Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1914-11-20

We drove TO Downing street. Csp.
tain Rohtnaan saad Land stopped b.
fore the historic governmental build.
Ing. After we had signed the book
that all visitors to Downing street"
must sign. ! was shown into an ante.
room and Robinson took his leave. My
name appears on this book as Trenton
Smell, and II the English government
challenges statement that ! shall sub
seQuently make, let them produce the
Downing street. book for the date
] shall mention. let them have'a hand
writing expert compare the name
Trenton Smell" with my handwriting.
l make this statement for what fol-
lowed is Of tremendous Importance
Sir Edward Grey.
After twenty-minute wait, which
impressed me as being different from
the slam-in-and-slam-ou methods OF
tho Wilhelmstrasse. 1 was Lhown up
flight Of stairs. The attendant
Knocked on the door, opened 1t 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 point7" he asked quickly.
Il am familiar only with tho intel.
replied.
Their SYSTEM" he asked. lis It SO
extensive and efficient as we have
been led to believer
THAT canont be exaggerated"
4 Startled Foreign Minister.
At this Sir Edward began to
throw out innuendoes to which Ire.
piled in like vein. The interview was
not progressing. Finally he. came out
with what was In his m'pd.
DO you know II any officials or ma
val officers are selling or negotiating
to sell information to foreign intellt
gence Departmental"
Although he had not said English
officers or of1cials. l kney. what be
meant. but I made up.my mind not to
tell everything ] knew.
"There are SUCH" ] replied
1t had the effect of making him
look at me In most startled man.
ner.
How do you know that7 On what
| grounds do you make that as-
sertion?" His agitation was tilcon.
cealed.
Il have no specific proof" ! replied
(which l had)-"but from mfOrma-
ton that has been gained from plans
that have been secured-plans like
those Of your dreadnaughts Queen
Mary and Ajax-it.a lis obvious that
these things have been done with the
cooperation Of high officials Of your
country"
He pressed me for further details.
but withheld them.
Were you ever present at confer
ences attended by high officials7
Were you, for instance, at the Schlan-
genbad meeting? Have you any data
Any documentary evidence Of having
been there?"
was not a bit startled. ! had
guessed 1t would be that. His very
question showed that It was useless
for me to deny that ! had been at the
Black Forest conference where Ger.
many had tried her best to isolate
France by winning oyer England. Pos.
sibly Churchill, recalling my meeting
him during the Boer war, had dropped
word about this coincidence to bis
Lordship.
/ Nal t01 I
such data. Still. l did not like the
trend of his talk. began to suspect
that this British minister was doing
one of two things. Either he did not
know everything about the Black For.
est meeting-(not at ali improbable
with the conditions existing in Eng.
lands cabinet at that time)-or else
he wanted to learn II knew the tenor
Of that conference. In either case. 10
was one of those occasions where I
deemed it wise to keep my own coun.
sci.
After many searching questions
upon the French system and her army
and navy, he began to try to lead mo
to make comparisons between their
l 8tE0UKtu 6uO xZu6l00W SAA000 WVhAs0
based upon my personal observations.
This, and the whole trend Of his
thought led me to suspect that Sir
Edward Grey was in noways sure IN
his ownamind of, or favorable to. the
/ proposed German English alliance.
With men like his, kordship personal
antipathy plays powerful part In
such, matters.
Unsatisfactory Fishins.
He then began to try TO make mo
diyulge the contents Of any personal
dispatches had carried for the Ger
man emperor.
do you know" he asked abruptly.
"if the German emperor ever commu.
nicated with Viscount Haldanef"
"Yes, SIR
He leaned forward eagerly.
How. ana under what ciresn'
etancesf''