Paula. "

It is always wise to smash right out, and not to put the other onguard through leading questions, and the trick had the desired effect. She recoiled. To your high American standards of chivalry, it mayseem brutal to take advantage of a woman in this way, but it had to bedone. Moreover, these women are absolutely conscienceless themselves. 

"Grand Dieu! Who are you?"

"That does not concern you ma fille, I know that and a good deal more. Austria would be very glad to know where you are. Shall I tell them?"

She had recovered to an extent. 

"What is your price for not telling?"

I replied:

"Let Russia slip this once, gain me the information I seek and nothingfurther shall be said. "

Her air of surprise was perfect. 

"Russia? I know nothing at all about Russia. "

I smiled, walked to her desk where there was a silver tray, and pickedup a sugared rose. 

"You're clever, Paula, but careless. Know nothing about Russia, yethave acquired a taste for the fine candies of the Moscovites?Remarkable, Paula. "

She bit her lips. 

"What do you want?"

"Now before we begin, Paula, "--that name seemed to vex her--"let it beunderstood that there is to be no double dealing here. It would be aneasy matter for you to have me legitimately assassinated. "

She would do that in this way:

She would tell one of her many admirers that I had insulted her. Onemorning I would come downstairs to be slapped in the face before ahotel full of people and what could I do? It would be a case ofpistols and I would get a bullet. 

"Remember, " I cautioned her, "if anything happens to me here--and ifthey in Vienna do not hear from me every six hours, on the seventh youwill be arrested. You will be arrested on an Imperial Austrianwarrant. Your friends in here, army officers, though they are, willnot dare to help you. Servia will not take the chance of angeringAustria by refusing to acknowledge the imperial warrant. Remember, Paula, there is now an Austrian army on the Servian border. "

The look she gave me was venomous. 

"Now I'll tell you what I want, " I continued. "Major Schuvealoff isin the Russian pay. He has got the key to the Russian influence here. He knows just how far they are prepared to go. I want that key. You've got to get it. I have the Major pretty well sounded. Moneywould be very acceptable to him. He is half-willing to sell outRussia, but he fears your supervision. I know that you were sent hereby Russia, Paula, just to keep your eye on agents in Russian pay, principally on our friend Schuvealoff. I know you have not thesituation in hand like he has. If you had, I wouldn't bother goingany further, I'd get it from you . . . Now your part is to give himto understand that he has nothing to fear from you. No lapse by himwill be reported. You're rather fond of him already, aren't you? Ifyou value his safety you'd better do as I ask. Otherwise I shall alsolet him go up. I hold something over his head too. "

This last shot in the dark seemed to bear the most weight with her. She said:

"What guarantee have I that you'll keep your side of the bargain?"

I said none, for the simple reasOn I couldn't give any. 

"Your own sense, " I explained, "and knowledge of the work you're doingshould tell you that it is to my interest to get results, and nottrouble about other things. I'll promise you, however, no furtherinterference for this affair in Crakau. There will also be the priceof a diamond collar in it for you. " (I subsequently filed arequisition for $1, 000 to be paid her, but I think she got more. ) "Youagree? Good!"

The agreement closed, I went back to the hotel well satisfied with thenight's work. 

Early the next morning a very perturbed Major Schovealoff was showninto my chamber. I greeted him cordially and opened fire with theremark. 

"I see Mlle. Valon has conferred with you. "

He started. 

"How did you know?"

"Mon cher Major, this early visit, your sobriety, your nervous mannerare indications enough. My time is valuable, and although your petiteParis here is very entertaining, I prefer the Baltic seashore. If youhave anything to say to me, say it quickly, and to the point. I leavethis afternoon for Vienna. It may interest you to know that you areabsolutely safe. I put no stop to your no doubt valuable service toyour employer. In fact, it's no affair of mine what you do after Ileave. But I want the whole of your knowledge of Russian activityhere and in Roumania. "

He replied:

"I know very little about Roumania. "

I shook my head. 

''This will not do, Major, you know about as much of Russian intriguesin Roumania as you do of them here. I want the whole or nothing. AsMlle. Valon--Paula--doubtless has told you, neither you nor she arein a position to hold back a single thing. "

Without further attempt to bluff it out, he told me what I wanted. The gist of it was this:

With the aid of French money, Russia was heavily subsidizing Bulgariaand Servia against Turkey. Numerable non-commission Russian andFrench officers were pouring into Belgrade and Sofia. They were readyto take the field in the armies of the Allies. Most of the leadingofficers and men of affairs of the Allies were in the Russian pay. Infact, a systematic Russianization was in progress. The armies of theAllies were being equipped with a new kind of French gun. Bulgarianand Servian troops were being paid by Russian and French gold. Obviously the menace of the Czar abetted by France was to be atremendous factor in the situation. Russia was in so deep that therewas no pulling out. 

This, of course, had been suspected by the cabinets of Germany andAustria. But how far and how thorough the actuality was, I had beensent to find out. The results of my mission showed beyond all doubtthe urgent need for Germany and Austria to begin their machinations tooff-set the rising power of Russia in the Balkans. I took the night'sOrient Express for Berlin direct and I made my report to von Stammer, as Wedel was still inaccessible, being away with the Kaiser. 

At once Austria and Germany set about to smash the threateningpredominance of Russian influence in the Balkans. A solid coalitionof Bulgaria, Servia and Montenegro with a Russian dominance would haveplayed a solid factor in the policies of Germany, Austria and England. It would have interfered with the plans made for the isolation ofFrance at that secret meeting in the Black Forest. This coalition hadto be broken up. It _was_ broken up. 

At the crucial stage of the Balkan war, experts in Eastern questionsturned curious eyes toward Roumania, the most advanced and thestrongest of the Balkan States. The sway and influence behindRoumania controls the situation in the Balkans. Who is the powerholding this key to the situation? Germany and Austria. Theappearance of an army on Roumania's southwestern frontier would havemade a vast difference in the success of the Balkan arms against theTurk. This army, however, did not appear until the Allies hadfinished fighting Turkey and had begun to fight themselves. I shallshow you why this army was withheld. 

The ruling house in Roumania is closely allied and related to thehouse of Hohenzollern. I need only mention Carmen Sylva, the Queen ofRoumania, and King Charles, both German by birth. The directcommercial relationship between Germany and Roumania is also verygreat. Roumania, of all the Balkan countries, has least felt the yokeof the Turk and the intense hatred of the Turk rampant in the rest ofthe Balkan States is not characteristic of Carmen Sylva's domains. Russo-French machinations producing tangible results in Bulgaria, Servia, Montenegro and Albania met with only indifferent success inRoumania. If Russian persuasion and gold could have induced Roumaniato throw her armies into the field against the Turk, the map of theBalkans would show some mighty changes. A Roumanian army corps, menacing Turkey's northwestern frontier during her struggle with theBalkan Allies, would certainly have seen the occupation ofConstantinople by the allied forces. But those army corps werewithheld through Austro-German influence and pressure on Roumania. Ready they were and they came in handy and were made use of by Germanyand Austria in keeping Servia and Bulgaria in check. Bulgaria, Serviaand Montenegro, stanchly believing Russia's promises in securingratification of their successes and territory, found themselves leftto their own resource, Russia being unable through force ofcircumstances to exert her pledged influence. 

Humanity has been staggered by the results of the wars in the Balkans, but to those who were behind the scenes the results did not come as asurprise. Bulgaria alone had enough successes against the Turk towarrant great acquisitions of territory, so with her allies. Underordinary circumstances there would have been no return to the _statusquo ante-bellum_. Why this return?

When little countries previously hereditary enemies are weldedtogether by an outside power and the influence of this powersubsequently wanes, there is an inevitable outcome. The individualcupidity and jealousies will break forth, especially when judiciouslyfostered as they were in this instance by the counter influence ofGermany and Austria. The result is well known. Servia was jealous ofBulgaria; Bulgaria was jealous of Montenegro; Greece was jealous ofthe lot and Roumania, instigated by her wirepullers, would not permitany of them to have anything. But through sheer exhaustion anddisgust and a stoppage of Franco-Russian money we would have had oneof the finest all around throat-cutting competitions the world hasever seen. In the meantime, the mutual jealousy and inability todivide the spoil was beneficial to Turkey, who really lost nothingworth speaking about, commensurate with the reverses received. 

That and the breaking up of any possible coalition or federation ofBalkan States under Russian influence was just what theGerman-Austrian Balkan policy demanded. A broken and prostratedTurkey, a united and strong central Balkan Federation able to put amillion efficient fighters in the field, probably under Russian sway, would make a vast difference to German aims and aspirations in centralEurope. A million soldiers cooperating with Russia would in the eventof a European war take practically the whole of the Austrian forces, leaving Germany the sole care of the Russian battalions, which wouldmean quite half her available fighting force, weakening her operationsby that half on her Franco and lowland border. As it stands now, theBalkans eliminated for decades to come; Turkey as a potential fightingstronger today than ever, would and will be used by Germany againstany possible Russian interference; and the Turkish army, three-quarters of a million strong, in conjunction with the Austrianarmies provides the needed guard against Russia, joining in or makingcapital out of any war Germany is likely to enter into in the nearfuture. 

Dr. Armgaard Karl Graves is not known in the Balkans, _but_ among thegay extravagant army officers of Belgrade, "Count Arthur ZuWernigrode" is. 

Chapter X. My Mission and Betrayal in England

During 1911 my diplomatic missions piled one upon the other. Ofrecent years it was the most tempestuous in European cabinets. Thedrama that began with my mission to Monte Carlo and developed throughthe swift climaxes of the Moroccan affair, the secret conferencebetween Germany, Austria and England in the Taunus, that rushed onthrough the intrigues that preceded the Balkan War, had now lulled, gathering its forces perhaps for the final catastrophe, the generalwar of all the Powers, which may come this year--or next. To be surethe terms that the English, German and Austrian ministers had agreedupon in the Black Forest were now awaiting ratification by theirrespective governments. Bear this in mind--"were waitingratification"--for it explains the mission that I was called upon toundertake on November 18, 1911. 

I received the usual summons to report at the Wilhelmstrasse. Insteadof being brought before Count von Wedel, I was taken over toKoenigergratzerstrasse 70, to the German Admiralty IntelligenceDepartment. Here I met my old Chief Captain Tappken, head of thenaval branch of the Intelligence Department. The Captain brieflyinformed me that it had been deemed advisable to send me toEngland--unwelcome news, this, as you will see. In the usual curt yetpolite manner of German officers, the Captain introduced me to threenaval experts. One was a construction officer, another in thesignaling department, the third, an expert on explosives and mines. One at a time they took me in hand, grooming me in the intricacies oftheir respective fields. It was like a rehearsal in the grooming Ihad received years ago when taken into the Service and trained formonths. I sat for hours over diagrams with a naval officer on eachside. They brought me before charts that were as big as the wall ofthe room. These charts gave the exact dimensions and type of everyvessel in the British navy. Not only that, I was made to study thesilhouettes of all the new and different types of Englishwarships--why you will see. 

Obviously this special training was significant. Part of my missionto England was to watch the preparations and maneuvers of Britishwarships at the naval bases on the Scottish coast. 

As you may surmise, the situation between England and Germany waspeculiar. The secret treaty of the Black Forest was awaitingratification by the heads of the two governments. Of course the massof subjects--indeed not ten men in each country--knew aught of whathad transpired near Schlangenbad. Politicians had worked up a warscare to such pitch that the people of the two nations were ready torush into conflict. Only a spark was needed to fire the situation. Realizing that under the menace of existing conditions, the unforeseenmight happen, the Kaiser was not lessening his secret diplomaticintrigues; rather he was increasing them. It is a fact that eventhough two nations have a secret treaty, they each remain suspiciousof the other. After all, secret treaties have been ruthlessly tornup. The vigilance of European cabinets must be eternal. 

Hence my mission. It was included in my instructions to watch themovements of British warships off the Scottish coast and promptlycable the German Admiralty Intelligence Department concerning them. This is where a study of the silhouette charts would be invaluable. At night or in a fog or early in the morning I would not be able todistinguish the British ships by name. But knowing the silhouettes ofall the naval types--for example, certain kinds of dreadnaughts, powerful cruisers, torpedo boat destroyers--I would be able to tellwhat ships were putting to sea. When I had memorized all the charts, they covered the names of the battle ships thereon and made me repeatthe types. For instance, I would say, "That is a _Queen Mary_ type ofbattle cruiser. The other is of the _Ajax_ type. That destroyer isof the _Viper_ type. " And so on. There are well-definedarchitectural lines to every group of ships in the British navy andthese silhouettes I learned to know by heart before I was permitted toleave Berlin. 

Moreover, I had to brush myself up in topography and trigonometry. InEngland--so I learned from my instructions--it would be necessary tocalculate distances, to take observations on the exact nature of thenewly reconstructed Rossyth base near Edinburgh on the Firth of Forth;besides keeping in touch with things in Cromarty. 

I was to watch especially the new Rossyth base and to report progresson armaments, new equipment, anything of use to the German Admiralty. I was to keep tab on all the British Beet maneuvers then in progresson the Scottish coast. It must be understood that the bases atRossyth and Cromarty were Great Britain's answer to Germany's powerfulnaval base at Helgoland. So far as Germany's northern coasts areconcerned, the Scottish coast is the most convenient point of attackfor Great Britain. Fearing the unforeseen spark firing the hostileminds of the people of the two nations, Germany was thus preparing tobe instantly informed of any sudden demonstration by the Englishfleets off Scotland. Not a ship could leave either Rossyth orCromarty without an immediate cable being sent by me to Berlin, reporting how many war vessels and of what type had put to sea, alsoif possible the reason for the movement. 

At the Intelligence Department, I was given carte blanche as to how togo about my mission. I am frank to say I did not care at all for it. I had good reason to be wary. The suspicious state of England at thetime, and a stringent law just passed, made this mission verydangerous as far as your liberty was concerned. There was no dangerof a knife thrust as in the Balkans, but there was of jail. Contraryto all precepts of British law, there had been rushed through theHouse of Commons, the Official Secrets Act, a clause so elastic andconvenient for convictions that a judge could charge a jury to find aman guilty on suspicion only. As I recall it the gist of it was:

"Any person or persons making or obtaining any document whatsoever, endangering or likely to endanger the safeguards of Great Britain canbe found guilty notwithstanding there being no consequent proof of anyactual offense. A sentence of seven years penal servitude will begiven the offender. "

It does not need a lawyer to point out the tremendous power ofprosecution that this added clause to the statutes put in the hands ofthe English government. As I stated, it was rushed through the Houseof Commons, but it was necessary. One has to admit that to be fair. Within six months three German spies had been arrested in England. There was a plague of them. Knowing this and also knowing the generalefficiency of England's public servants and system, I was rather loathto stick my head into it. That penalty for being caught--seven years'penal servitude--loomed ominously, for penal servitude in England isplain hell. Also, I knew that although no passports are required inEngland, they still know pretty well what is going on, especially inregard to foreigners. It is easy to get into England, but deuced hardto get out. Also, knowing the secret understanding between the twogovernments, I had an uneasy premonition that everything was not quiteright in the state of Denmark. Subsequent events proved to me thatthis feeling of mine, very seldom at fault, was correct. 

However, strong pressure and great inducements were brought to bear onme and I undertook the mission, against my better judgment. When Ileft Berlin I was thoroughly equipped to carry out instructions. Every war vessel of the British navy, every fortification, naval baseand depot of supplies was coded in Secret Service ciphers. Arrangements had been made with the Intelligence Department totransmit telegrams to addresses in Brussels, Copenhagen and Paris. Inthe event of the Brussels channel of communication being closed, Icould resort to either of the others. The Brussels address wasC. V. Noens, Rue de Venise, 34. Noens had instructions to forward anycommunications from me to the proper authorities in Berlin, and allletters from Berlin went from him to a little tobacconist's shop inLondon and were there remailed to me in Scotland. Six hours after mysubsequent arrest in Glasgow, Scotland Yard detectives sought thetobacconist but found him not; nor did they find Noens. 

As for the Copenhagen address, that was the proprietor of the HotelStadtkiel. Having had him at my beck and call during a mission toCopenhagen, I knew him to be in German pay. Marie Blanche, whoconducted a modiste and lingerié shop on the Rue de Rivolie, handledall my communications to Paris. 

I went to Edinburgh by way of Hook of Holland and Folkstone. I wentby way of March, not going through London for a reason. The reason isthat at all times and more especially with the air surcharged with warscares, all continental steamers and expresses entering London areclosely watched. The general traveler does not know that every Dover, Calais and Flushing Express is met and watched not only by ScotlandYard detectives but by special government officers. As a rule, verylittle escapes them. Anyone not an Englishman is upon landing likelyto notice an elderly, gray-haired, high-hatted English gentleman wholooks like a retired army officer or cleric and who generally carriesan umbrella. If this clerical looking gentleman decides a foreigneris suspicious, he is closely shadowed from the moment he entersLondon. 

Circumventing this by going via March, I arrived in Edinburgh and putup at the old Bedford Hotel on Prince's Street, a quiet selectScottish hostelry. I registered under my _quasi_-correct name ofA. K. Graves, H. D. , Turo, Australia. My "stunt" was to convey theimpression of being an Australian physician taking additionalpost-graduate courses at the famous Scottish seat of medical learning. After a few days' residence at the Bedford, I installed myself inprivate quarters at a Mrs. Macleod's, 23 Craiglea Drive, Edinburgh. The ordinary expense provided for my residential quarters was $75 aweek. This of course did not include "extras, " such as entertaining, motors, etc. 

For the first fortnight I quietly took my bearings, creating asuggestion that I was a semi-invalid. Having by this timefamiliarized myself with Edinburgh and surroundings, I made frequenttrips to the Firth of Forth upon which was located the Rossyth base. Now across the Firth there is a long bridge. It is between theRossyth base and the North Sea. Warships going to and from the navalstation pass under it. But more about this bridge later--somethingfor the benefit of the English Admiralty. 

Gradually I worked myself into the confidence of one of the bridgekeepers. I shall not give the man's name for to do so would injurehim and quite unwillingly he gave me facilities for studying the navalbase and furnished me with scraps of information that I wanted toknow. For this he received no money and he was not a traitor to hiscountry. Through the little acquaintance I struck up with him, I wasable to make a thorough study of the bridge and its structure--astrategic point, the bridge. Also, through the offices of my goodfriend the keeper, I was introduced to some of his "pals" in thewaterguard. Because of my intimate knowledge of Robbie Burns, WalterScott, "inside" history of Prince Charlie, and--ahem!--Scottishproclivity for a drop o' whisky, they accepted me as a half Scotchman. 

From the waterguard I obtained more definite information regarding theRossyth base. So much for the topographical knowledge which couldonly be obtained through personal contact with men who actually knewevery inch of the ground. The charts back in Berlin could not give methat exact information. The higher scientific data of thefortifications and the base, I obtained by social intercourse withhigh placed officials--officers and engineers at Rossyth--whom Ientertained at various times. 

The schooling I had received in the silhouettes presently came inhandy. One night my friend, the bridge tender, learned that the fleetwas getting up steam. Accordingly, I stood on the bridge that nightand waited. At five o'clock in the morning a gray, rainy, foggymorning, through which the ships moved almost ghost-like, I made outsixteen war vessels. From their silhouettes, I knew them to bedreadnaughts, cruisers, and torpedo boat destroyers. At once I fileda cable by way of Brussels, informing the Intelligence Department ofthe German Navy that an English fleet sixteen strong had put to sea. Subsequently I learned that in describing the sixteen ships I had madeonly one mistake. 

I may here draw attention and in return for England's fair treatmentof me during my trial, give them gratis, this information. _The Firthof Forth Bridge constitutes a grave danger to the Rossyth Royal navalbase. _

For this reason: Its location between Rossyth and the sea is a decidedmenace. In the event of hostilities, in fact before the outbreak ofwar, it is no ways impossible to blow up the Firth of Forth Bridge andbottle all war vessels concentrated at the Rossyth base. They couldthus be bottled up for several days powerless, while a foreign fleetswept at the Scottish coasts. The British foreign office willunderstand what I mean by this: _Look to the middle island. _

I found it to be partly intervened with soft, soapy neiss, makingnatural ruts and cavities that were ideal for the placing ofexplosives. I learned also that along the Edinburgh approach to theFirth of Forth Bridge were two pieces of ground and houses in realityowned by Germans although the deeds stood in Scottish names. Moreover, little fishing hamlets on either side of the bridge harboredmore than one supposed Swedish fisherman but who in reality had hisname still on the German Naval register. In the event of troublethese men, using explosives stored in the two houses in question, could have blown the Middle Island to atoms. 

After about three weeks I began to be suspicious of being followed. Arriving home one night I noticed that my dress suit was arranged in adifferent way to what I had left it. I called my landlady andcasually inquired if my tailor had been there. She said, "No, Doctor. "

"Well, " I replied. "What reason have you then to rearrange myclothes?"

Her face reddened and she seemed flustered. 

"I wasn't in your room, " she faltered. "I remember now. I believethe tailor was here. One of the servants let him in. "

I have no reason to shield Mrs. Macleod, for with true Scottishthrift she got as much out of me as she could and then afterwardsdeclared in court that she thought I was a German spy a fortnightafter I had been in her house. 

I made it my business to go around to my tailor's within an hour'stime and he contradicted her story. He had not been at the house. Tocompletely verify my suspicions that I was being shadowed, I went thenext day into the "F and F, " a well-known caterer on Prince's Street. In the writing-room I wrote some letters, one of which I purposelydropped on the floor. I withdrew to the washroom and returning inabout fifteen minutes noticed that the letter had disappeared. Makinginquiries of "buttons" and of the "desk girl" I learned that agentleman had quietly picked up the letter and without reading it hadput it in his pocket and walked away. That settled it. They wereafter me. 

I hope this particular detective or his superior could read Greek. For they, or whoever spent their time translating my letter, read anancient Greek version of "Mary had a Little Lamb. "

I recognized it as an occasion where I had to make a right royalbluff. I went at once to police headquarters in Edinburgh. I askedfor Chief Constable Ross, and sent in my card bearingDr. A. K. Graves, Turo, S. Australia. Presently I was shown into thechief's room and was received by a typical Scottish gentleman. Iopened fire in this way:

"Have you any reason to believe that I am a Germa spy?"

I saw that it had knocked him off his pine. 

"Why, no, " he said, startled. "I don't know anything at all aboutit. "

"It's not by your orders then that I am followed?"

"Certainly not, " he replied. 

"Well, Chief, it's hardly likely that anything of such importancewould transpire without your notice. "

"What reason have you to believe that you were followed?" he asked. 

"Reason in plenty, " I replied. "Some agent had even the audacity toenter my apartments and search my effects. This, as you know, isabsolutely against English law, a warrant being necessary for suchprocedure. If you have any reason to take me to be a German spy, goright ahead now, or let these rather nonsensical persecutions cease. I have taken this up to now to be rather a good joke, but my sense ofhumor has its limit. "

Chief Constable Ross became serious, and very bravely said:

"Well, Doctor, you know we've got to obey orders. I'm quite satisfiedthough that there has been a mistake made and you shall no further beannoyed. "

He bowed me out. Of course I knew I still would be shadowed which Idid not mind in the least. I reasoned that my visit to the policemight make them slow down a bit. Right along I communicated by cablesand letter with Berlin and went the even tenor of my way. About aweek after my experience with Constable Ross, I received informationthat William Beardmore & Co. , of Glasgow, were constructing some newfourteen-inch guns for the British government. That meant a change ofbase. 

I at once made it my business to go to Glasgow and get particulars. Iinstalled myself in the Central Station Hotel, and in a few weeksgained all the information I wanted. It would take too long to detailhow this was done, but you have a very expressive American saying, "money talks. " I had the plans, firing systems, everything ofinterest about the new fourteen-inch turret guns. While in Glasgow Ireceived letters addressed to me as James Stafford. I received twosuch letters, and upon my calling at a General Post-Office for athird, I was informed that there was a letter for A. Stafford. 

"Oh yes, that is my letter, " I said. 

The clerk demurred and replied:

"You asked for James Stafford. Under those circumstances I cannothand you this letter. It is against the postal law. "

Not being in a position to raise a question I let it go at that, neverfor a moment thinking that my employers would be so culpably carelessas to put any incriminating evidence in the mail. Events proved thatthat is just what they did. Moreover, I later came to know why thatparticular letter was addressed not to James but to A. Stafford. Allmy previous letters were addressed to me as Dr. A. K. Graves and wereenclosed in the business envelope of the well-known chemical firm ofBurroughs & Wellcome, Snowhills, London, E. C. --which paper had beenfabricated for the purpose. Of course the letters were sent from theContinent to London and there reposted. The stationery of thischemical firm was fabricated so as to disarm any possible suspicion, for European post-offices are taught to be suspicious. It would beperfectly natural for me, a physician in Edinburgh, to receive aletter from a very well-known chemical concern. 

When I left Edinburgh to find out about the fourteen-inch guns, I gaveour people in London instructions to use plain envelopes and toaddress them to James Stafford, G. P. O. , Glasgow. The first twoletters were addressed correctly and plain envelopes were used. _Thethird was not only misaddressed but was enclosed in one of the B. &W. Envelopes_--this as I later learned, for a reason. 

No one having called for it, the letter was returned to the chemicalcompany. At their office it was opened and found to contain atypewritten letter in the German language and five ten-pound notes onthe Bank of England. The contents of the letter, was such as to leadthe firm to call in the police. 

On the evening of April 10, I had just put on my evening clothes andgone to the upstairs writing-room. I was awaiting a party ofgentlemen who were coming to dine with me in the hotel. There came a"buttons" who announced:

"There's a gentleman downstairs to see you, Doctor. "

A premonition stole over me. I knew that my guests would not havesent for me to come down but would have been announced. I realizedthat if I was going to be caught there was no avoiding it. SecretService makes a man a fatalist. I took the precaution, however, toslip inside my dinner coat just under the arm, my little bag ofchemicals, so often handy in an emergency. Then I went downstairs, one hand was thrust in my pocket, the other folded across my breast sothat I could snatch the little bag of chemicals in an emergency. 

I had hardly reached the last step of the grand stairway when four bigplain-clothes men, pounced upon me. I had to do some swift thinking. I could have flung the chemicals in their faces and escaped, but Iknew I could never get outside of the British Isles without beingcaught--outside of Glasgow for that matter. Such resistance wouldonly incriminate matters still more, so I let my hand fall down to myside. More for the fun of it than anything else, I guess, I got on myhorse and demanded to know what was the matter. 

"You'll soon know, " Inspector French declared. 

It seems that a woman had just called me on the telephone and theInspector, hurrying to the wire, pretended that he was I and tried tolearn something. 

He then ordered his men to search me and seemed amazed when theycouldn't find any six shooters, daggers or bombs. I was taken back tomy room and there he began going through my effects, and bundling themup. I knew I was up against it; but I wasn't going to make it anyeasier for them. I requested Mr. Morris, then manager of the hotel, and another witness to be called into my room. These gentlemen werekind enough to put down on paper a description of all my effects thatwere being taken away by the police. I was extremely careful to seethat they noted and described all papers and written matters of anykind. There are often produced in court documents that are not foundon a Secret Service agent at the time of his arrest. InspectorFrench--I recall him as an uncouth, illiterate bungler whosubsequently tried to get a lot of publicity out of my arrest as if hehimself had detected the whole concern, instead of having it thrustunder his nose by the London chemical company--was preparing to rideover me roughshod. I insisted that he read the warrant for my arrestand with much grumbling he finally did so. It had been issued underthe Official Secret Act that had been rushed through the House ofCommons. I was charged with endangering the safeguards of the BritishEmpire. 

I spent the night in the Glasgow City Prison, and was taken the nextday before a magistrate and formally committed to a sheriff's court. On July 12 my case came up before the Sheriff's court. Waivingpreliminary examination, I was committed for trial to the EdinburghHigh Court. It is significant that the extreme length of a committalwithout trial under British law is one hundred and five calendar days, which hundred and five days up to the last minute I certainly waited. They were trying to find out my antecedents but they did not succeed. 

A letter from the Lord Provost informed me that all material for mydefense should be in his hands a day before the trial. I had nodefense. I neither denied nor admitted anything. I replied to hisLordship that as I was unaware of any offense there was no need of anydefense. My attitude was a profound puzzle--which was as I wanted. 

If you care to look over the back files of the English and Scottishnewspapers of the time you will read that my trial was "the mostsensational court procedure ever held in a Scottish court of justice. "

Now I shall reveal every circumstance of it. For the first time Ishall explain how, why and by whom I was secretly released. Until Irevealed myself in the United States, even the German Foreign Officethought me in jail. 

Against me the crown had summoned forty-five witnesses. They includedadmirals, colonels, captains, military and naval experts, post officeofficials--I cannot recall all. The press from all parts ofEurope--for all Europe was vitally concerned in this trial--wasrepresented. My memory shows me again the crowds that packed the bigsupreme court building at Edinburgh on the first day of theproceedings. The imposing names connected with the trial, the strangecircumstances, a spy, moreover a German!--These things brought theexcitement to fever heat. 

Presiding was the Lord Justice of Scotland, himself no mean expert inmilitary matters. The Solicitor General of Scotland, A. M. Anderson, who prosecuted for the crown, was supported by G. Morton, AdvocateDeputy. The government had indeed an imposing array of bewigged, black-gowned, legal notables marshaled against me. 

Those familiar with English court procedure know the impressive mannerwith which justice is dispensed. Punctually at ten on the morning ofJuly 22, 1912, my trial opened. Clad in his royal red robe with theermine collar of supreme justice, the Lord Justice entered the court. Before him walked a mace bearer, intoning "Gentlemen, the LordJustice! Gentlemen, the Court!" After the impressive ceremonies hadbeen observed, the jury was quickly empaneled, I making severalchallenges. Twelve years in the Secret Service naturally has made meknow something of men. I knew that those twelve hard-headed, cautiousScottish jurymen would demand pretty substantial proof beforeconvicting. At the time I am frank to say that I did not think therewas a chance of a verdict of guilty being brought in. The evidenceagainst me was too vague. 

Expressing astonishment at my refusal to accept counsel--which wassubsequently forced on me--His Lordship promised to guard my intereston legal points; and guard it he did. Repeatedly he ruled against theSolicitor General and challenged him on more than one point. I amfrank in my admiration of British justice. My trial was a model offairness. 

On the first day I waived examination on all witnesses but the navaland military experts. I directed my fire against Rear AdmiralT. B. Stratton Adair, who superintended the ordnance factories of theBeardmore Gun Works in Glasglow. The Admiral a typical Englishgentleman of the naval officer type, long, lank with a rather ascetic, clear-cut Roman head, not unlike Chamberlain in general appearance, even to the single eye-glass, did not make much of a showing as anexpert witness for the prosecution. The Admiral was called in ontestimony concerning the new fourteen-inch gun. The point they weretrying to establish was that it was impossible for a man to have myknowledge of these guns unless he had obtained it first hand from theworks in Glasgow. Of course that brought the testimony intotechnicalities. I managed to involve the Admiral in a heatedaltercation on the trajectory and penetrating power of the so-muchdisputed fourteen-inch gun. One word led to another andnotwithstanding that he ranked at that time as a rear admiral of theBritish Navy, the Admiral showed that he did not know as much abouthis own guns as I. Backed into this corner he was about to divulgethings in support of his knowledge when he recovered himself, pulledup suddenly and appealed to the Court. 

"Your Lordship, it is against the British Government to have any morequestions on this point in open court. "

I maintained that my knowledge of guns was such that I did not need tospy at Beardmore to obtain the things I knew. Subsequently afterbeing cross-examined by me another of the government's naval expertstold the court:

"It is quite possible for one with a ballistic knowledge such as thedefendant's to be able with very little data to arrive at accurateconclusions regarding our new fourteen-inch guns. "

_A word of advice to the Admiral. _ Do not talk so much when you gomotor boating with pretty young musical comedy girls. You see, Admiral, I made it my business to see those young ladies in Glasgow. What an interest they took in you--a great Admiral! It is you, Admiral, whom I thank for aiding me in securing the right persons fromwhom the secrets of your new fourteen-inch guns could be obtained. 

A note they found in my effects was introduced as evidence. It readas follows:

"The firm of William Beardmore and Co. , Parkhead, Glasgow. B firstorders F new 13. 5 guns F, Navy. Length 51 feet, weight 73 tons. Onefoot longer than 12-inch, but 12 tons heavier. Weight of shot, 1, 250lb. , 400 lb. More than the 12-inch gun. "

The upshot of it was that the first day of the trial ended witheverybody positive that I would not be found guilty on the charge ofobtaining secret information about their guns. Of course all thisinformation I had obtained. 

On the recess I was pleasantly surprised when a court orderly broughtme refreshments from the judge's own table with his Lordship'scompliments. It struck me that I was being treated more like a guestthan a prisoner. 

The second day of the trial brought the Burroughs & Wellcome letterinto the testimony--the letter that had been refused me and had inturn gone back to the Chemical Company. Very gravely Sir Anderson, Crown Prosecutor, read the contents of this letter aloud. As I recallthe exact wording it was:

_Dear Sir:_

_We are pleased to learn of your successful negotiation of thebusiness at hand. Be pleased to send us an early sample. As regardsthe other matter in hand I do not know how useful it will be to us: Inany case my firm is not willing to pay you more than 100 in thiscase. _

It was unsigned. 

While reading, Sir Anderson held the five ten-pound notes in his hand. Upon finishing he began a vigorous indictment which in substance hedeclaimed in this way. 

"On the face of it, this letter does not seem suspicious. But if yougentlemen will recall the times of Prince Charles' insurrections, periods whenever intrigues were going on, you will remember that incommunications of this sort a government was always referred to as a'firm. ' If this was an honest business letter why was it enclosed inthe envelope stationery of a company that knew nothing about it? Whywas this letter unsigned? Why was cash enclosed, with it? What washis firm willing to pay 100 pounds for? Gentlemen, the reasons forall these things are obvious. "

But the letter puzzled not only the court, the jury, the newspapers, but all England. For the first time I shall now explain it:

It was from the German government. By the "business at hand" theymeant a new explosive and slow-burning powder that was to be used inthe new type of fourteen-inch turret guns being made in Glasgow. Someof that explosive was in my possession. The fact that it was notdiscovered in my effects, nor was anything else incriminating found onme is because the Secret Agent who knows his business leaves nothingabout; but he "plants" things, that is to say, leaves them in a safedeposit vault with the key in the hands of a person with power ofattorney. 

By the "sample" in the letter was meant a sample of the explosive. The "other business at hand" was spoken of as of tremendousimportance, more vital to the safeguards of Britain than the otherpoints mentioned in the letter. 

There were sub-agents working at Cromarty. I did not know who theywere; they simply made their reports to me, signing their GermanSecret Service number. I took up their points with Berlin. Well, the"other business in hand" was to put a certain British army officerunder a monthly retaining fee of 100£ for which in the event of warhe was to commit an act of unspeakable treason and treachery on acertain harbor defense. 

I had judged my jurymen right, for they were very little impressed bythis letter. It was all too vague and even the fluent language of aCrown Prosecutor does not impress a hard-headed Scotchman. I wasfeeling in high spirits indeed, when I saw one of the attendantsapproach Sir Anderson and deliver a document that had been handed intocourt. I at once recognized it and my heart dropped into my shoes. The Solicitor General read the document and smiled. I knew they hadme. 

In addressing the court the Solicitor General produced two pieces ofthin paper--the same that had been brought in on the previousafternoon. 

"I have got to show the court, " he said impressively, "the most deadlycode ever prepared against the safeguards of Great Britain. "

And it certainly was. It contained the name of every vessel in theBritish Navy, every naval base, fortification and strategic point, inGreat Britain. There were over ten thousand names and opposite eachwas written a number. For example, the battle cruiser _Queen Mary_was number 813. 

As I have confessed, I am superstitious. And have I not reason to be?It was the Burroughs & Wellcome letter that got me caught in the firstplace. And my secret code was written in a book issued for the use ofphysicians by Burroughs & Wellcome! Both times the B & W mark wasupon me. 

Using a magnifying glass I had written in tiny characters my code. There were so many names it was impossible to memorize them all. Twoopposite sheets of the little memoranda book were used, then the edgesof the pages were pasted together. Whenever I learned the Britishwarships were going to put to sea, I slipped the book in my pocket, went to a position of vantage where I could make out the silhouettesof the warships, classified them in my mind, and then writing out acable put down the code numbers, say in this way. 

214, 69, 700, 910, 21--(Necessary words were filled in by theA. B. C. Code). 

This message was sent by way of Brussels or Paris to the IntelligenceDepartment of the German Admiralty in Berlin and told them whatwarships were putting to sea or arriving at Rossyth. The codecontained such phrases as this:

"Current rumors. " "Incoming. " "Outgoing. " "Clearing for action. ""Have lowered defending nets. " "Land fortifications are manned. ""Protective maneuvers are being carried out at sea. " "Coal beingcarried by rail. " "Remarkable influx of Reservists. " "Mine fleldsbeing laid. " "All is quiet; nothing important to report. " "Linersare appearing. "

The accidental finding of this code of course settled all furtherargument. I called no witness for the defense except two or threepersonal acquaintances to each of whom I put this question:

"What is your knowledge of my attitude as regards England?"

They all declared that even if I was a spy in the pay of any foreigngovernment I certainly had never shown any personal feeling oranimosity toward Great Britain. 

All of which I figured might aid the cause of clemency. The jury wasnot out more than half an hour. I was found guilty of endangering thesafeguards of the British Empire and under the new law that had beenaimed against German spies I was liable to seven years' penalservitude. Even then my spirits were not down. I had what Americanscall "a hunch. "

Just before his Lordship, the Chief Justice, summed up, anaristocratic, gray-clad Englishman, who never had been in the courtroom before, appeared and was courteously, almost impressively, conducted to the bench. I noticed that the Chief Justice bowed to himwith unction and they had about two minutes' whispered conversation. His Lordship was nodding repeatedly. This worried me. I felt I wasgoing to get it good. 

But, in substance, his Lordship's verdict was:

"Taking all the circumstances into consideration, the court pronouncesa sentence of eighteen months' imprisonment. "

I smiled and said:

"Exit Armgaard Karl Graves. "

A murmur of astonishment was audible. Everybody in court wassurprised. I heard gasps all around me, especially among the foreignnewspaper reporters. With everybody expecting seven years of penalservitude, eighteen months of plain imprisonment was a bombshell. Why?

I was taken first to Carlton Hill Jail, Edinburgh, and transferredafter two weeks to Barlinney Prison near Glasgow. Considering thecircumstances, I was treated with surprising consideration. Theconditions that had characterized my trial prevailed in the prison. Isoon perceived that the Barlinney prison officials were trying tosound me in a canny Scotch way--with no result. 

"You're foolish to stay in here--You must have something worthwhile--Why don't you get out?"

That was the gist of their talks with me from the warders up. I keptmy mouth shut. 

Now I shall present information that was denied the House of Commonsupon the occasion of an inquiry into my case. 

On the fifth week of my imprisonment I was talten to the office of theGovernor of the prison. As I entered I saw a slight, soldierlylooking English gentleman of the cavalry type--(a cavalry officer hascertain mannerisms that invariably give him away to one who knows). The Governor spoke first:

"Graves, here is a gentleman who wishes to see you. "

The stranger nodded to the Governor and said:

"I may be quite a while. You have your instructions. "

"That's all right, sir, " replied the Governor. 

The Governor left and we were alone. The stranger rose. 

"My name is Robinson, Doctor. Please take a seat. "

Of course, being a prisoner, I had remained standing. 

Robinson began some casual conversation. 

"How are they treating you?"

"I have no complaints to make. "

"Is the confinement irksome to you?"

"Naturally. " I looked him straight in the face. "I am a philosopher. Kismet, Captain. "

"Oh--ho" he exclaimed. "You address me as Captain. Wherefor thisknowledge? We have never met. "

"No, " I replied. "But I have associated too long with various typesof army officers not to be able to detect a British cavalry officer. Formerly of an Hussar regiment, I take it?"

He laughed for some time. He continued feeling his way in thismanner. Then suddenly he changed front. Point blank he asked me:

"Now, old chap, we know that you worked for Germany against us. Wealso know that you are not a German. Is there any reason why youshould not work for us? Any private reason?"

"Captain, " I said, "you of all men ought to know that the betrayal ofyour employers for a monetary or a liberty reason alone is neverentertained by a man who has been in my work. We go into it with oureyes open, well knowing the consequences if we are caught. We do notsqueal if we are hurt. "

For a time he looked at me very earnestly. 

"H-m, " he said. "That just bears out what we have been able toascertain about you. It puzzled us how a man of your known abilityacted the way you did. From the moment you landed in England, all thetime you were doing your work, even after your arrest, in prison andin court you show a sort of listless, almost an indifferent attitude. If I may put it this way, you seemed in noways keen to go to extremesin any possible missions you might have had, " he paused. "We thinkyou could have done more than you did . . . The mildness of yoursentence, has it surprised you?"

I grinned. 

"Nothing surprises me, Captain. "

His manner became very earnest. 

"Supposing, " he said, "we show you that it was a _quasi_-deliberateintention on the part of your employers to have you caught--whatthen?"

This did not startle me either. I had an idea of that all along. Itis why I played my cards so quietly, why I did not accomplish inEngland everything I had a chance to accomplish. I did not grin thistime. 

"Under those circumstances, " I said, "I am open to negotiations. ButI am rather deaf and my vision is very much obscured as long as I seebars in front of my window. "

The Captain smiled:

"Well, Doctor, I may see you again soon. "

"Captain, I have not the slightest doubt but that you will. But letit be understood, please, that it's a waste of time as long as I ambehind bars. "

"Leave that to me, " he said and we shook hands. 

I was taken back to my cell. I am frank to admit that I didn't sleepmuch for the next two or three nights. All through my trial and inBarlinney I had been playing a part. When the occasion demanded Icould be as cool as I was with Captain Robinson. But that was astrain and it took it out of me. During these following days I wasnervous; I had insomnia; I paced my cell at night. The feeling of ajail is cold and thick. 

But as I expected, another week brought Captain Robinson again. Thistime it was late in the evening after all the prisons were shut uptight. The Lieutenant-governor himself took me into the Governor'soffice. No other warder or prison official observed us. 

"Well, Doctor, " was the way Robinson greeted me. "I have somethingdefinite to propose to you. You can be of use to us. You have stillsixteen months of your sentence to serve. Are you willing to givethese sixteen months of your time to us--terms to be agreed uponlater? I am prepared to supply you with proofs that you weredeliberately put away, betrayed by your employers, the Germangovernment. "

He did so to my complete satisfaction. As I guessed, I had come tolearn so much of Germany's affairs that I was dangerous. To betray mein such a way that I would not suspect and squeal was a clever way toclose my mouth for seven years in jail or until the Black Forest planshad matured. 

"How would you suggest that we go about it?" he asked. 

"To be of the slightest degree of use to you, nobody must know of myrelease, " I added. "Here is my suggestion. I must leave theexecution of it to you. The impression I conveyed around Edinburghwas that my health is rather indifferent. So it is also believed herein the prison. On those grounds it should be an easy matter for youto have me ostensibly transferred to another prison; instead of which, have me taken wherever you wish to. I see no necessity that outsidethe Lieutenant-governor, the Governor and yourself, any one need knowof it. "

"Yes, yes, " said Robinson. "That coincides with my own ideas andplans. " Presently he departed and I went back again to my cell. 

At half-past five the next morning, I was aroused by theLieutenant-governor. He was alone. There were no warders in sight. In the Governor's office I found all my clothes and effects ready andlaid out for me. These I addressed and left with theLieutenant-governor. We took a taxicab for the Caledonian Station inGlasgow. Few people were abroad in Glasgow at that time of day andthere was no danger of recognition. The trip to London wasuneventful. At Euston Station we were met by Captain Robinson. Wewent into a private waiting-room where Captain Robinson signed a paperfor the Lieutenant-governor. It was what amounted to a receipt forthe prison's delivery of me into his hands. Then thelieutenant-governor left us; then Robinson left, after handing over anenvelope containing cash and instructions. 

I was alone and free. I could then and there have disappeared. Obviously the English government trusted me fully. 

My first move was to register at the Russel Square Hotel. Opening theenvelope in my rooms, I found it contained ten pounds and thefollowing instructions:

"Telephone at 10. 30 to-morrow morning, this number Mayfair--"

I telephoned the Mayfair number and was told to hold the wire. ThenCaptain Robinson got on the phone and told me to meet him at luncheonthat day at one o'clock at the Imperial Hotel. There anothergentleman joined us--a Mr. Morgan, whom I easily judged and afterwardsknew to be of the English Secret Service. Presently Morgan told methat I was to drive with Captain Robinson to Downing Street thatafternoon. 

"One of our ministers wishes to see you, " he explained. 

We drove to Downing Street, Captain Robinson and I, and stopped beforethe historic governmental building. After we had signed the book thatall visitors to "Downing Street" must sign, I was ushered into ananteroom and Robinson took his leave. My name appears on this book asTrenton Snell, and if the English government challenges a statementthat I shall subsequently make, let them produce the "Downing Street"book for the date I shall mention, let them have a handwriting expertcompare the name "Trenton Snell" with my handwriting. 

I make this statement for what followed is of tremendous importance. 

After a twenty-minute wait, which impressed me as being different fromthe slam-in-and-slam-out methods of the Wilhelmstrasse, I was shown upa flight of stairs. The attendant knocked on the door, opened it andannounced "The gentleman. "

I was facing Sir Edward Grey. 

He was seated behind a big green-covered mahogany desk. I noticedthat the room seemed like a private library; books, memorandas, letters and dispatch cases littered not only the desk but the tablesand chairs. The eye was struck by a huge piece of furniture, a tallleather-covered easy chair. I present these details for obviousreasons. 

Sir Edward, looking small in the big armchair, was seated with hislegs crossed. He was reading some document and without a sign ofrecognition he kept me standing there, it must have been ten minutes. I noticed that he glanced at me now and then above the top of thepaper. Abruptly he told me to have a seat. When I said that Ipreferred to stand, he nodded and pulling open a drawer took from it afolder that, as subsequent events verified, I suspected to be a reporton me. There was another period during which he seemed to be unawareof my presence, and I took advantage of it to size up my man. Heimpressed me as being one of those intolerable, typically Englishicicles, which only that nation seems able to produce in her publicservants. Presumably through a century-long contact with the races ofthe East, the English diplomat of the Sir Edward Grey type presentsthe bland, imperturbable, non-committal, almost inane expression ofthe Oriental that hardly gives one any criterion of the tremendouspower of perception and concentration beneath the mask. 

After twirling his fingers, he said:

"I presume you are familiar with Germany's naval activity. "

"Up to a certain point, sir. "

"What point?" he asked quickly. 

"I am familiar only with the Intelligence Department of theAdmiralty, " I replied. 

"Their system?" he asked. "Is it so extensive and efflcient as wehave been led to believe?"

"That cannot be exaggerated. "

At this Sir Edward began to throw out innuendoes to which I replied inlike vein. The interview was not progressing. Finally he came outwith what was in his mind. 

 Do you know if any officials or naval officers are selling or negotiating to sell information to Foreign Intelligence Departments?"

Although he had not said English officers or officials, I knew what hemeant, but I made up my mind not to tell everything I knew. 

"There are such, " I replied. 

It had the effect of making him look at me in a most startled manner. 

"How do you know that? On what grounds do you make that assertion?"His agitation was ill-concealed. 

"I have no specific proof, " I replied--(which I had)--"but frominformation that has been gained, from plans that have beensecured--plans like those of your battleships _Queen Mary_ and_Ajax_--it is obvious that these things have been done with thecooperation of high officials of your country. "

He pressed me for further details, but I withheld them. I could havetold him a pretty story about the plans of the _Queen Mary_ and_Ajax_. He fell to studying a rather voluminous report; then he begananew with his innuendoes. I guessed what was coming. Although hisspeech was more prolonged than I shall now present it, this is thegist of what he asked:

"Were you ever present at conferences attended by high officials?Were you, for instance, at the Schlangenbad meeting? Have you anydata? Any documentary evidence of having been there?"

I was not a bit startled. I had guessed it would be that. His veryquestion showed that it was useless for me to deny that I had been atthe Black Forest conference. Possibly Churchill, recalling my meetinghim during the Boer War, had dropped a word about this coincidence tohis Lordship. Naturally I told him I possessed no such data. Still Idid not like the trend of his talk. I began to suspect that thisBritish Minister was doing one of two things. Either he did not knoweverything about the Black Forest meeting--(not at all improbable withthe conditions existing in England's cabinet at that time)--or else hewanted to learn if I knew the tenor of that conference. In eitherease it was one of those occasions where I deemed it wise to keep myown counsel. 

After many searching questions upon the French system and her army andnavy, he began to try to lead me to make comparisons between theirstrength and England's, these being based upon my personalobservations. This, and the whole trend of his thought, led me tosuspect that Sir Edward Grey was in noways sure in his own mind orfavorable to the German-English alliance. With men like his Lordship, personal antipathy plays a powerful part in such matters. 

He then began to try to make me divulge the contents of any personaldispatches I had carried for the German Emperor. 

"Do you know, " he asked abruptly, "if the German Emperor evercommunicates with Viscount Haldane?"

"Yes, sir. "

He leaned forward eagerly. 

"How and under what circumstances?"

"Why, I thought it common knowledge that they often correspond. Theyare good friends. "

"Not that. I mean direct secret communications between them, concerning affairs of the state. "

I denied any knowledge of this, although I knew it to be so. 

He began his fishing around again and his hints found me very stupid. 

My unsatisfactory answers seemed to displease Sir Edward Grey, forwith true British discourtesy he abruptly began working at somethingon his desk and without even saying good day, let a commissaire bow meout. 

A few days later I received definite instructions from CaptainRobinson. I was to go on my first mission in the interests of theBritish Secret Service and subsequently another mission brought me toNew York, where I resigned from service permanently. 

Chapter XI. To New York for England

It was in December, 1912, that I again felt the thrill of the old gameas I moved about London under the plausible name of "Trenton Snell, "engaged in guarding or obtaining state secrets, but this time for anew master. English secret agents are allowed liberal expense moneyand my work in London and other points in the British Isles was not soarduous as to prevent my taking frequent holidays. I judged thatDowning Street was holding me for something big should the occasionarise. In London, my chief work for a time was counteracting themachinations and influences of German agents, forever infesting theBritish capital. Many a neat little plan inspired by the gentlemen ofthe Wilhelmstrasse went wrong during those next few weeks and back inBerlin they began to think that their spies had lost their cunning. 

During this period I was under the direct orders of Captain Robinson, who, you will recall, had been the go-between for Downing Street inclosing the bargain for my release from Barlinney Prison. Robinson, an ex-captain of the Hussars, was well up in subterranean affairs andto him Sir Edward Grey was no stranger. 

Along in January there came to the ear of Downing Street rumors of apossible meeting between German and Japanese envoys. Moreover, themeeting ground was to be the United States. It may surprise Americansto learn that of late years their country has become a favoritemeeting place for European diplomats, secret and otherwise. These meninvariably sail from Europe, remarking something about taking a tripto the Rockies or visiting some noted fishing streams. They may begoing into Canada or the Western States for the shooting; and whenthese gentlemen leave Europe on these little "vacations" they aregenerally shadowed, or attempts are made to shadow them. In thecourse of a few days after the English foreign office learned of thesupposed meeting of German and Japanese agents to be held in America, I received official instructions. They were sharp and very much tothe point. I was to find out what the meeting in the United Stateswas about, and, if possible, to learn the nature of the diplomaticproposals likely to be considered by Japan and Germany. Englandherself having an alliance pending with Germany, was decidedly wary ofthis new diplomatic conversation with the yellow empire of thePacific. What was in the wind? Why was Germany conniving secretlywith Japan? What effect would it have on the English-Austrian-Germanalliance secretly discussed in the Taunus Hills only the autumnbefore. Obviously the mission was an important one. 

The first step was to locate one of the German envoys. To do this Ihad to cross to the Continent, a dangerous proceeding, at best, forthere were abundant possibilities of recognition. Especially was itsticking one's head in the mouth of danger to be seen in Germany. Nevertheless to Germany I had to go to locate my man. It must beunderstood that the big missions of Secret Service are accomplished bymany coöperating agencies. True, Great Britain had been rather slowin perfecting a continental system of espionage, but by 1913 themachinery was operating well. Downing Street had special lines ofintelligence from all the European capitals. I lost no time in makinguse of the resources of these lesser agents, in fact a system ofspying on spies, and soon had information at my disposal that led meto go to Berlin. 

It was in Berlin that I learned that a man known as Carl Schmidt wouldbe the messenger for the Wilhelmstrasse, bearing the instructions tooimportant to be trusted to transatlantic cable cipher. Exercisinginfinite care and tremendous patience--for should I be recognized inBerlin, the German Foreign Office would have been thrown intoconsternation: "What's this? A man we believed safely looking throughthe bars of an English prison is at large in our own capital. Hm"--completely effacing myself so far as possible, I managed to keeptrack of the whereabouts of Carl Schmidt. 

It was drawing near to February 4, the sailing day of the _KaiserWilhelm II_, and I kept the quarry in sight night and day. It waswith the most satisfied of smiles therefore that I ascertained thepurchase of railroad accommodations by Carl Schmidt for Bremen, thesailing port of the big North German Lloyd liner. Taking care tosecure a seat in the same compartment with Herr Schmidt, I watched himall the way from Berlin to Bremen. Now, whenever I have carried adocument of any description while traveling for any length of time, Ihave always let my hand wander toward its hiding place to assuremyself that it was still there. Sometimes I fished in my pockets fora match, or used any pretext to locate the paper without betrayingmyself. There is not a human being who will not give some little signof concern, perhaps only once an hour, but often enough to betrayhimself to the trained observer. Accordingly I set myself to watchCarl Schmidt's hands. Not for a minute did I relax my vigilance, yetnot once on the way to Bremen did the German envoy betray himself byan apparent motion. Whereupon I became positive that Herr Schmidt hadnot the document upon his person. Where then was it?

It was an easy matter at the steamship offices to find out the numberof Schmidt's stateroom. He had engaged room 48 on the first promenadedeck. I immediately asked for the rooms on the other side, and by ajudicious use of my favorite "palm oil" I secured them. It wasimperative now to board the steamer and keeping out of sight until sheleft port. I had made up my mind to try and obtain the documentbetween Bremen and Cherbourg. This being successful I should be ableto leave the ship at the latter port and return at once to London. 

From the moment the big North German Lloyd liner steamed out of port, I kept a close watch on Schmidt, still to no purpose. There was onlyone moment day or night, when the messenger left his dispatch boxunguarded and when I finally got at it, I found no document. Obviously the dispatch box was a blind. Herr Schmidt was not guiltyof a single piece of carelessness that would betray the hiding placeof the _dossier_. All this had to be done between Bremen andCherbourg, and when the liner pulled into the French harbor nothinghad been accomplished. It was a question of remaining on board andsolving the problem before reaching New York. 

Now it was risky business to attempt anything for the next few daysfor I was traveling on a ship of a line that was subsidized by theGerman government. Once Herr Schmidt realized that there was anythingin the wind, it would mean a check to my activities. Schmidt couldsend a wireless message to the Wilhelmstrasse, and back would beflashed a message to the captain of the _Kaiser Wilhelm II_authorizing any action Schmidt deemed advisable. Thus could he easilyput me under custody on some trumped-up charge. Still, there was norisk involved in watching Schmidt to locate a possible confederate whowas carrying the dossier. I watched him unceasingly but confederatesthere were none. Only one play remained and to make it I must waitpatiently until the ship was almost at its dock in New York. ThenHerr Schmidt could use the wireless and command the captain'sassistance to his heart's content. It would be too late. 

During the few days immediately following, I kept my activities wellconcealed. In fact, I made it my business to avoid Schmidt. Mymethod of handling the situation did not necessitate my striking up anacquaintance with the man. On the contrary to disarm him of allpossible suspicions I shunned him. I even contrived not to sit atHerr Schmidt's table in the dining salon. Meanwhile, Robinson, backin Downing Street, kept his hands on the situation, sending me twowireless messages on board the steamer. 

All dispatches sent to "Buzzing" London, find their way to DowningStreet. It was very probable that being in the diplomatic service, Herr Schmidt would know this term "Buzzing. " I thought it unwise torisk a reply. So I kept in the dark waiting for my chance. Duringthe voyage nothing had occurred to arouse the suspicions of HerrSchmidt and he began to relax his vigilance after the ship was fourdays out. But I was careful not to take the slightest advantage ofhis ease at this point. I would wait until the ship was almost inport; then make my play. 

To prepare for this I had days ago begun to cultivate the acquaintanceof one of the baggage men. This man at once attracted me by hisshifty eyes and unhealthy red complexion. It hag often been a SecretService precept with me: "Give me a hard drinker or a man who is fastand I'll land him nine times out of ten. " Well, the baggage masterwas no exception. I decided to ply him with liquor to make his tonguerun away. I made it my business to see that this particular baggageman was in an incompetent state afternoon and night. One night as hewas chin-chucking a stewardess with whom he was infatuated, thisred-faced gentleman said:

"Well, Doctor, we're going to get married, the little lady and I. We're going to set up in business. Do you know of any small hotelthat we could bug cheap?"

At this I was all attention; I had been waiting for some lead of thissort. 

"Ho, friend, " I said; "ready to buy a hotel eh? There must be plentyof gold in your job. "

The lout winked heavily. 

"Sure, " he said. "Just as we are about to reach port we ask everybodyon board to prepare for us a statement of the things they have todeclare. We give it to the customs officers when they come on boardin the Lower Bay of New York. Well, some of those fancy rich peoplealways want to do a bit of smuggling and don't declare lots of things. I have known that for years. What do I do?" Becoming boastful, hepatted the stewardess on the shoulder, at which she glanced at me alittle frightened. She seemed to realize that her future spouse wastalking too much. She tried to remonstrate with him but he was toofull of his theme and good spirits. 

"Nonsense, my girl; I will tell my friend. Aren't we all drinkingtogether?"

Turning once more to me he said:

"What do I do, Doctor. Well, first I look over the lot ofdeclarations. Then I pick out two or three that look pretty good. Imake a list of the things they claim to have in their trunks. Then Iget at their baggage and give it a smash, accidentally ofcourse--things are apt to be broken in the hold you know, the boatpitching, carelessness by the porters and all that. So the luggage ofmy fancy folks is broken open. We look it over. If my lady has heldout anything from her declaration, out of the trunk that comes andinto my private quarters. "

I winked knowingly as if to praise his cleverness. 

"We reach the bay; the customs officers come on board. We give themall the declarations. The fancy folks are standing round theirbaggage waiting for the customs man to get through. Suddenly one ofthem cries:

"'Oh, my sealskin coat is gone!'

"I step up and politely say:

"'But you must be mistaken. Madame said nothing about a sealskin coaton her declaration so she could not have had one. '

"Ha! Ha! The customs man hears this so she can say nothing. Finish!Ah yes, your old friend baggage man knows a thing or two. "

Needless to say this was all grist to my mill. It was just what Iwanted. When the ship was a day from New York, I said to the rascal:

"My friend, I want to look at the luggage of Carl Schmidt for tenminutes. It is check number 31694 and is a _kiste_. "

The baggage man was very sorry but that could not be done. If it werefound out he would lose his position. 

"Either I get at that kiste, " I said, "or up you go. "

The baggage man attempted to bluster. 

"No heroics now, my friend, " I smiled. "I know enough about you andyour little ingenious piece of graft to tell a pretty story at theNorth German Lloyd offices in New York. Now do I get a look at HerrSchmidt's kiste?"

With a growl the baggage man yielded, whereupon I gave him $75 to bindthe bargain and handed the stewardess $25 so as to assure her support. Still, it would not do to meddle with the chest until the liner wassteaming into port, for were Schmidt to discover that his luggage hadbeen tampered with and the dispatch abstracted, since by the processof elimination I concluded it must be there, the alarm would gothroughout the ship and every passenger would be searched. Rememberthis was a German reserve ship. 

The chance came after the _Kaiser Wilhelm II_ had steamed past SandyHook and was moving up the Lower Bay of New York. With hisdestination in sight, with no signs in any way suspicious during thetrip over, Herr Schmidt had become very easy in mind. With many ofthe other passengers be went forward and from the deck watched thelooming horizon of New York's skyscrapers. A most interesting sightthe skyline, something to engross your attention. I was interested insomething else. 

I was interested in the luggage that was being prepared for thecustoms officers. On a lower deck the kiste of Carl Schmidt had beenconveniently set apart from the other trunks and boxes and the Germanagent himself was waiting for the customs man to pass upon it. Thisdone, Schmidt was guilty of an unwarrantable piece of carelessness. He tipped the baggage master and left him to lock up the kiste whilehe went up on the promenade deck to enjoy the view. This did notsurprise me, for I had been expecting some such blunder to make my wayeasier. I had conjectured as nothing had occurred during the entirevoyage to excite Schmidt's suspicions that he would be careless as hisdestination was neared. 

Accordingly, when I saw him leave his luggage to the mercies of thebaggage man, I stepped forward. Quite unconcernedly in view of theother passengers who were still standing waiting their turn, actingentirely as if it were my own, I opened the unlocked kiste andrummaging among its contents soon brought to light a plain, largeenvelope sealed with wax. Breaking the seal I took out the only paperit contained, glanced at it, smiled to myself and went to work--swiftwork, for at any moment Schmidt might return. 

If I had not made my plans long ahead, the simple taking of thedocument would only have added to the problem. Understand, I did notwant to steal the document, merely its contents. Now, in the briefminutes that I had beside the luggage, it was impossible to memorizeall the contents of the document. So I judged would be the case and Ihad come prepared. 

Under my arm was a popular novel and between the pages of this lay asheet of special lotion paper, chemically treated in a way known onlyto the German Secret Service and capable of taking a quick clean printof anything written in pencil or ink. As I lifted the dossier fromthe kiste I noticed that it was embossed on a greenish white paper, not unlike a bank of England note in color. It was written in Germanand signed with a foreign office cipher, the letters W and Bintertwined. Following this was the numeral 24, the Wilhelmstrasseserial number of the document. 

Taking a chance that Herr Schmidt would be fascinated just a minutelonger by the magic skyline of New York, I slipped the dossier againstthe special lotion paper and took an accurate print by sitting on itfor two minutes. I then replaced the document in the dispatchenvelope and being sure to leave everything appearing as it was, evento fixing the broken seal as best I could, lest by chance Herr Schmidtshould return and glance at his kiste. 

It was a case now of getting safely off the ship and reaching thenearest cable office for had Schmidt suspected anything, the boatwould never have docked until everybody on board had been searched. There was small danger of this, however, for nothing had occurred toalarm Herr Schmidt. The lotion paper used by the German SecretService has been perfected to such an extent that when taking theprint it does not leave any signs on the original. Accordingly, therewould likely not have been a clew--only on close scrutiny would it beseen that the seal had been tampered with--even had Schmidt examinedhis kiste again before landing. 

My luggage passed, I made my way to the nearest cable office outsidethe zone of the steamship offices. At Fourteenth Street and BroadwayI entered a Western Union office and wrote out this message to"Buzzing" London. A copy of this being herewith reproduced:

February 12, 1913. Buzzing, London. 

Obtained sample. Letter most important. Not safe writing. Will taketo-morrow night's steamer Queenstown. Not sufficient fare. Wiretwenty-five pounds W. Union, Broadway 14th. 

Trenton Snell. 

It may be of interest to note that at the time of my announcing mypresence in this country through the medium of the _New York American_that a copy of this dispatch was secured from the cable company; alsothat Hearst reporters identided me at the cable office as "TrentonSnell. "

When I presented myself at the Fourteenth Street office the next day Ireceived this message:

London, Eng. , February 13, 1913. 

Trenton Snell, W. U. 14 Bway. 

Cable some details if possible, come London, can't meet youQueenstown. 

Robinson. 

(The above message accompanies Cable remittance this date. )

The British Foreign Office replying to my request for further fundshad cabled the twenty-five pounds which less exchange came to $121. 75. At the Western Union office at Fourteenth Street I was paid cheeknumber 962 to the order of Trenton Snell from "Rob Robinson" London. Now being on alien territory, I refrained from sending a copy of thestolen dispatch by cable. There would be no aid of secrecy from thecable company. I had planned to enclose the copy by registered mail;sending it to Box 356, G. P. O. , London, which was the address of thedepartment of the Foreign Office for which I worked, but Robinsondemanded immediate details. Accordingly I sent back this wire:

Buzzing, London. 

Right. Will wire from Canada. British Territory. 

Trenton Snell

That was imperative, for only in Canada could I secure a guarantee ofsecrecy for so important a message as that which I would send. Beforecabling the details and mailing the original, I made a copy of thedocument. It was not worded in the official diplomatic form. Ratherit appeared to be a note of memoranda and instruction that was toguide the German envoys in their meeting with the Japanese--whichmeeting was subsequently held at the Hotel Astor, in New York City, and to which meeting went the German envoys, instructed by thedocument which Herr Schmidt thought he delivered so secretly andtrustworthily. This is it; word for word, as it was copied from theprint taken in the Herr Schmidt's stateroom:

Germany sanctions and will not obstruct Japan in any colonizationintention Japan entertained as regards the Far East, and would notobstruct the acquiring of coaling stations in the South Seas otherthan New Guinea and the Bismarck Archipelago. Germany would notprevent the acquisition of Germany vessels by Japan providing suchvessels were not auxiliary cruisers of the Imperial German Navy. 

Germany wishes it understood that in the event of a conflict betweenJapan and another nation, Germany will maintain a strict neutrality inany event not affecting Germany itself. Germany expresses a higherregard for the Japanese nation and desires closer contact with Japan. 

This document, as has been stated, was initialed with the letters Wand R, which is sometimes the way the Kaiser O. K. 's any diplomaticdocument. In any event it had a regular serial number; in thisinstance number twenty-four of the German Foreign Office. 

Of course the acquisition of this document by Great Britain relievedthe minds of the English statesman. There was not as they had feareda possible menace in understanding between Germany and Japan. It wassimply an agreement by Germany not to intervene in any colonizationscheme of the Japanese in the islands of the Pacific. In return forthis it was understood that Japan was to do even more thoroughly whatshe has done in the past. In other words, she must go on playing therôle of bogieman for the United States. A word about this may not beout of place. 

Germany, that is official Germany, is rather friendly toward theUnited States. Japan, the "yellow peril" is a great war dirigiblethat is inflated with war scares and hysteria. This aims to keep theUnited States preoccupied on their Western coastline, so they will nothave any desire to meddle with certain plans that may eventuate inEurope within the next few years. The Japanese question is fosteredby Europe to keep America's hands full in the event of the comingEuropean war. It is all bluff and occasionally Japan must be rewardedfor keeping up the bluff. In this instance Germany permitted Japan tocolonize and permitted her to buy all the German ships she wanted withthe exception of those big transatlantic liners that are auxiliarycruisers of the German navy, ships which in time of war may betransformed at short notice into good fighting machines. Let meemphasize with all due knowledge of the alarmist's fears that UnitedStates need never fear the "Yellow Peril" as long as she does notantagonize the dominant powers of Europe. 

Chapter XII. "The German War Machine"

The numerical strength, disposition and efficiency of the German armyare more or less well known. The brain and all prevailing powercontrolling its fighting force of four and half a million men--ortaking the Triple Alliance into consideration--the forces of whichwould in the event of war be controlled from Berlin--a force in roundnumbers of 9, 000, 000 men is, however, not known. Here for the firsttime is published an account of the inside workings of the German WarMachine as far as is possible for any one man to give. Through myintimate connections with the German and other Secret Service systems;through constant contact with prominent army and navy officers, I hadspecial facilities of which I availed myself to the full, to gain theinside knowledge which I here commit to paper. 

The most efficient and elaborate system ever devised by the ingenuityof man, used not only for war and destruction but as an intelligenceclearing house for the whole of the Empire, is the German War Machine. Conceived by General Stein in the days of the Napoleonic wars, addedto and elaborated by successive administrations, solely under thecontrol of the ruling house; its efficiency, perfect and smoothworking is due to the total absence of political machinations orpreferences. Brains, ability, and thorough scientific knowledge arethe only passports for entrance in the Grosser General Stab, theGeneral Staff of the German Empire. You will find blooded youngofficers and gray-haired generals past active efficiency, expertsranking from an ordinary mechanic to the highest engineering expert, all working harmoniously together with one end in view, the acme ofefficiency. Controlled and directed by the War Lord in person throughthe Chef des Grossen General Stabs, in my time General Field Marshalvon Heeringen, this immense machine, the pulsing brain of a fightingforce of four and half a millions of men, is composed of from 180 to200 officials. 

At the Peace of Tilsit, after the crushing defeat of the Prussianarmies at Prussian Eylau and Friedland, Bonaparte had Prussia and thewhole of Central Europe at his mercy. Contrary to the advice of hisgenerals, especially the succinct advice of his often unheeded mentorTalleyrand, to completely disintegrate Prussia, Napoleon through hisfondness for pretty women let himself be tricked by Louise of Prussia. The interesting historical story of this incident may be apropos here, showing how the world's history can be changed through a kiss. At thePeace Conference in Tilsit, Napoleon, on the verge of disintegratingPrussia, met the beautiful Queen Louise of Prussia. Through herpleadings and the imprint of Napoleon's kiss on her classic armBonaparte granted Prussia the right to maintain a standing army of12, 000 men. That in itself did not mean much but it gave able andshrewd Prussian patriots the opportunity to circumvent and hoodwinkBonaparte's policy. 

Prussia has always been fortunate in producing able men at the mostneeded moments. A man arose with a gift for military organization. He had every province, district, town, and village in Prussiacarefully scheduled and the able-bodied men thereof put on record. Heselected the 12, 000 men permitted Prussia under the Napoleonic decreeand drilled them. No sooner were those men drilled than they weredismissed and another 12, 000 called in. From this point dates modernconscription--the father of which was General Stein--and this alsoinaugurated the birth of the War Machine. In the three years Prussiahad 180, 000 well-drilled men and 120, 000 reserves, quite a differentproposition from the 12, 000 men Napoleon thought he had to face on hisretreat from Moscow, and which played a decisive factor in theoverthrow of the dictator of Europe. 

Through the wars of 1864 and 1866 to 1870, the Franco-Prussian War, the War Machine of Prussia was merged into that of the German Empireand is a record of increasing efforts, entailing unbelievable hardwork and a compilation of the minutest details. The modern system oforganization, especially the mobilization schedules, are Helmuth vonMoltke's, the "Grosse Schweiger, " the Great Silent, the strategist ofthe 1871 campaign. 

It is curious that there is a great similarity between the late Moltkeand Heeringen. They have the same aquiline features, tall, thin, dried-up body, the same taciturn disposition, even to theirhobbies--Moltke being an incessant chess player, Heeringen using everyone of his spare moments to play with lead soldiers. He is reputed tohave an army of 30, 000 lead soldiers with which he plays the moment heopens his eyes--much in the same manner as Moltke, who used to requesthis chess-board the first thing in the morning. In military circlesHeeringen is looked upon with the same respect and accredited withquite as much strategical knowledge as Moltke was. It is asignificant fact, that, whenever there is any tension in Europe, especially between Germany and France, General von Heeringen or hiscomrade in arms, General von Thulsen Haeseler--also a great strategistand iron disciplinarian, immediately takes command of Metz, the mostimportant base and military post in the Emperor's domain. 

There is no man alive who knows one-half as much about the strategicalposition of Metz and the surrounding country as General von Heeringen. Often on stormy, bitter cold winter nights, sentries on outpostsstationed and guarding the approaches of Metz are startled to find agaunt, limping figure, covered in a gray army greatcoat with nodistinguishing marks, stalking along. Accompanied by orderliescarrying camp stools and table; night glasses and electric torches, halting repeatedly, hidden men taking down in writing the short, croaking sentences escaping between the thin compressed lips, the"Geist of Metz" prowls round measuring every foot of ground fiftymiles east, west, north, and south of his beloved Metz. The steeltipped arrow ever pointing at the heart of France is safe in the handsof such guardians. 

The visible head of this vast organization is called Der GrosseGeneral Stab with headquarters in Berlin. Each army corps has a"kleine General Stab" who sends its most able officers to Berlin. These officers in conjunction with the most able scientists, engineersand architects the Empire can produce, compose the Great GeneralStaff. The virtual head is the German Emperor. The actual executiveis called "Chef des Grossen General Stabs. "

There is a small, dingy, unpretentious room in the General StaffGebaude where at moments of stress and tension or internationalcomplications, assemble five men. His Majesty, at the head of thetable; to the right the Chef of Grossen General Stab; to the left hisMinister of War; then the Minister of Railways, and the Chief ofAdmiral Stab. You will notice the total absence of the Ministers ofFinance and Diplomacy. When those five men meet the influence ofdiplomatic and financial affairs has ceased. They are there to act. The scratching of the Emperor's pen in that room means war, thesetting in motion of a fighting force of 5, 000, 000 men. 

Here is another instance:

When the feeling and stress over the Moroccan question was at itsheight General von Heeringen on leaving his quarters for his usualdrive in the Thiergarten was eagerly questioned by a score ofofficers, awaiting his exit. 

"Excellency! Geht's los?" ("Do we begin?")

Grimly smiling, returning their salutes and without pause, limping tohis waiting carriage came his answer:

"Sieben Buchstaben, meine Herren!" ("Seven letters, gentlemen!")

In Germany military parlance this means the Emperor's signature, Wilhelm II, to the mobilization orders. 

In order to give the reader a fairly correct view of this mightyorganization, I have to explain each group separately. The wholesystem rests on the question of mobilization, meaning the ability toarm, transport, clothe. And feed a fighting force of four andone-half million men, in the shortest possible time on any given pointin either eastern or western Europe. For let it be clearly understoodthat the main point of the training of the German armies is thereadiness to launch the entire fighting force like a thunderbolt onany given point of the compass. Germany knows through past experiencethe advisability and necessity of conducting war in an enemy'scountry. The German army is built for aggression. There are fourmain groups:

1. Organization. 

2. Transportation. 

3. Victualization. 

4. Intelligence. 

Each of these groups is, of course, subdivided into numerous brancheswhich we shall go into under each individual head. 

ORGANIZATION

First comes organization. The German army is composed of threedistinct parts: the standing army, the reserves, and Landwehr. 

The standing arm comprises 790, 000 officers and men. This body of menis ready at an instant. It is the reserves who need an elaboratesystem of mobilization. The reserves are divided into two classes, first and second reserves. So is the Landwehr, having two levies--thefirst and second Aufgebot. Every able-bodied man on reaching the ageof twenty-one can be called upon to serve the colors. One in fiveonly is taken, as there is more material than the country needs--thefifth being selected for one of five branches: infantry, cavalry, artillery, Genie corps, or the navy. The time of service in theinfantry is two years; in the cavalry three, in the artillery three, in the Genie corps two, and in the navy three. Well-conducted men getfrom two to four months of their time. This is by no means a charityon the part of the authorities, but a well-thrashed and deep-laidscheme to circumvent the Reichstag as it gives the Emperor another75, 000 men. A certain class of men passing an examination calledEinjahriges Zeugniss or possessing a diploma called AbiturientenExamen (the equivalent of a B. A. ) serve only one year in each branch. This class provides most of the reserve officers. The activeofficers, usually the scions of an aristocratic house or the sons ofthe old military or feudal families in Germany, are mostly educated inone of the state Kadetten-Anstalten, military academies, of whichGross-Lichterfelde bei Berlin is the most famous. The real backboneand stiffening of the German army and navy is the noncommissionedofficers recruited from the rank and file. In fact, this body of menis the mainstay of the thrones in the German Empire, especially ofPrussia. These men, after about twelve years of service in an armywhere discipline, obedience, and efficiency are the first and lastword, are then drafted into all the minor administrative officers ofthe state, such as minor railway, post, excise, municipal, and police. The reader will see the significance of this when it is pointed outthat not only the Empire but the War Machine has these well-trainedmen at its beck and call. The same thing applies to the drafting ofofficers to hold the highest administrative positions in the state. 

There are twenty-five army corps all placed in strategical position. The strongest is in Alsace-Lorraine and along the Rhine; the second inimportance garrisoning the Prussian-Russian border. The whole countryis subdivided into Bezirks commandos (districts posts) whose businessis to have on record not only every able-bodied man--reservists--butevery motor, horse, and vehicle available; also food and coalsupply--in fact, everything likely to be wanted or useful to the army. Every German reservist, or otherwise, knows the reporting place of hisdistrict and has to report there when notified within twenty-fourhours. The penalties for noncompliance are high even in peace times. In the event of war or martial law they are absolutely stringent. Thecommandos are so placed that they could forward their drafts of menand material to their provincial concentration points at the quickestpossible notice. These provincial concentration points, being railwaycenters, are so located that the masses of men and materials pouringin from all sides can be handled and sent in the wanted and neededdirection without any congestion. How this is done I shall explainwhen I come to transportation. In each of those district commandosare depots, Montirungs-Kammern (arsenals), where a full equipment foreach individual on the roll is kept. The marvelous quickness withwhich a civilian is transferred into a fully equipped military unitmust be seen to be believed, and is only made possible throughsystematic training and constant maneuvers. These maneuvers arecostly, but have long been recognized in German military circles asessential in training the units and familiarizing the commanders withthe handling of enormous masses of men. In the last Kaiser maneuversover half a million men were concentrated and massed; in fact, shuttlecocked from one end of the Empire to the other without a hitch. 

The control of the army in peace or in war lies with the Emperor. Heis the sole arbiter and head. No political or social body of men hasany control in army matters. No political jealousies would bepermitted. Obedience and efficiency are demanded. Mutual jealousiesand political tricks such as we have seen in the Russian campaign inthe East and lately in France are impossible in the German system, forthe Emperor would break instantly, in fact has done so, any generalguilty of even the faintest indication of such an offense. And thereis no appeal to a Congress, a Chamber of Deputies, or political organagainst the Emperor's decision. 

Last but not least, under the heading of the organization comes thefinancial aspect. Out of the five milliards of francs, the warindemnity paid by France to Germany in 1871, 200, 000, 000 marks in goldcoin, mostly French, were put away as the nucleus of a ready warchest. In a little medieval-looking watch tower, the Julius Thurmnear Spandau, lies this ever-increasing driving force of the mightiestwar engine the world has ever seen. Ever increasing, for quietly andunobtrusively 6, 000, 000 marks in newly minted gold coins are takenyear by year and added to the store. On the first of October eachyear since 1871, three ammunition wagons full of bright and glitteringtwenty-mark pieces clatter over the drawbridge and these pieces arestored away in the steel-plate subterranean chambers of the JuliusThurm, ready at an instant's notice to furnish the sinews to the manwielding this force. This is a tremendous power in itself, for thereare now close to 500, 000, 000 marks ($120, 000, 000) in minted goldcoinage in storage there. This provides the necessary funds for theGerman army for ten calendar months. The authorities have nonecessity to ask the country, warring politicians--in this instancethe Reichstag--for money to start a campaign. They have got it readyto hand. Once war is declared and started, if needed they'll get therest. 

This money is under the sole control of military authorities. It hasoften been declared a myth. I know it to be a fact. Notwithstandingthe financial straits Germany has gone through at times or may gothrough, this money will never be touched. It is there for onepurpose only and that purpose is war. Needless to say, it is amplyguarded. Triple posts in this garrison town, devices to floodinstantly the whole under fifteen feet of water from the river Havel, are but items in the system of protection. Twice a year the Emperorin person, or his heir apparent, personally inspects his war chest. Mechanical-balanced devices are employed to check the correct weight. It is a marvelously simple mechanism by means of which in less thantwo hours the whole of this vast hoard of gold can be accuratelychecked and the absence of a single gold piece detected. 

TRANSPORTATION

One of the most important parts of the organization is the question oftransportation. Hannibal's campaigns against Cæsar and Napoleon'scentral European wars owed their success in a great measure, if notwholly, to their quickness of motion. This applies about tenfold inmodern warfare. In actual armament the leading powers in Europe arepractically on a par. The personnel, as regards personal courage, stamina, _elan_, or whatever you wish to call it, is fairly equalalso. There is little difference in the individual prowess of French, Russian, English, and German soldiers. This is well known to militaryexperts. The difference is mainly a question of discipline, technique, and preparedness, the main factor being, as indicated, theability to throw the greater number of troops in the shortest possibletime against the enemy at any given point, without exhausting man andbeast unnecessarily and enervating the country to be traversed. It istherefore necessary to have numerous arteries of traffic at disposal. This will lead us later to the question of victualization, Germanyfollowing closely one of Moltke's axioms: "March separately, but fightconjointly. "

Only in a country where all railroads, highways, and waterways, andwhere post and telegraph are owned and controlled by the state, is itpossible to evolve and perfect a system of transportation such as isat the disposal of the German General Staff. Every mile of Germanrailroads, especially the ones built within the last twenty years, hasbeen constructed mainly for strategical reasons. Taking Berlin as thecenter you will find on looking at a German, more especially aPrussian, railroad map, close similarity to a spider's web. FromBerlin you will see trunk lines extending in an almost direct route toher French and Russian frontiers. Not single or double, but trebleand quadruple lines of steel converging with other strategic lines atcertain points such as Magdeburg, Hanover, Nordhausen, Kassel, Frankfort-on-the-Main, Cologne, or Strassburg--to name but a few. Places such as enumerated are invariably provincial commandos, havinggarrisons, arsenals, and depots on a large scale. 

The capacity of the railroad yards for handling large bodies of menand vast amounts of goods swiftly is judiciously studied. At anygiven time, especially at tense political moments, at every largestrategical railway center in Germany there are a certain number oftrucks and engines kept for military purposes only--sometimes, as inthe Rhine division during the acute period of the Morocco question, with steam up. 

As previously related, 90 per cent. Of all the railway officials areex-soldiers. Five minutes after the signing of the mobilizationorders by the Emperor, the whole of the railway system would be underdirect military control. Specially trained transportation and railwayexperts on the General Staff would take over the direction of affairs. Besides this, there exists in the German standing army a number ofEisenbahn Regimenter (railway corps)--all trained railroad buildersand mechanics. Elaborate time-tables and transportation cards are inreadiness to be put into operation on the instant of mobilization, superseding the civil time-tables of peace. Theoretically andpractically the schedules are tested twice a year during the bigmaneuvers. 

The same applies to the waterways and highroads of the Empire. A keenobserver will often wonder at the broadness, solidness, and excellentstate of repair of the chaussees and country roads, out of allproportion to the little traffic passing along. They are simplystrategical arteries kept up by the state for military purposes. Theheads of the transportation and railway corps in Berlin sit before thehuge glass-covered tables where the whole of the German railway systemto its minutest detail is shown in relief, and they by pressingvarious single buttons can conduct an endless chain of trains to anygiven point of the Empire. 

To show the accurate workings of this system I shall relate anincident. During the Kaiser maneuvers in West Prussia a few years agoI happened to be at headquarters in Berlin delivering some plans andrecords of the English Midland Railway system when a General StaffOfficer entered the signal hall and made inquiries as to thewhereabouts of a certain train having a regiment on board destined toa certain part of the maneuver field. One of the operators throughthe simple manipulation of some ivory keys in the short space of twoand a half minutes (as I was keenly interested, I timed it) could showthe exact spot of the train between two stations, the train being over310 miles distant from Berlin. 

As every class A1 vessel in the merchant marine of Germany, especiallythe passenger boats of the big steamship lines, can be pressed intogovernment service, so can all motor vehicles, taxis, and trucks ownedeither privately or by corporations be called upon if considerednecessary. Through this vast and far-reaching system oftransportation Germany is enabled to throw a million fully equippedmen on to either of her frontiers within forty-eight hours. She candouble this host in sixty hours more. 

VICTUALIZATION

Napoleon's dictum that an army marches on its stomach is as trueto-day as it was then, adequate provisions for man and beast being themost important factor in military science. The economic feeding ofthree-quarters of a million men in peace time is work enough. Itbecomes a serious problem in the event of war, especially to a countrylike Germany which is somewhat dependent on outside sources for thefeeding of her millions. The authorities, quite aware of a possibleblockading and consequent stoppage of imports, have made preparationswith their usual thorough German completeness. At any given timethere is sufficient foodstuff for man and beast stored in statestorehouses and the large private concerns to feed the entire Germanarmy for twelve months. This might seem inadequate, but is not so, the authorities being well aware that war in Europe at the presenttime could and would not last longer than such a period. 

Once a year these storehouses are overhauled and perishable ordeteriorating provisions replaced. Tens of thousands of tons offoodstuffs, especially fodder, are sold far below their usual marketprices to the poorer classes, notably farmers. Likewise the materialused by the army is as far as possible supplied by the farmer direct. The total absence of bloated, pudgy-fingered army contractors inGermany is pleasant to the eyes of those who know the conditions insome other countries I could mention. 

Besides, the whole of the German fighting machine is so organized thatin all probability decisive battles would be fought in the enemy'scountry, in which case the onus of feeding the troops would fall onthe enemy, called in military parlance "requisitioning andcommandeering. " In this, German, and especially Prussian, quartermasters are in no way behind their English confrères of whoseactivity in the Boer War I know from personal experience. 

To give but another instance of the scientific thoroughness in detail, take a single food preparation--the Erbswurst (pea-meal sausage), apreparation of peas, meal, bacon, salt and seasoning, compressed in adry state into air- and water-tight tubes in the form of a sausage, each weighing a quarter of a pound. Highly nutritious, light inweight, practically indestructible, wholesome, this is easily preparedinto a palatable meal with the simple addition of hot water. Of thispreparation huge quantities are always kept in stock for the army. 

INTELLIGENCE

Without doubt the most important division of the General Staff andupon whose information and efforts the whole machine hinges is theIntelligence Department--really covering many different fields--forinstance, general science, especially strategy, topography, ballistics, but mainly the procuring of information data, plans, maps, etc. , kept more or less secret by other powers. In this division thebrightest young officers and general officials are found. Thetraining and knowledge required of the men in this service areexacting to a degree. It requires in most cases the undividedattention--often a life study--to a single subject. 

It has been the unswerving policy of the Prussian military authoritiesto know as much of the rest of the European countries as they know oftheir own. In the war of 1870-71, German commanders down to alieutenant leading a small detachment had accurate information, chartsand data of every province in France, giving them more accurateknowledge of a foreign country than that country had of itself. It isa notorious fact that, after the defeat of the French armies atWeissenburg and Worth and later at Metz, the French commanders andofficers lost valuable time and strategical positions through sheerignorance of their own country. This is impossible under the Prussiansystem. To-day there is not a country in Europe but of which thereare the most elaborate charts and maps, topographically exact to theminutest detail docketed in the archives of the General Staff. Thisapplies as a rule to the General Staff of most nations, but not tosuch painstaking details. 

While undergoing instructions in the Admiral Stab in theKoenigergratzerstrasse 70, previous to my being sent on an Englishmission, a controversy arose between my instructor and myself as tothe distance between two towns on the Lincolnshire coast. He pushed abutton and requested the answering orderly to bring map 64 and theofficer in charge. With the usual promptness both map and officerappeared. The officer, who could not have been more than twenty-fiveyears of age, discussed with me in fluent colloquial English the wholeof this section of Lincolnshire. Not a hummock, road, road-house, even to farmers' residences and blacksmith's shop of which he did nothave exact knowledge. I expressed astonishment at this most unusualacquaintance with the locality, and suggested that he must have spentconsiderable time in residence there. Conceive my astonishment wheninformed that he had never been out of Germany and the only voyageever taken by him led him as far as Helgoland. Subsequently throughcareful inquiries and research--my work bringing me into constantcontact with the various divisions--I found that the whole of England, France and Russia was carefully cut into sections, each of thosesections being in charge of two officers and a secretary whose duty itwas to acquaint and make themselves perfectly familiar with everythingin that particular locality. Through the far-reaching system ofespionage, the latest and most up-to-date information is alwaysforthcoming, and time and again I myself, often returning from amission like one of those to the naval base in Scotland, have sat bythe hour verbally amplifying my previous reports. 

A part of the intelligence system is the personality squad, whose dutyit is to acquaint themselves with the personality of every army andnavy officer of the leading powers. I have seen reports as to theenvironments, habits, hobbies, and general proclivities of men such asAdmiral Fisher, commanding the Channel Squadron of the British Navy, down to Colonel Ribault, in charge of a battery in Toulouse. Tomilitary or naval officers and men of affairs, the reason and benefitof such a system are obvious. The general reader, however, may notquite see the point. The position of a commander in the field isanalogous to the executive head of a big selling concern. Asemi-personal knowledge of the foibles and characteristics of hiscustomers without doubt gives him an advantage over a rival concern, neglecting the personal equation being really more important than isgenerally understood. This has long been recognized and fully takenadvantage of by the German Army author ities. 

AËRIAL

Within the last few years an entirely new and according to Germanideas most important factor has entered and disturbed the relativemilitary power of European nations. This is the aerial weapon. 

Since the days of Otto Lilienthal and his glider it has been thepolicy of Germany to keep track of all inventions likely to beembodied and made use of in the War Machine. It is a far cry fromLilienthal's glider to the last word in aërial construction such asthe mysterious Zeppelin-Parseval sky monster that, carrying acomplement of twenty-five men and twelve tons of explosives, sailedacross the North Sea, circled over London, and returned to Germany. Lilienthal's glider kept aloft four minutes, but this new dread-naughtof Germany's dying navy was aloft ninety-six hours, maintaining aspeed of thirty-eight miles an hour, this even in the face of a stormpressure of almost eighty meters. Such feats as these aresignificant. They are at the same time the outcome and the cause forthe development of this part of the War Machine. 

It is my purpose here to tell you how far Germany has advanced andprogressed in this struggle for mastery of the sky. I shall disclosefacts about her system that have never appeared in print--that havenever been heard in conversation. They are known only to the GeneralStaff at Berlin, not even in the cabinets of Europe. 

Germany without doubt has the most up-to-date aërial fleet in theworld. The Budget of the Reichstag of 1908-1909 allows and providesfor the building and maintenance of twelve dirigibles of Zeppelintype. As far as the knowledge of the rest of the world is concernedthis is all the sky navy that Germany possesses. It is a fact, though, that she has three times the number which she officiallyacknowledges. 

The dirigible balloon centers in Germany are five and they aresituated at vitally strategic points. There are two on the Frenchborder, one on the Russian border, one on the Atlantic Coast, and acentral station near Berlin. The exact places are Strassburg, Frankfort-on-the-Main, Posen, Wilhelmshafen, and Berlin. This doesnot include the marvelous station at Helgoland in the North Sea, thisbeing a strategic point in relation to Great Britain. Nothing isknown about this Helgoland station. No one but those on officialbusiness are permitted within a thousand yards of it. I shall tellthings concerning it. 

Besides these purely military posts, there are a number of commercialstations necessary as depots of the regular transportation aeriallines that operate for the convenience of the public. Like Germany'scommercial steamers, however, they are controlled and subsidized bythe Government. At a few hours' notice they can be converted and madeuse of for Government purposes. Taking these transportation linesinto consideration, it is safe to state that by summer of the presentyear Germany could send fifty huge airships to war. 

It may be a puzzle to Americans why, in the face of disasters andaccidents to these Zeppelins, Germany is spending about $4, 000, 000 onher aerial fleet. Now we come to a very significant point. I knowand certain members of the German General Staff know, as well astrusted men in the aërial corps, that there are two conditions underwhich airships are operated in Germany. One is the ordinary more orless well-known system which characterizes the operation of all thepassenger lines now in service in the Empire. It is the system underwhich all the disasters that appear in the newspapers occur. Airshipsthat are used in the general army flights and maneuvers are also rununder the same system as the passenger dirigibles--for a reason. 

The other system is an absolute secret of the German General Staff. It is not used in the general maneuvers, only in specific cases, andthese always secretly. It has been proved to be effective ineliminating 75 per cent. Of the accidents which have characterized allof Germany's adventures in dirigibles and heavier-than-air machines. These statistics are known only by the German General Staff office. 

Let us go into this further. Critics of the German dirigible whofoolishly rate the French aëroplane superior point out that theZeppelins have three serious defects--bulk and heaviness of structure, inflammability of the gas that floats them, and inability to storeenough gas to stay in the air the desirable length of time withoutcoming down. The secret devices of the German War Office haveeliminated all these objectionable features. They have overcome thecondition of bulk and heaviness of structure by their governmentchemists devising the formula of a material that is lighter thanaluminum, yet which possesses all of that metal's density and whichhas also the flexibility of steel. Airships not among the twelve thatGermany admits officially are made of this material. Its formula is agovernment secret and England or France would give thousands ofdollars to possess it. 

The objection of inflammability of the lifting power has also beenovercome. The power of the ordinary hydrogen gas in all its variousforms has been multiplied threefold by a new dioxygen gas discoveredat the Spandau government chemical laboratory. This gas has also theenormous advantages of being absolutely noninflammable. I have seenexperiments made with it. It cannot be used for illuminatingpurposes. Dirigibles that are equipped with it are not liable to theawful explosions that have characterized flights under the ordinarysystem. The new gas has also the enormous advantage of having aliquid form. To produce the gas it is only necessary to let theordinary atmosphere come in contact with the liquid. Carried incylinders two feet long and with a diameter of six inches it isobvious that enough of this liquid can be carried aboard the big wardirigibles to permit their refilling in midair. So, you see, all theobjections to the commonly known system of operation have beenovercome by the War Office. 

The last dirigible tried by the War Office in 1912, the mysteriousZeppelin X, made a continuous trip from Stettin over the Baltic toUpsala in Sweden, thence across the Baltic again to Riga in the Gulfof Finland, where it doubled and sailed back to Stettin. This was ajourney of 976 miles. The airship had a complement of twenty-five menand five tons of dead weight. It traveled under severe weatherconditions, the month being March, and snow-storms, hail and rainoccurring throughout the voyage. The significance of this flight canbe easily understood if you consider the distance from Strassburg orDusseldorf to Paris or other strategical points to France isapproximately 298 miles. A ship like the Zeppelin X could sail overthe French border, dynamite the fortifications around Paris andreturn, the journey being roughly 900 miles--76 miles less than theactual trip made by the Zeppelin X. Moreover, the German militarytrials have shown the possibility of an aerial fleet leaving theirhome ports and cruising to foreign lands and returning without thenecessity of landing to replenish their gas tanks or fuel. 

Let me show you how the German aërial corps is made up. It is calledthe Luftschiffer Abteilung and is composed of ten battalions, eachconsisting of 350 men. They are all trained absolutely for thisbranch of the service. Only the smartest mechanics and artificers areselected. In the higher branches the most intelligent and bravestofficers hold command. Considering the usual pay in continentalarmies, the wages of the men in the General aërial corps areexceptionally high. In fact they are the highest paid in the Germanarmy. They are not ordinary enlisted men, meaning that they serveonly their two years' time. Most of them have agreed to serve alengthy term. Married men are not encouraged to enroll in this branchof the service. It is obvious from the nature of the work that thehazards are often great. The wonderful system of the German WarMachine has been installed with rare detail in the aërial corps. Theequipment of the different stations is really marvelous. Foreverything human ingenuity has been able to devise concerning thedirigible you will find in application. Each station is fullyequipped and is an absolutely independent center in itself. Take thebase at Helgoland. It is the newest and the one that is alwayscloaked with secrecy. 

At the extreme eastern corner of the island of Helgoland one sees, amid the sandy dunes, three vast oblong, iron-gray structures. At adistance they are not unlike overgrown gasometers. I say at adistance, for it is impossible for any visitor to get within athousand yards of the station. The solitary approach is guarded by atriple post of the marine guard. If you walk toward the station, before you come within a hundred yards of the guard, you will findlarge signs setting forth in unmistakable and terse language that direand swift penalties follow any further exploration in that direction. Not only English but German visitors to Helgoland have found outthrough their course that even the slightest infringement of the rulesof these signs is dangerous. I shall however, take you a littlecloser. 

Walking on until you are within fifty yards of the great balloonsheds, you pause before a tall fence of barbed wire, this connectedwith an elaborate alarm-bell system that sounds in the two guardhouses. For instance, if an enterprising secret agent of France wereto try to steal up on the station, if he came by night and cut throughthe barbed wire, a series of bells would immediately sound the generalalarm. Having passed through the six strands of barbed wire a talloctagonal tower meets the eye. In this tower are installed twopowerful searchlights as well as a complete wireless outfit. All theZeppelins carry wireless. By means of elaborate reflectors, it ispossible with the searchlights to flood the whole place with daylightin the middle of the night. Thus ascensions can be made safely at anyhour of the twenty-four. The three oblong sheds stand in a row, themiddle being the largest, having spaces for two complete dirigibles, while the other sheds house but one each. They are about 800 feetlong, 200 feet broad and 120 feet high. The whole structure itselfcan be shifted to about an angle of forty degrees, this being workedon a plan similar to the railroad engine turntable. The reason for itis that with the veering of the wind the sheds are turned so that thedoors will be placed advantageously for the removal of the airshipfrom its place of shelter. 

The whole layout and the vast area of space show that it is theGovernment's intention to still further increase the plant. In fact, on my last visit to Helgoland--and it was more than two years ago--Isaw the evidence of another shed about to be built. At the station isthe most efficient meteorological department of all the stations. Themost up-to-date and sensitive instruments connected with this scienceare there in duplicates and the highest experts such as only Germanycan produce are in charge of the department. 

When I was at Helgoland I noticed a vast difference in the strength ofthe fortifications compared to what they had been. They used to betremendous, but since the addition of the naval base they have becomesecondary. Half the soldiers on duty there have been transferredelsewhere; so with the big guns. There is no longer any need forthem. As I stated, I saw a fourth big balloon shed in the course ofconstruction. I have not been on the island for two years. Nobodyhas been near the extreme eastern end except those closely identifiedwith the service. Considering that Germany has not built more thanone extra shed, that means five dirigibles, and there is nothing onearth that could stand up against them. Helgoland does not need fortsany more. The new forts float in the sky and can rain death. 

Helgoland has always been a sore spot of British diplomacy. Originally England owned the island; now it is a menace to England. When Lord Salisbury was Prime Minister of England, he conceived whathe believed to be a shrewd diplomatic move. He offered Bismarck theisland of Helgoland in exchange for some East African concessions. Helgoland is now the key and guard of Germany's main artery ofcommerce, being the key to Hamburg. With the dirigible station ofHelgoland to guard her, Hamburg is impregnable and on England'snorthern coast they have a way of looking out across the North Seawith troubled eyes, for who knows when those terrible cartridge-shapedmonsters will rise into the air and sweep over the sea? Strangerthings have happened, even though the countries have their secretdiplomatic understandings. 

Let us consider one of these new war monsters, the latest and mostpowerful, the X 15. The lateat Zeppelins, charged with the newlydiscovered dioxygenous gas, giving these sky battleships triplelifting capacity; the perfecting of the Diesel motor, giving enormousconsumption (fifty of these Diesel engines, their workings secret tothe German Government, are stored under guard at the big navy yards atWilhelmshafen and Kiel, ready to be installed at the break of war intosubmarines and dirigibles), have given the German type of aircraft animportance undreamed of and unsuspected by the rest of the world. 

The operating sphere of the new balloons has extended from 100 to1, 200-1, 400 kilometers. Secret trial trips of a fully equippedZeppelin like X 15, carrying a crew of twenty-four men, sixquick-firing guns, seven tons of explosive, have extended fromStettin, over the Baltic, over Swedenburg in Sweden, recrossing theBaltic and landing at Swinemunde, with enough gas, fuel, andprovisions left to keep aloft another thirty-six hours. The distanceall told covered on one of these trips was 1, 180 kilometers. Thisfact speaks for itself. The return distance from Helgoland to London, or any midland towns in England, corresponds with the mileage coveredon recent trips. In the event of hostilities between England andGermany, this statement needs no explanation. That is why I mentionedthat the latter-day Zeppelins were a powerful factor in bringing aboutan amiable understanding between those two powerful countries. Forneither the historic wooden walls of Nelson's day nor the steel platesof her modern navy could help England or any other nation against theinroads of the monsters of the air. 

The capacity of seven tons of explosive does not exhaust the resourcesof this type of weapon. I have it on good authority that the newZeppelins can carry double that quantity of explosive if necessary. As the size of these vessels increases, so does the ratio of theircarrying capacity. 

Picture the havoc a dozen such vultures could create attacking a citylike London or Paris. Present-day defense against these ships istotally inadequate. In attacking large places, the Zeppelins wouldrise to a height of from 6, 000 to 8, 000 feet, at which distance thesehuge cigar-shaped engines of death, 700 feet long, would appear thesize of a football, and no bigger. I know that Zeppelins havesuccessfully sailed aloft at an altitude of 10, 000 feet. Picture themat that elevation, everybody aboard in warm, comfortable quarters, ready to drop explosives to the ground. The half informed man--andthere appear to be many such in European cabinets, which recalls theproverb about a little knowledge being a dangerous thing--likes to saythat a flock of aëroplanes can put a dirigible out of business. Consider now an aëroplane at an elevation of 6, 000 feet and rememberthat the new Zeppelins have gone thousands of feet higher. An aviatorat 6, 000 feet is so cold that he is practically useless for anythingbut guiding his machine. How in the world is he or his seat-mategoing to do harm to a big craft the size of the Zeppelin that is farabove him? An aviator who has ever gone up, say 8, 000 feet, will tellyou when he comes down what a harrowing experience he has had. Whatgood can an individual be, exposed to the temperature and the elementsat such an altitude, in doing harm to the calm, comfortable gentlemenin the heated compartments of the Zeppelin?--Quatsch! which is aGerman army term for piffle!

At 8, 000 feet the small target a Zeppelin affords would move at a rateof speed of from thirty-five to sixty miles an hour. The possiblechances of being hit by terrestrial gunfire are infinitesimally small. This does not take into account the vast opportunities that adirigible has for night attacks or the possibility of hiding among theclouds. The X 15, sailing over London, could drop explosives down andcreate terrible havoc. They don't have to aim. They are not likeaviators trying to drop a bomb on the deck of a warship. They simplydump overboard some of the new explosive of the German Government, these new chemicals having the property of setting on fire anythingthat they hit, and they sail on. They do not have to worry abouthitting the mark. Consider the size of their target. They are simplythrowing something at the City of London. If they do not hitBuckingham Palace they are apt to hit Knightsbridge. And rememberthat whatever one of the new German explosives strikes, conflagrationbegins. 

Aëroplanes, biplanes, monoplanes, and the other innumerable host ofsmall craft so often quoted as a possible counterdefense against theZeppelin, are overrated, and are in any case theoretical. The Germanauthorities have made vast and exhaustive trials in these matters. The strenuous efforts on the part of this Empire to increase itsdirigible fleet is to my way of thinking answer enough. The GermanGeneral Staff at Berlin tries out more thoroughly than any nation inthe world every new device of warfare. They have tried the aëroplaneand the dirigible. I have heard the leading experts and aviators whohave been assigned to both types agreeing that the Zeppelins of the X15 type have nothing to fear from any present-day flying machine--andthat is good enough for me. 

Chapter XIII. Arming for Peace or War

The map of Europe is certain to undergo some very decided changeswithin the next decade, very possibly in less time. Social andeconomic conditions, let alone the paramount political ambitions ofthe individual rulers, must bring about a decided alteration in stateboundaries in Central Europe. This will be accomplished either withor without war--with bloodshed most likely. History and humanpropensities have shown the inability to settle any vital points bypeaceful arbitration and the more one comes in contact with theforces, obvious and otherwise, directing human affairs, the more onelearns the rather disheartening fact that the millennium is as far offas ever. The prophecies of the old Biblical prophets about wars andrumors of wars are as pertinent to-day as before the advent of Christ. The methods may have changed since the conception of the Christianreligion but the results will be attained now as ever by the right ofa mighty sword arm. 

The most virile and aggressive power in the center of Europe isGermany proper--this term of Germany, including the whole of theTeutonic races, such as the German-speaking portion of Austria, Hungary (for your true Hungarian is a keen admirer of strength andforce), Holland, Switzerland and in all probability the Norsemen andViking branches of the Teutonic clan, meaning Sweden, Norway andDenmark. Social and commercial aims and aspirations in Sweden, Norwayand Denmark, independent as they are and probably always will be, still show a decided trend to Central Germanic cohesion. The whole ofEurope is roughly divided into three dominant races--the Teutonic, theLatin and the Slavish. The Teutonic has Anglo-Saxon, Germanic andNorse subdivisions. The Latin, Gallic, has the French, Italian andSpanish nations; and the Slavonic comprises the Slavs and Romanicraces with their innumerable subdivisions such as Moscovite, Chech, Pole, Croat, Serb, Bulgar, Bojar, etc. These three groups aredistinctly different in habits, thoughts, manners and ambitions. Through race and religion they are also deeply antagonistic by reasonof its higher commercial development (I do not say education, and art, music or literature, for there your Latin or Slav excels), theTeutonic races have outstripped the other two. Commercialism meansconsolidation and concentration and since the Napoleonic wars theGermanic races--at the beginning slowly but within the lasttwenty-five years rapidly--have drawn together at an astonishing pace. In countries such as Belgium, Holland, Denmark and Switzerland, eachpossessing their own petty machinery of expensive government; existentonly through the mutual jealousies of their bigger neighbors, therehas grown up a decidedly incorporating spirit. Notwithstanding thenatural disinclination of the ruling factions of that country, thegeneral mass of the people are by no means averse to become members ofa vast central European empire, the unswerving ambition of the houseof the Hohenzollerns. 

Since the days when the Counts of Nuremburg became electors ofBrandenburg, from the grosse Kurfurst, Frederick the Great, to thepresent Emperor, the house of Hohenzollern has shown itself to be themost virile dynasty in modern history. Not always clever, theypossessed the rare faculty of finding, developing and using men havingthe necessary ability to execute their current policies. 

In thoroughly feudal and aristocratic countries such as compriseCentral Europe, especially Germany, decided, unswerving aims arenecessary. If these policies are conducted in a clear, level-headedmanner, judiciously developing the wealth and culture of the generalmasses, the stability of such a government or throne is well-nighunshakable. 

It has often been spoken and written that in countries such as Germanyand Austria, Socialism, to quote but one of the numerous "isms, " hasundermined existing governmental powers. To a close student, theseassertions are absolutely wrong. Teutonic Germanic races have everbeen given to deeply analytical, philosophical studies, criticisingand dissecting, the policies of their rulers. But underlying, youwill find a deeply practical sense and appreciation of materialbenefits. The German Socialist is in fact a practical dreamer, quitein contrast to his mercurial, effervescent Latin prototype. Therulers of Germany have learned the lesson that the stability of athrone rests in the welfare of her people and everyone must admit thatthey have succeeded in this respect better than any other dynastyknown to history. Germany without doubt is the most uniformlyprosperous and civilized country in the world. And therein lies thedanger, as no sane and prosperous business can afford to stand still. Neither can a solvent virile nation such as Germany, mark time. Forthis reason: Two things must happen in the near future. Germany mustexpand peacefully in Europe, to the northeast and west; or there willbe war. The reasons for this I gave in the chapter on "The Isolationof France. "

And that the chances of peaceful and really sensible adjustment arethoroughly discounted among German men of affairs, must be prettyobvious to the careful reader. An intensely practical and savingpeople such as the Germans would not spend billions in money, a vastamount of time and labor, in perfecting and keeping up a fightingmachine without being thoroughly convinced of the necessity of thisinvestment. Strong, wealthy and powerful as Germany is to-day, thestrain is tremendous and for this reason alone existing political andgeographical conditions in Europe must undergo a decided change. 

These changes are bound to occur but it is hard to set a correct time. It may be to-morrow; it certainly will not be more than a decadehence. The death of the Emperor Francis Joseph will precipitate it atonce--and he is old and feeble. 

Secondly, the Church. The mainstay of the Catholic Church rests withthe Austrian monarchy and with the death of the old Emperor, itwould--in fact have to--look to some other country and ruler forprotection. There is no Catholic ruler in a Catholic country to-dayable to support and protect the dignity of the Church. The GermanEmperor is a Protestant monarch, but he is first and last a Christian, and thanks to his usual keen and far-sighted policy, backed up bystrong spiritual convictions, religious dissensions are almost unknownin his empire. The Catholic religion enjoys in no country, save theUnited States, more real freedom from persecution than it does inGermany. And the Emperor's personal standing with the Vatican isexcellent. I need only remind the reader of his perennial visits tothe King of Italy when he never fails to visit the Vatican, paying hisrespects as the ruler of twenty-seven millions of Catholics, if youplease, to the keeper of Peter's keys. 

In my work, I have met eminent dignitaries and princes of the CatholicChurch who voiced pretty freely--that is for churchmen--theirconfidences, willingness of their support to the Emperor's generalpolicies. 

THE BUFFER STATE OF THE NORTH

As Germany has provided herself with a buffer state and ally inSouthern Europe, meaning Turkey, so she has cleverly succeeded increating a similar condition in the extreme north of Europe. Swedenand Norway, at no time friendly to the Moscovite--you need only recallthe days of Charles XII--have within the last few years developed astrong martial feeling against Russian aggression. Both countries areintensely patriotic and independent and would not on any accounttolerate incorporation. Germany does not want Norway and Sweden, andScandinavia knows that. They also know that Russia, having a freehand, does want them. Hence they are looking towards Germany to keepa national independence. With German help, Sweden and Norway couldmaintain, transport and place three-quarters of a million offirst-class fighting men in the field and that at strategical andcrucial points of the Russian Empire. 

The personal domination of the house of Hohenzollern even outsidepolitical matters is tremendous, by virtue of great wealth andmarriages, --the Emperor's sons having married the most wealthyprincesses in Europe--besides the privately invested fortunes of theEmperor, giving him a tremendous in fluence in commercial affairs. Wilhelm holds the thunderbolt that will shake the world.