Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1914-10-08

ANAea
swapping and snarling France was
going around with her chest stuck
out, her attitude decidedly belliger.
emf. or course this was due To the
fat fingers OF honest John Bull; In.
dead. England had more than ten fin
gers In this pie that WA baking.
knew that the air was full Of
Morocco and war talk. / knew that
there was q certain faction In Ger
many that was trying to push the
kaiser into war. This clique. com.
posed OF army and navy men, the
~Junker--the lingo" party and the
higsgun interests--backed by public
opinion, were trying their utmost to
urge var with France What was the
latest ut the WiIhelmstrasse7
On the stroke OF TO- 30 / was there.
| handed my number to the commits
saire. This number Is important. All
German secret agents are known BY
numbers, all carry little cards.
Presently the commissalre returned
and showed me into che chambers Of
Graf Won WedeIl, prisy councillor to
the German emperor. Together with
another man. who had also just ar.
rived, | was told to walt In an ante
chamber. We bowed, and although
we took pretty good stock OF each
other. neither spoke. II Ii an unwrit.
ten law In the Imperial Secret Service
not 70 hold Unnecessary conversation.
After about half an hours walt, we
we're shown into the counts private
room This rather astontshed me. for
the usual rule oil the Wiihelmstraase
Ii 10 interview only n man at q
time. Clearly something D d OF the
ordinary was In the air,
After the count greeted as, he In.
CURED II we were known to each
other. Receiving d negative, ha intro
dnoed us. My companion was a Herr
Won sarden. ex-officer or the Second
Dragon Guards,
ayou will both be taken at half past
eleven 70 d certain room, said the
count You win advance to the mid.
die, wheel 60 your right. face the por.
there, and stand az attention. You
will answer all questions. but make no
comments or queries yourself. | need
not enIoin you to the most absolute
silence, You u~nderstand?'
Face the Kaiser.
We bowed. Just then q gcag boom,
ed somewhere below as, And with a
last word from the countaBe
readyi"-he LEFT US. Reappearing al
most immediately. he beekoned MS 10
follow him. We noticed that he
seemed even more grave than usual
Down q flight az stairs along d great
corridor We made u way, no n
speaking a word, AT the end OF the
corridor we saw two sentrles; then d
big solid oak door, guarded by an at
tendant In the livery Of the royal
household. AT d sign from the count
We halted: he nodded. The door was
opened by an officer OF the First Body.
guard. and, remembering our instruc.
lions. we entered and came 20 atten.
tion In the middle Of a large room.
facing an adjoining chamber, the porS
there's OF which were divided.
The room In which We stood was
brilliantly lighted. but the ether was
dark. save for q green glow that came
from a shaded reading lamp on a big
writing desk. Sender looked nc the
desk and gave a sort OF gasp. I quite
understood his emotion. For seated
behind that heavy, old.fashioned desk
was Wilhelm II, emperor of Germany.
We stood at rigid attention. abso.
A Rsxfa TxF &a3HA@& NNw &4&4R F~N w.8&N&.Smm efs&m
dimiy IN, solitary figure at the desk
made no sign, but went on writing.
am not d timid or u nervous man.
the sort OF work | was doing seasons
one pretty thoroughly. But this be-
gan I'd get on my nerses-~drawn mp he.
front or the emperor and waiting.
The more l looked at that silent,
lonely figure, War Lord or Europe,
the more | began 20 feel a great long.
ing cor the African yeidt. q thousand
miles north of Port Natal preferably.
suddenly the emperor made a move.
and there came q sharp. rather high
pitched Voice, Saying. "Nedell. ] will
SEQ the doctor"
Al once Herr Sender was shown
Il 1FDAu llG F10u1s NbNt0uAf4 tHN MtNEtDtas
whatever IL was. was not for him.
was hidden 70 step 10 within three
paces or the emperor. the oflrer who
escorted Herr won Sender from the
room attempted TO return, but was
waved out. There were just the three
OF MS. Count Wedell, standing al the
corner OF the desk on the right. the
kaiser. and myself.
had . the emperor on many
occasions before. but never so close.
He appeared to be lost n some eocu.
ment. He looked well, but older than
any or his portraits. Tanned almost
dark. his rather lean face bore q
striking likeness 10 Frederick the
Great. more 30 than ever now that he
In getting gray Isrealiged that none
of his portraits d. his eyes Justice.
OF q blush steel gray. they have an
Icy. impersonal look In them that is
impressive. Ii Ii hard to define. but ii
struck me In that moment that Lord
Kitchener. Tewfk PashA. Cecil