Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1914-11-26

name appears on this book as Trenton
Smell and IL the English government
challenges statement that ] shall sub
sequeEtly make, let them produce the
Downing street. book for the date
j shall mention, let them have hand
writing expert compare the name
Trenton Smell" with my handwriting.
/ make this statement. for what fol.
lowed Is or tremendous importance.
Sir Edward Grey.
After q twenty-minute wait, which
impressed me as being different from
the siam-in-and.slam-out methods OF
th1 Wilhelmstrasse, / was Lhown up
. flight OF stairs. The attendant
knocked on the door, opened II 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
gencesdepartment Of the admiralty"
replied.
Their SYSTEM" he asked. as it SO
extensive and efficient as We have
been led to believer"
That canont be exaggerated
\ 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 ne came out
with what was In his mfrd.
Do ron know II any officials or ma.
val officers are selling or negotiating
10 sell information 10 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.
II had the effect of making him
look at me In a most startled man.
ner.
How do you know that? On what
grounds do you make that as.
sertion?'' His agitation was ill-con.
cealed
Il have no specific proof" replied
(which ! had1--''but from informa-
ton that has been gained from plans
that have been secured plans like
those of your dreadnaughts Queen
Mary and Ajax--it is obvious that
these things have been done with the
cooperation of high offlciaAs OF your
country"
He pressed me for further details,
but withheld them.
Were you ever present at confer.
ences attended by high officials?
Were you, for instance, at the Schlan.
genhad meeting? Have you any data?
Any documentary evidence OF having
been there?' ~
, 4 was not q bit startled. l had
guessed Il would be THAT His very
question showed that h was useless
ior me to deny that I had been nj the
Black Forest conference where Ger.
many had tried her best 20 isolate
France by winning over England. Pos.
'ibly Churchill, recalling my meeting
him during the Boer war. had siropped
! word about this coincidence TO his
Lordship.
Naturally told him possessed no
iuch data. Stil. I did net nike tina
rend OF his talk. II began TO suspect
hat this British minister was doing
me on two things. Either he ala not
Inow everything about the Black For.
'st meeting not at all improbable
With the conditions existing In Eng.
and's cabinet at that time1---or else
lie wanted to learn IL I knew the tenor
L that conference In either case. II
vas one OF those occasions where
Ieemed 1t wise to keep my own com.
ell @>
After many searching questions
pom the French system and her army
nd navy, he began 10 try 20 lead me
o make comparisons between their
trength and England's, these being
ased upon my personal observations.
This. and the whole trend OF his
hought, led me to suspect that Sir
.dward Grey was In roways cure I'm
il own mind OF, or favorable to the
roposed German-English alliance
With men like his Lordship personal
ntipathy plays powerful part In
uch matters.
Unsatisfactory FISHING.
He then began to try 10 make ma
ivulge the contents OF any persona,
lspatches / had carried for the Ger.
ian emperor.
do you know" he asked abruptiv-
IL the German emperor ever comm.
seated with Viscount Haidane?"
Yea, sir" @ ~.
He leaned forward eagerly.
How. and under what circun.
.ancesg'
why thought It common know.
ige that they often correspondes
hey are good friends"
Not that mean direct secvat
between them. con.
srning affairs OF the state
I denied any knowledge Of this. Nh.
cough | knew 1t to be 90.
He began fishing aroRasi AGAIN
Id his hints found me very stupid