Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1917-07-19

- - to sleep these very dear
cousins of ours, the Brit
ish!" His imperial highness,
the crown prince made this remark
to me as he sat In the corner of a
frst-class compartment of an express
that had ten minutes before left Pad
dington station for the West Of Eng
land.
The crown prince, though not gen.
orally known, frequently visited Eng
land and Scotland incognito, and we
were upon one of those flying visits on
that bright summers morning as the
express tore through the delightful
English scenery of the Thames valley,
with the first stopping place at Ply
mouth, our destination.
The real reason for the visit of my
young hot-headed imperial master was
concealed from me.
Four days before he had dashed into
my room at the MarmOr palace at Pots
dam. He had been with the emperor
In Berlin all the morning, and had mo-
tored back with all speed. Something
to discern. He carried some papers
in the packet of his military tunic
From their color | saw that they were
secret repOrts-those documents pre-
pared solely for the eyes of the kaiser
and those of his oldest son.
He took a big Iinen-lined envelope
and, placing the papers in it, carefully
sealed it In wax.
1--WE are going to London, Heltzen-
dorf. Put that in your dispatch box
| may want 1t when we are In Eng
land"
ITO London-when?" [ asked, sur
prised at the suddenness of our jour
ney, because | knew that we were due
at Weimar in two days time.
I'VE leave at six o'clock this eve
ming" was the crown princes reply.
"KoehIer has ordered the salon to be
attached to the Hook of Holland train.
Hardt has already left Berlin to en-
gage rooms for US at the Ritz, In Lon
don"
And the suite?" | asked, for it was
one of my duties to arrange who trav-
eled with his imperial highness.
"Oh! Wen leave Eckhardt at home, -
he said, for he always hated the sur
VIGILANCE of the commissioner of Sc
cret police. 1--WE shall only want Schu-
ler my valet, and Knot"
We never travelled anywhere with
out Knot, the chauffeur, who was an
impudent, arrogant young man, in
tensely disiked by everyone.
So it was that the four of US duly
landed at Harwich and travelled to
London, our identity unknown to the
jostling crowd OF tourists returning
from their annual holiday on the con-
ainent.
AT the Ritz, too, willie" was not
recognized, because all photographs of
him show him in an elegant uniform
In Q tweed suit, or in evening Clothes
he presents an unhealthy, weedy, and
somewhat insignificant figure.
His imperial highness had been on
the previous day to Carlton House ter.
race to q luncheon given by the am
bassador's wife, but to which nobody
was invited but the embassy staff.
That same evening an tmperia
courier arrived from Berlin and called
at the Ritz, where, on being showI
into the crown princes sitting room, hi
handed his highness a sealed letter
from his wife.
willie" Oh reading it, became yer!
grave. Then, striking a match, he Ii
it, and held it until it was consumed
There was a second letter-which
saw from the emperor. This h,
also read, and then gave vent t.
an expression of impatience. For (,
few minutes he reflected, and
was then he announced that we mus
60 to Plymouth next day.