The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-02-09
Uppermost German Air Lord Hopes to Live Long
Enough to Pilot One Of His Big Sky
Machines to America.
on PEACEFUL TRIP TO THIS SIDE
Thinks the Time Will Come When the Winged
Jitney Bus Will Become Safe and Pop
ular, Method Of Travel.

that there we're many problems still
unsolved and he did not seem to be-
Heve there would ever come great
battles OF the air on the scale so
luridly pictured by imaginative writ
ers of fiction.
Perhaps there won't be wars when
the stage of perfection is reached" !"
the count said.
usggested that he might have
sent one of his Zeppelins to San
Francisco for exhibition at the Pan
Iama-Pacific exposition.
NO" he declared emphatically,
mo, do not want Zeppelin to make
her first voyage across the Atlantic
in the freight hold Of steamer. She
will make it under her own power"
Hethen explained to me that the
reason he has broken his life long
rule never to be interviewed, was be-
cause he recalled with appreciation,
the cordiality and hospitality extend
ed to him by Americans half a cen
tury ago and beause 1t was in the
United States that he conceived the
idea Of aerial navigation. He will be
x in July. but he does not look over
sfxty. He Is short. but ms we11-knt
athletic figure shows astonishing elias
ticity an da quickness of movement.
He has very clear eyes and a ruddy
face with snow white moustache
and when saw him he had a pair. of
| beautiful sinners" both eyes being
discolored and almost swollen shut.
Calling my attention to them, he said:
"It looks like I had been in fight,
doesn't 1t fl
He explained that it was the result
/ of tumble in the air while conduct.
ing an experiment at Johapnisthal.
He declined to go into the nature OF
the experiment at the time, but it
was plain from his attitude hat it
was an Important one. A friend.
who made the third at the dinner
with the count here, announced that
he was compelled to leave to see
his friend, popular German dancer,
off from the railway station.
Perhaps your excellency knows
her, and would accompany me-" he
suggested.
The Zeppelin smile again was in
evidence.
/, mo, but if were a crifle young
er, would wager that | would was
the reply.
fOr several HOuIS dlLei WdIu, Iho
count related to me incidents of his
experience in America during the
| civil war. He told of meeting Presi-
| dent Lincoln as a military attache
and representative of the king Of
IWurtemburg.
"The president was sitting at his
desk very busy. His private secre.
tary, young Seward, son of the secrc-
tary Of state, was sitting on u table
dangling his legs in the air.
Lincoln, tall and gaunt, greeted me
very cordially. He made the impress
sion on me that the kaiser always
makes on me when L meet him. Lin
coin in particular was deeply concern
ed about the cruelties of the war, or
what you now refer to as atrocities.
People had the same impressions then
as they have now. This was best
shown by popular song, the refrain
of which goes, if I remember right:
when this cruel war is over. The
president gave me military Fass
i with his signature and l still cherish
| # as one Of my most priced posses
sions.''
As lieutenant of cavalry, Won Yep
lpelin declared that he had had many
amusing experiences with Generals
carl Schurz, Hooker, Gilmour, Mead
ana Pleasanton. He laughing describ-
cd Pleasanton's long locks like wom-
ans which he attributed to rash
oeclaration that he would not cut his
hair while the war lasted. The count
fContinued on page 81