The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1914-11-27

.
name appears on this book as Trenton
Smell, and If the English government
challenges statement that shall SUBJ
| sequently make, let them produce the
Downing street. book for the date
] shall mention, let them have a hand
writing expert compare the nama
Trenton Smell" with my handwriting.
| make this statement, for what fol-
lowed is Of tremendous importance.
| Sir Edward Grey.
After tweDty-minute wait, which
impressed me as being different from
| the slam-in-and-slam-o methods Of
| th5 Wilhelmstrasse, / was bhown up
a fight of stairs. The attendant
knocked on the door, opened it and
| announced, the gentleman"
was facing Sir Edward Grey
Il presume you are familiar with
Germany's naval activity"
up to a certain point, sir"
What point?" he asked quickly.
Il am familiar only with the intel
ligence department Of the admiralty,"s
replied
Their SYSTEM" he asked rs it SO
extensive and efficient as we have
been led to believer"
That canont be exaggerated"
A Startled Foreign Minister
At this Sir Edward began to
throw out innuendoes to which | re-
Piled in like vein. The interview was
not progressing. Finally he came CUB
with what was in his mid
DO you know if any officials or ma
val officers are selling or negotiating
to sell information to foreign intelli-
gence departments?
Although he had not said English
officers or officials, ! knew what he
meant, but ! made up my mind not to
tell everything ! knew
There are SUCH" I replied
It had the effect of making him
look at me in most startled man
ner
How do you know that? On what
grounds do you make that as
sertion?" His agitation was ill-ccn-
cealed.
4 have no specific proof. ! replied
(which I had)-"but from informa-
ton that has been gained from plans
that have been secured-plans Hka
those of your dreadnaughts Queen
Mary and Ajax-it is obvious tllat
these things have been done with lie
cooperation of high officials of yoar
country"
. He pressed me for further details,
but I withheld them.
Were you ever present at confer
snces attended by high oficialsa
We're you. for instance, ct the SchIan-
yenbad meeting? Have you any data7
any documentary evidence Of having
been fhers?
s.as not 5iE startled. ] nad
guessed it would be that His very
question showed that il vas useless
or me TO deny that had been at the
Black Forest conference where Ger
many had tried her best to isolate
france by winning over England. Pos
IDLY Churchill. recalling my meeting
i'm during the Boer war. had dropped
word about this coincidence to his
sordship.
Naturally ! told him / possessed no
UGH data. Still, / did not like the
rend of his talk. / began to suspect
hat this British minister was doing
ne of two things. Either he did not
now everything about the Black For
81 meeting-(not at all improbable
it'll the conditions existing in Eng
.nd's cabinet at that time)-or Csc
e wanted to learn if / knew the tenor
that conference In either case. ID
as one of those occasions where I
semed it wise 10 keep my own coun-
j.
After many searching questions
ION the French system and her army
ID navy, he began to try to lead me
make comparisons between their
rength and England's, these being
sed upon my personal observations.
mis-. and the whole trend of his
ought, led me to suspect that Sir
iward Grey was in noways sure in
) own mind of, or favorable to. the
oposed German English alliance
it'll men like his Lordship personal
tipathy plays powerful part in
ch matters.
Unsatisfactory Fishing.
he then began to try to make ms
-ulge the contents of any personal
matches ] had carried for the Ger
IN emperor.
10 YOU know he asked abruptly,
the German emperor ever commu-
ated with Viscount Haldane?"
Yes, sir"
lie leaned forward eagerly.
How. and under what circum-
nces?'.. lie
Why. I thought it common knowL
% that they often corresponded.
sy are good friends
Not that. / mean direct secret
,munications between them, con-
ming affairs of the state
denied any knowledge of this, al.
ugh l knew it TO be So
"a began fishing around again.
his hints found me very stupid
Nv unsatisfactory answers seemed
disnIease Sir Edward Grey. for