The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1914-10-09
A
Diplomatic Secret
b. EDWIN b. TUCKER

Il have heard a curious story o
Napoleon Ills Mexican scheme re-
pratcl Il number OF times III different
forms. | wonder which is correct"
40 you refer" asked a white headed
o~ctogcnarian. TO the case OF how the
car headed off the French EMPEROR
al do"
well. then. | can give you the true
version Of that story. for | was directly
connected with what occurred.
II was very young at the time, but
not too young to be connected with
the American legation at the court OF
81. James. One evening at a recep-
ton a member Of the British cabinet
accostcd me, though | had had no
Introduction to him, and after a pre-
liminary conversation on ordinary top
les drew me into a small room where
we were alone and said 10 me:
"'You have been mentioned TO me as
y person fitted 10 be the repository OF
IN important diplomatic secret-indeed,
10 carry out an important diplomatic
move
"IIe hen pledged me to secrecy, i'm
pressing me with the Importance ct
locking within myself what he was
about to say TO me, after which he pro
ceeded:
"'Our good queen. with her usual
sense and foresight, is in favor OF
permitting YOU Americans TO settle
your quarrels among yourselves. The
emperor Of the French. who must be
constantly diyerting the mind of the
various factions he rules from himself,
has some scheme with reference to
making n Judgment somewhere IN
North America. He is importuning us
10 jOil' him in Intervention with a view
to separate the United States into two
sections. We do not wish TO antago-
niZe him by a refusal. and we do not
wish to enter into any arrangement
with a view to interfering between the
states.
There is a power which would
gladly block the emperor's game did
that power know that the game was
Matching. l refer to Russia. The czar
since the Crimean war does not love
France. and he does not love England.
We cannot join Russia in a coalition
TO prevent Intervention. Should the
ear know that France is ~endeavoring
to induce us to join her In her pro-
posed scheme he would at once take
measures to prevent it. This Is ex-
actly what we should like. 1t would
render a refusal Of Napoleon request
needless and leave us to re lain neu-
trail In American affairs.
Diplomatic secrets sometimes leak
out without any n being aware OF
where the leak is located. You and ]
know exactly where this leak is, and 1t
must remain between you and mo
alone
You except President Lincoln, OF
course?'
"'Of course | do not. There is but
one person besides yourself who may
know it.
"Mr. Seward?'
"'No; the car OF Russia
"'The czar. How can 1 reach himT
""That | must leave to you. Con
sidering that you are a member OF the
American embassy here. I do not think
you should have much trouble
but my chief. the American am
bassador?
"'He. too, must remain ignorant
You must leave London without his
knowledge
"'But the proof for the car Of the
truth Of my story?
81 will furnish you with that?
~ left London the mex morning be
fore dawn armer with the proof that
had been promised. My mother was
at the time In Berlin, and I forged
telegram from her begging me to come
to her IL | expected to see her alive
This telegram l showed to my chief
and was given a leave Of absence. ]
did not go TO Berlin, but 1 did 60 to st
Petersburg. On reaching the capital J
went to the minister Of foreign affairs
showed him papers substantiating my
position with the American embassy al
London and informed him that l had
information concerning a cabal to
interfere in the affairs of the American
republic, but that l was not permitted
to submit 1t except to his majesty.
"The val between the American
states was at that time engaging tn.
attention Of the world, and the czaI
was only too glad Of information con
corning it. He promptly accorded m'
n private interview and listened to M,
%attentively till / had reached the en(
OF my story, when he asked for N,
proofs. l produced them. and he wa
both surprised and convinced. ii
asked me how l came by them. and
refused to tell. That ended the inter
view.
Returning to London, I reported t
my chief that my mothers health wa
much improved, and settled down I
my daily duties. l met the cabin
member through whom the secret hsi
leaked at a function and in a fe
words told him Of my mission. He ar
parently did not expect that the CA
would intimate to me what he nigh
do in the premises.
"There began to be a feeling anon,
tho membprS Of tha d~inlomatic corn