The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-04-21

ceipt by the Car Of these letters from
Roumania a communication OF analogous
import was submitted TO him at the
palace of Fredensburg by his French
sister-in-laW. Princess Waldemar Of Den
mark II had reached her from her friend,
Baroness Mohrenheim, wife of the Rus
sian Ambassador at Paris. the intimacy
between the two dating from the time
when the baroness, while stationed at
Copenhagen. had negotiated the match
between the Princess and the sailor son
of the King of Denmark. Mime. de Moh-
renheim's letter to the Princess contained
a confidential note, apparently in the
handwriting of Prince Reuss, the German
Ambassador IN Vienna, and on the latters
private note paper. and addressed to
Prince Ferdinand OF Bulgaria. In the
note the German Ambassador to Austria
arranged with Ferdinand for secret
cipher to be used in their eommunica-
lions, and furnished further assurances
Of Germanys eventual support In the
Bulgarian matter 1t is a peculiar cir
cumstance that before this letter was
forwarded by the Baroness Mohrenheim
Baron Morenhelm, the Russian Ambas-
sador at Paris made a point of showing
it to NJ Flourens, then minister OF for
eign affairs in France. and to certain
other French dignitaries
The communications received from Bu-
charest, and those dispatched By Baroness
MoFenheim from Paris, through Princess
Waldemar, apparently confirmed one an
other and served TO convince the Gar
vino. as shown by the HOheni0he Mem
oirs. was always suspicious of Bismarck;
that the latter WAS playing a double
game. and hetraying the confidence which
he had Teposed in Germany's loyalty 20
the Three Emperor Alliance. II WAS
then that Alexander decided 10 with
draw from the latter md 10 form that
alliance with France which has remained
In existence ever since, In fact. the
grouping of Russia with France. and the
subsequent formation of the alliance be-
tween Germany, Austria, and Italy
would probably never have taken place
had it not been for these letters placed
in the hands of Alexander III at Copen-
hagen. It was much later that is
TO say. after this new grouping Of the
powers had been organized. and the fun
story of the role which the letters had
played in the affair was revealed 10 "a
favored few, and the fact that they were
f0rgeries. was brought TO light Prince
ReUss. summoned from Vienna To Berlin.
was able 70 prove that he had never
written or even heard of the notes attrib-
uted TO him. while Prince Ferdinand
strenuously denied ever having written in
the sense indicted TO the Countess of
Flanders The Countess of Flanders. too,
denied ever having received any letter
from Prince Ferdinand asking her to com
mUAicate with her brother, the King OF
Roumania. and Queen Elizabeth was
equally positive that the correspondence
in question had never passed through her
hands. From which it would appear that
all the letters We're foTgeTies.
The object Of the conspiracy may be
described as having been threefoId.
In the first place. it was designed to
assist the raising Of funds for Bulgaria.
The various people interested in Prince
FeFdinaud's success We're fully aware that
the sole possibility of maintaining him on
his quasi throne was by filling the empty
Bulgarian treasury with foreign gold, 50
as to enable the completion of the rail-
road system. and to avoid increased tax
alton. Now there was no chance of
getting money abroad as long as the
great powers were hostile TO the Coburg
prlncelet and the latter's reign in Conse-
QUencc- bore an ephemeraI aspect. But
the moment il became known that Prince
Bismarck was secretly supporting Ferdi-
naud and that consequently his stay in
Bulgaria was likely 10 become permanent,
"a whole crowd of fnaneiers were prepared
to furnish the funds required. This must
account for Baron MohrenheIm's some
what extraordinary action in showing
documents Of such n confidential nature
as the alleged note Of Prince Reuss. and
even before the Car had seen it. To
people in authority at Paris. II there
was any Interior object i'm this. it was
certainly attained, as Immediately after
wards the Bulgarian treasury succeeded
in obtaining the money which il needed
Another object 70 be served by the con-
spiraCy was the increase of the estrange-
ment between Germany and Russia, and
the consequent necessity of the Car S
contracting. once and for al. an offensive
and defensive alliance with France, in
which case the Orleanists, at any rate,
expected that he would throw his whole
monarchial restoration. Intimately ac-
quainted with the morOse yet upright
character of the late Gar, the conspira-
tors very rightly took it for granted that
the latter, having learned that he consid-
cred them 10 be the undetermined intrigues
OF Bismarck by means beyond the channels
OF ordinary diplomacy, he was NOT likely
TO make the matter n subject of official
complaint. tt was, on the contrary. much
more probable that he would silently
brood over the chancellor's treachery
and allow it to become the secret motive
OF his action against Germany. The third
object to he served by the plot was the
downfall and disgrace Of Bismarck. II
was Well known that old Emperor Viii
liam, especially after the tragic death
OF his favorite nephew, Alexander II, had
an almost superstitious dread of any pos
sibility of "a war with Russia. and that he
was firmly determined. u all costs, tC
maintain peace during his lifetime. The
conspirators hoped TO be able to convince
the Kaiser that Prince Bismarck was the
principal obstacle TO peace and friendship
between the two nations, and by these
means 10 insure the chancellor's down
fall. The latter object was not attained
( But the plotters were successful in theil
other two AIMS
It is only fair TO add that no one
acquainted with Princess Waldemar evel
dreamed for one moment Of imputing tC
her any completely in the intrigue. But
the people interested in the success of thu
plot We're aware OF her Gallo hatred anC
distrust of Prince Bismarck. of her ardenf
/ French patriotism. ana OF the fact thai
she was the favorite companion of Alex
ander III in his long pedestrian expe
ditions at Fredensburg They therefore
used her as an unconscious and innocent
/ instrument to place the forged letters OF
! Prince Reuss, OF Prince Ferdinand OF
/ Bulgaria. ana of the Countess of Flanders