Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1916-01-14

nanQe0 MIN Slr EuWAru OESy |
signed letter. and the special consular
recommendation signed by the foreign
office and personally vised-which |
makes all the difference in the world
by the British ambassadors at
Vienna, Berlin and Rome.
He scanned the papers closely and
drew in long breath. D
"This dispatch came this morning.
via Brindisi, in the consular mail bag"
he said 1T is from our ambassador
at Rome. He advises me to use your
services to the fullest extent. Do you
know why. X?''
81 gathered something from the
newspapers-"'I began, but he checked
me
Yes, but do you realize that we are
hung up in the air?" he said, display
ing understandable excitement. you
are absolutely the only coadjutor can
find. Those fellows in the Office are
either raw Englishmen or native
clerks. Saunders, who could have
helped, is down with fever and deliri-
GUS. Pousonby is home on leave.
There is nobody but ourselves to
handle the most ticklish situation
since the days OF Arab The cables
are cut"
| / jumped in my seat. That meant
business indeed-it might mean war
all over Europe. Gables are only cut
| when events of the highest magnitude
are impending.
| II spent three hours deciphering the
code alone" said Atterbury. land the
moment / had Strengthened out the
meaning hurried to find you. Well.
we have had no cable messages for
two days. Who out the cables7 Not
Italy. but that Turk torpedo boat that
put into Alexandria on Friday morn
ing and got out last night unObserved.
Well, Kitchener has disappeared. ap-
psVentiy, en- route for Egypt. He ought
to have been here yesterday. 1t isn't
his way to linger.
Nov, x, have to trust you entirely
in this matter. Italy has declared war
on Turkey, and, before doing so. she
sounded our government in London
Would we declare Egyptian neutrality
and bar the Turkish troops that would
be hurried down from Damascus.
where their Eighth army corps Is
posted? II we would refuse them pas
sage, Tripoli falls like a plum into
Italy's lap. II we refused, the game
was up. OF course. we had no right to
declare Turkish province neutral.
But we've done IL. Xn
whistled. 1t might mean war with
Turkey. and a Mohammedan uprising
In India.
mo doubt England receives her quid
pro quo" pursued Atterbury. And,
needless to say. that consists OF Italian
neutrality IN the coming war with Ger.
many. It's thieves bargain, and I'm
not proud of my country. We're as bad
as those Italian robbers However, the
sole point that concerns US now is:
Who is going to make the khediye de
, clare neutrality and stop the Eighth
army corps at the frontier?"
Lord Kitchener" answered. did
you ever know him TO be in the wrong
place at the right moment?"
/, Atterbury laid his hand on my shout
der. and his face assumed an expires
! sion of great earnestness. "X." he an
, swered. Il am firmly convinced that
, Kitchener has been murdered en- route
There is no other explanation for his
absence at such critical juncture
Now" 3tf
He then unfoided to me the DARING
scheme that he had conceived. TIL.
: conversation began on the hote
veranda and was continued in the pal
!, ace. where, as the English representa-
: tive, Atterbury occupied a suite O
rooms.
The amazing nature of this proposal
a did not appeal to me. | met 1t, on tn
:. veranda, with direct negative. Al
: terbury then asked me to luncheon 8
: the palace. and afterward began agar
: TX, it is the supreme crisis In Enf
!, lands destiny" he said. THE Eight
= army corps is already modified |
Damascus. If we fail Italy now, II ma
mean our extinction as a nation whe
" Germany, aided by Italy, strikes at on
y national existence"
y His arguments began to shake no
resolution. In vain derided the pla
: as impossible and fantastic. | bega
. to see that the difficulty of the sugge
:, ton lay not so much in its impract
cability as in its audacity
- He wanted me to impersonate Lor
= Kitchener and overawe the khedive.
"Kitchener's reputation as a mari
. net has preceded him." he urged. III
presence alone would overawe the XII
y dive or any Of his ministers. Do yo
suppose his timid little highness wou
have the courage to refuse a perem
x tory demand made In Englands namt
81 Why, If were twenty years older.
y would play the role myself. although
;" do not bear the slightest resemblan
to Kitchener. and you do"
ae The resemblance is not q strikiI
III one" ! protested.
mo, X. but you must remember tn
just as most negroes look alike to
Europeans, SO most Europeans lot
alike to 0rientals. ! am confident til
II you 90 boldly into the audien
% chamber and hold out the proclan
:" tion of neutrality and demand tn
. Abbas affix his signature. you will 81
ply hypnotic him into doing SO. Y
must remember that the thought
ua anyone impersonating Lord Kitchen
would be perfectly ineonceivable
ia him Besides, 1t is sixteen years sin
OP Kitchener was in Egypt. and he D
rly greatly changed since then"