The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-29
True Story of Rothschiid and
l7ow He Got Waterloo NetDs

Lucient Wolf in The Westminster
| Gazette.
| Picturesque myths die hard, espec-
tally those which haunt the byways OF
| history. An example of their grace
less vitality appears, regret to say,
In last Thursdays Westminster, where
find II stated, apropos to the cath
anniversary of Waterloo that the first
news OF Weilington's victory was
brought to London by 1.-THE head of the
great house of Rothschild. who was
waiting at Brussels. ready to rush to
England" 1t is further stated that
before any Information reached the
government he (Rothschild) was able
secretly TO buy UP large quantities of
government securities which were at
great discount, and SO realize an
enormous fortune within a few hours"
The first part of this anecdote is en-
tirely untrue; the second part belongs
to that category of half-truths which,
as we know, are ever the worst of tar
radidd1es. Some years ago / took the
trouble to Investigate the story. I
found that It was quite unknown to
Nathan Rothschild's contemporaries and
biographers. and even to the pamph-
letters who delighted In vilifying him
such as the author Of the scurrilous
Hebrew Talisman."
AS a matter of fact, 1t first appear
cd In an anti-Semitic brochure pub
lished In 1S48 under the title "Histoire
Edifante de Rothschild l." The author
of this precious work was a shady
Journalist named George Darnwell, who
had conceived the idea of blackmail-
Ing the head of the French firm, Bar
on de Rothschild, with it. he first
submitted his manuscript to the baron
ulr 20 a n fnr ifa
suppression, and 1t was only when this
impudent proposal was rejected that
he resorted to publication. The pamph-
let made some little sensation in Par
Is, and Baron James was stung into
publishing q reply, in which he told
the story OF the attempted chantage.
In this reply he also specifically de-
MED the allegation that his brother
Nathan was in Brussels, or indeed,
anywhere near the seat of war, at the
time of the battle. Nevertheless, the
anecdote persisted, and 1t has been ac-
cepted as authentic history by more
than one serious chronicler of the
stirring events of 1915.
But IL Rothschild did not personally
bring the news to London, 1t was at
any rate through his agency that 1t
first reached this country. have told
the true story in brief form before
but perhaps, In view OF the recurrence
OF the spurious version II may be
worth while to repeat It. In the first
place 1t should be stated that Nathan
Rothschild or rather his firm, not on
ly received the second and better
known message on the subject which
arrived in this country some thirty
hours before the official dispatches. The
first message was brought from Dun
kirk by a vessel belonging to the
Rothschilds and commanded by a GER
tain Captain Cullen. 1t was in the
form OF a Gazette Extraordinary" is
sued in Brussels during the night OF
June 1919, and contained the single
line, Great victory of the English"
This reached New Court about mid
night on the 18th. The second mes
sage was brought by Rothschild's
agent at Client He had been present
at the announcement of the victory to
Louis XVIII at o'clock on TIE 10th
by Count Pozzo di Borgo. who was sent
straight from the battle field by the
Duke OF wellington for the purpose.
The name OF this agent has not been
preserved. but his movements have
been ascertained In detail. For
the moment 1t must suffice to say that
he arrived in London during the at
ternoon of June 20.
The precise way In which the first
message was transmitted Is largely a
matter of conjecture. 1t Is not diff