Churchill standard. (Fallon, Nev) 1903-1908, 1906-04-21

n was a glorious fail evening in Par
is, We We're seated in the club. OF
stirring events of the day. There ha,
been rumors and reports of disagree
ments between France and Germany
No man. could say what would hap
pen next. Both nations were on tn,
qui vive, armed, mobilizing, ready t,
fight at the drop OF the hat,
Brangere, the sculptor, drew up 1
small table and we prepared for {
game of the fascinating American pok.
er. which had just. become all the rage
cards. .Brangere, with Ouvrard, the
banker, Mongerval, former French am
%bassador to st. Petersburg, and myself
Suddenly Latour. the correspondent
of La Vie. burst in upo us. lis eyes
were sparkling. Latour's eyes always
contained a message of some kind.
Have you heard the latest?" he in
quired.
mo. What has happened?"
We jumped to our feet in astonish-
ment.
Mutual insults have passed. Yhe
Germans have burned the French am
ate by hanging a dummy Kaiser. The
streets are full of mobs, all of n mind
Germany must back down. In Ber-
streets, demanding that Germany
stand upon her dignity. So there you
ana What from the war Omce!
Latour bent over our table n fair
~ Kissed the words: THE Germans
have already invaded France. They
are swarmlns across the frontier. And
oh. the shame of tive are not ready.
There are no troops in the field. 1t
is the asininity of the Government;
the littleness, the selfishness, the
greed of the commanders and the min
tsters,"
Latour's breath gave out. He was
ten. We looked at one another in
dumb establishment. For none knsw
better that we the unpreparedness of
the French, against which stood the
ing population. every man of which
had been trained to carry a gun. to
man had chosen their season well. I
recalled a pronouncement of the Ger
man General STAFF in 1905. when they
said: I'VE shall impose on the French
a winter campaign. Our soldiers, COM
ing from the cold regions of the north,
will march toward a temperate cli-
mate. and the advantage will be alto
Latour left us on his chase for news.
Dur party was broken up. The i'm
pending crisis was too much for US
IT shall go to the front and gather
material for a wonderful group-the
dying Generalissimo," said Brangere.
throwing back his broad shoulders.
rard, smiling. "and / shall loan them
funds-as much as they may need
without eharge'.. for the sake of u my
for l knew that he would demand in
terest to the last. sou.
"Adieu," said Mongerval. 81 go. to
the President. I shall urge meditation,
aud I, myself, shall be an ambassador
to arrange terms" He withdrew
grandiloauently..
I was left alone-I. James Adams,
a plain American of adventure, to per-
form a part of which I had then no
conception.
1t is dangerous in. France, or In
Germany either. for that matter, to be
secretive.. Suspicious, are sure to be
aroused If your business is not well
known and openly stated Therefore
it was well that l was allied with large
American manufacturing firms, with
offices in Berlin, Hamburg. Paris ana
Calais. In France / was careful to be
French in sympathy. and outspoken,
too. In Germany l became a Teuton
to the core. In addition to this ready
adaptability,. 1 was personally &C.
quainted with the French and German
rulers, had excellent German connec-
tions, and was well known in Belgium,
Holland and Italy. And inasmuch as
1t often became necessary for me to