The Washington herald., 1914-10-25
CoOpyiEht. laI.l

InS 0rItlSn ana DocIS m oouti
Africa, at a period which do moi
care to specify more particularly. that
! had the honor to receive request to
proceed without loss of time to Pc
tersburg, and wait upon NJ. de Witte-
The moment I arrived at Petersburg,
/ went, without delaying to change or
refresh myself, to wait upon my client.
Our interview took place, not at the
ministry of finance, where NJ. de Witte
would have been surrounded BY spies,
but at a small private house IN a sub
urb.
Il have asked you to meet me here,"
the minister explained, as soon as l
had seated myself and lighted the cigar
which he pressed upon me, because /
don't wish the fact that we are in COM
munication to be known to single per-
son in the Russian empire In particu-
lar, it must be kept a strict secret from
the minister of war. 1t is against him
that you will be really acting, and I
shall have to ask you to pledge yourself
that in case of your proceedings at
tracing his attention, you will lead him
to suppose that you have been sent here
by some foreign power"
I contented myself with bowing, and
waited for the minister to proceed.
will you permit me to ask you" he
said politely, "if you have ever done
any business on behalf of the Emperor
of Austria-Hungary?"
II have been engaged by his majesty
on two occasions" responded.
"You know 50 much of what goes on
in Europe, NJ. v" he resumed,
"that perhaps it will be no news to you
that Francis Joseph has decided to ab-
dicate."
81 will not pretend that it is news"
was my response. But l am always
glad to have my own information con-
frmed. 1 shall be grateful for any
thing that you may tell me"
'I am not going to keep anything
from you" said the minister. The
Emperor has made a private announce
ment of his intention to my own mas
ter, the Gar, asking for his good, Offices
on behalf of his proposed successor.
What I am going to ask you to do
may sound rather extraordinary. 1
want you to go to Vienna, see his
majesty, of course without letting him
know that you have been IN communi-
cation with me, and tell him that you
suspect the Russian government is
playing him false. Then persuade him
to employ you to find out what is in
the wind"
I stared at NJ de Witte in some be-
wildeFment, Then answered eau
tiously:
do I understand you, sir, to pro-
pose that l am really to enter the ser
vice of the Emperor? Or am 1 to be
your agent"
81 want you to do BOTH" was the
answer.
q am to deceive the EmperorIit ap.
pears?" l said with rising indignation.
Not in the least You will accept his
commission to ascertain the secret in
tentions and prospects of the govern
ment of Russia, and you will execute
that commission exactly as if you and
I had never held this conversation"
M de Witte, / must beg you to be
plain with me I never consent to act
in the dark What is your true motive |
in making this strange proposal to me?"
Il think 1 have already told you"
the minister returned with perfect cool
ness. The man whom l am combating
is Count Lamsdorff."
your colleague7"
Exactly Ny colleague, the wal
minister"
Let me see if clearly understand
your excellency. The Emperor of Aus
tria has given the Gar private notice of
his intention to abdicate? The Car
has promised to preserve friendly at
titude? Nevertheless, the war party in
the ministry, with or without the Cars
connivance, is secretly preparing to
take advantage of the situation in some
way? Yout exceIleng, knowing this,
and disapproMng of their plans, desires
to put the Austrian Emperor on his
guard, that the scheme may miscarry?"