Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1915-04-23


tracted; and, as soon as it was over,
he rose up and, taking me by the arm,
led me into his private study. ! at
once guessed what was coming, and,
while accepting cigar, determined
that nothing should be extracted from
me respecting the negotiation have
described, and of which M. Fleuriot
had kept me partly informed.
"tMy dear baron he commenced,
you and are old friends. We should
both be equally distressed if war were
to break out between our two coun-
tries
Without doubt replied, affecting
to consider the remark a mere chance
observation Let us be thankful that
such an event is not in the least likely
to take place. And added to myself:
Unless you refuse to give up Egypt.
"He glanced at me with suspicion.
GLOW far you are in the confidence
of your foreign Office he said, I nei-
Their know, nor do / ask you to tell
me. / desire to give you information,
not to receive it,
"'You are too good / murmured,
more on my guard than ever.
"T hope, at the same time he went
on, that what I have to say to you
may cause you to take action in what
1 believe to be the interest of both
countries. am sure that if you use
this information you will not allow
it's source to be discovered
"'That is understood, of course l
replied, beginning to be really inter-
ested.
"'Thank you. Let me say at once,
then, that have reason to believe
that your government has recently
proposed to the court of Berlin an Of
fensive alliance against England with
view to compelling us to evacuate
Egypt in your favor
81 was thunderstruck at the accu-
racy of his information.
"'But, my lord, this is some chimera,
delusion!' cried, affecting the utmost
incredulity. Such an idea is too ex-
travagant for feuilleton'
Lord Soames smiled coldly.
"T have already said that / do not
ask you to commit yourself, my dear
baron he replied I will assume, if
you prefer it, that all this is news to
you. But you have not yet heard what
1 wanted to tell you. AS you know,
Great Britain has hitherto steadfastly
refused to join the triple alliance for
fear of being dragged by Germany into
war against France. 1t is to your
interest, / think you will admit, that
we should continue to hold aloof.'
81 shrugged my shoulders without
expressing any opinion on this point.
"'Now,' pursued Lord Soames, we
suddenly find ourselves placed in this
dilemma. Prince Bismarck has in
formed our ambassador in Berlin that
he will accept your proposal unless
England accedes to the triple alliance
within week from today, and I'M
dertakes to employ her navy in a
blockade of the French coast as soon
as war is declared
II was overwhelmed. The revela-
ton of this atrocious duplicity on the
part of Bismarck completely stunned
me. Knowing what did of his char
acter, it was impossible to doubt the
truth of Lord Soames' disclosure. 1t
was evident that the whole of the
negotiations with our foreign Office
had been a deliberate ruse in order to
obtain the means of discrediting us in
the eyes of Great Britain. 1t was the
Belgian trick of 1870 over again!
Il could have wept. 1t was with the
utmost difficulty that / concealed my
CONSERVATION from the keen eyes Of
the Englishman.
"'You have been deceived, my
friend 1 answered, in a tone of great
confidence. That Bismarck should
make such assertions does not sur
prise me in the least But it is mere
invention of his own, believe me. If
such a thing had been on the carpet,
l am the first person with whom M.
Fleuriot would have communicated
Lord Soames listened to me with
an all of indulgence as if had been
a child
Again permit me to remind you
that am simply giving you warning
for your own benefit, he said. have
only to add that the prince has prom
ised to show our ambassador the writ
ten French proposal, signed by M.
Fleuriot, next Saturday. Unless you
can reclaim that document by then,
England will join the alliance, and war
will be declared within a fortnight
ut was useless for me to make fur
Their protests. They we're wasted on
this man of ice.
I am obliged to you for your
friendliness,' l said, rising. No doubt
the whole story is some clumsy fabri-
cation of Prince Won Bismarck's, which
it will be easy to disprove. If / should
chance to meet M. Fleuriot, however,
will inform him of these SANDERS
I'VE returned to the drawing-room,
and I chatted with Lady Soames for