The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-03-15
TN THE SERVICE OF DOWNING STREET" An Anonymous Book Creates
 Great Excitement THE RUM0R IS DENIED Princess Victoria, KaiseTs Oldest Daughter, is Not Engaged to King Manuel of Portueal-An Amer
 ican Theatre.
THE RUM0R IS DENIED
BY MALCOLM CLARKE.

Berlin March 14.-NeVer since the ap- ! pearance of Lieutenant Blses famous military novel, From a Small Garrison.
 has a book stirred up such hornets nest
 as has Tn the Service of Downing
 Street." book by an anonymous author, just published in England.
 The author. said by some to be an Aus
 trian, by others a German retired army l officer, makes the bold statement that the German government, ever since some time | before the Boer war has systematically 1 tried to stir up rebellion against Great 1 Britain in South Africa.
 | No wonder that the German govern ment is shocked Officially, of course, no notice has been taken of the book, put papers. which are often used by the gov ernment to voice it's feelings unofficially, like the Koeinische Zeitung and the Ber- liner Zetung, strongly condemns the au- thor of the book, whom they accuse of lying outright in order to satisfy the public craving for sensation.
 We feel assured" the latter paper says, that the British government, well knowing the Kaiser's persistent efforts to preserve the peace of the world, will at tach no import to these so-called reports, which are obviously misleading and cal
 
 Great Britain and Germany"
 am able to say on excellent authority that the rumor printed in American papers as to an intended engagement be- tween the Kaisers only daughter Prin- cess Victoria, and young King Manuel of Portugal is without any foundation whatever.
 The Kaiserin is strongly opposed to girls marrying early in life, and under no clr- cumstances would she give her consent to the marriage of her daughter to the King of country where not only re- public may be proclaimed at any time, but where her life would be continually in danger.
 In spite of all denials, it is known that the guards watching the members of the imperial family here have been doubled since the assassination of King Carlos or Portugal.
 Ostensibly the palace Is guarded by the usual number of military sentrles only. but secret service agents in plain clothes to the number of nearly lO0 are always on guard inside the palace as well as outside Everything has also been oone to keep the Kaiser and his family sa1e from all attacks when travellng rom this city to the Mediterranean. | Anronos of the uneasiness of ruling | monarehs since the death of King Carlos, l the following amusing story comes rom | Budapest:
 King Ferdinand of Bulgaria was walk l ing down the main street of that city 2 | few days ago when he was seen to De l followed by a man carrying a susplclous- | looking package. The man was promptly l arrested, taken to the police station as a l ,icf md | protests, charged with attempted pomp | throwing.
 | The package he was carrying was 1 placed in a pail of water and opened seV- | eral hours later when 1t was round 10 | contain nothing more deadly than half l dozen smoked herrings.
 | If looks as if the idea of an American | theatre in Berlin is about to be realized. l Mrs. Meta Hing, who has done more | than any other person to interest the | people of Berlin in the scheme, says that l she has now not only succeeded in rals- 1 ing the money necessary to buy sultaole | site in the centre of the city, but also In 1 interesting the Kaiser in the project. She l has received letter from the Marshal l of the Court, Count Zu Gutenberg, iE | which he says that the Kaiser looks for | ward to the opening of an American
 
 | to be a frequent visitor.
 According to the programme of the en- | terprising lady, the best American actors | and actresses are to be engaged, and | characteristic American plays, such as
 ..The Music Master" The Lion and the
 Mouse" and ''rhe Squaw Man are to be 1 produced.
 The Kaiser has refused to pardon the
 old shoemaker, Voigt, who is serving a
 term in prison because he, in December,
 1906. made the whole world laugh when
 he, dressed in the uniform of German
 colonel ordered the Mayor of the town l of Koepenick to turn over to him all the
 cash money in the town treasury and suc-
 ceeded in making his escape. using the
 privates in the army to help him carry | away the money.
 It is not strange that the Kaiser, to
 whom the army is everything, refuses to set the old man free, but with the Ger | man people the release would be very popular. During the time he has been in | prison presents of all kinds have been
 sent to him, although they have not been 1 allowed to reach him, and wealthy
 lady of this city has promised to pro
 vide for. him so that he shall never want | when he is set free.
 One of the most remarkable surgical | operations ever performed was the stitch' ing LID a wound in the heart of a thirty eight-year-old man by Professor Sultan o
 this city. The man had tried to commit
 suicide, using revolver of small caiibre
 and the operation was performed thlrt! | hours after the shooting.
 Writing about the operation Tn tns
 German Medical Weekly" Professor Sul | tan says:
 We made an incision in the sternum and then as soon as the cardial sac was opened a great quantity of dark biooS
 oozed out. The heart, lying quite free fol Its entire length, was carefully hfted up
 Upon the frontal side appeared only
 small extravasation the size of lentil but as soon as the heart was turned to-
 ward the right there appeared a small
 wound with ragged edges, about half 9 | centimetre in diameter. With three l stitches of fine silk thread the edges of iaiaad 1rh