American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1917-07-03


. e declaration Of war to the French
ambassador in Berlin.
Her majesty, in her gray silk gown,
sat there, pale and nervous. Somebody
tapped at the door, but she replied:
Il am engaged. Come later"
81 will endeavor TO do my best" I
went on. providing that your majesty
will support me-"
Il certainly will. These dispatches
must be stopped at all hazards she
said. Cannot you yourself land and
overtake the courier7'
1t was a wild suggestion. Natzmer
had gone off in the steam pinnace an
hour before, and the boat, returning,
had already been hauled up. 1 could
not step ashore for at least a couple
Of hours, and then at some point on
that rugged coast where l might be
compelled TO drive by some circuitOus
rout by carriole down to T~rondhjem.
Further. the emperor would miss me,
and would consequently suspect.
In a few brief sentences l pointed
all this out to the empress.
"Try-dO try-fOr our empires
sake - she urged. Il will assist you
with all my efforts. You must arrive
at the imperial chancellery prior to
those dispatches. The emperor is not
himself. Count Won HeltzendOrf, you
are a trusted servant Of our house.
Into your hands l place the solution
of this most difficult problem"
evil not your majesty allow me to
wire in your name TO our legation in
Christianla TO recall the cOurier?' 1
suggested. Il will send a wireless mes
sage which the minister, Won Petsch,
will receive within a couple Of hours,
/ and watch will hen be kept for his
arrival by train. To Overtake him
. now is, l feel sure. impossible.
? For the next few seconds the kais-
Z erin was undecided. To reverse the
, orders OF her imperial husband was
= almost more than she dared. In her
own sphere she was autOcratic, and
ruled her court just as sternly as did
: the emperor rule his army. But to
3 override the emperor!
"Yes." she said. after a few mo-
l ments' further reflection. you are
= quite right. count. l give you orders
e to act Just as you wish. Please give
your commands in my name"
: In a few seconds l had written out
" an imperial dispatch to be transmitted
g by wireless, and to this the empress
e grave and sad-eyed, appended her sig
Z nature.
l. A quarter Of an hour later that mes
sage TO the German minister In Chris
s tiania was being taken down by tbs
wireless operator at L~agesund, in thu
d Christiania ford.
/ A Sudden Apparition.
That same evening I was reading II
my cabin when Rudolph von Lantzsch
in the uniform of the Red Hussars o
j. Potsdam. entered. He was a tall, fair
haired man, a typical Prussian cav
u alryman.
q "Well, H~eltzendorff," he laughed
$ 'my remarks during the emperor's ser
D. mon seem TO have stirred up quite
lot OF trouble"
IS Trouble for yourself, I fancy, m
dear comrade," 1 said.
nt swell, after all, 1 only spoke tn
y truth. Didn't he declare to US tha
DC he has been sent by providence as tn
$ war lord of Europe7 Why. HeltzeI
lie dorff. any nan who would talk lk
We that is crazy"
ne Hush" 1 cried, starting up-th
u next second to find ourselves in tn
presence Of the kaiser himself.
We both started, staring at the I'll
UT ure in naval uniform, pale and hollow
r. eyed. standing before US like a sudde
apparition.
'r- $50 I now know the opinion yo
adj hold Of your emperor, Won Lantzsch
On his majesty said very slowly. his gai
go fixed upon his assistant personal a
le- jutant.
de your majesty, 1 have nothing
r%etract." replied the hussar.
be you declared me to be irrespo
I sIble."
I For your words. your majesty; n
eff for your actions" was the cool 7
tort.
The emperor, boiling over with rag
e. for he had never before had SUI
90 plain words spoken to him, made
Tor spring forward and struck the capita
an full In the face