Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1917-09-07

gdlOn. therefore | was confident tina
the seventy-year-old dancing mistress
whose past was a complete mystery
was an important secret agent of tn
emperOr's.
And what more likely? The kaiser
as ruler Of that complex empire. wOul'
naturally seek to know the truth con
corning those who sought his favor be
fore they were permitted to click thei
heels or wag their fans and bow tn,
knee In his imperial presence. And h,
had, no doubt. with that innate Gun
ming, appointed his creature to the pO
sition of court dancing mistress.
EmperoTs First View Of an AirpIane
On October II, 1908, / had returned
with the emperor and his suite from
Hamburg. where his majesty had beer
present at the launching of one Of Herr
Ballin's monster American liners.
was seated at the side table In his
private room in the Berlin SchlOss,
taking down certain confidential in-
structions which he wished to be sent
at once by one Of the imperial cOuriers
TO the cOmmandant of POsen.
| Suddenly Won Kahlberg, my col.
league. entered with a message and
handed 1t to his majesty. The kaiser
at once grew excited and, turning to
me said:
THE crown prince sends word from
Potsdam that the American, Orville
| Wright. is flying on the Bornstedter
field. We must go at once. Order the
cars. And, Won Krahlberg. inform her
majesty at once. She will accompany
us. no doubt"
Quickly placed before his majesty
one Of his hotOgraphs-knOwing that
1t would be wanted for presentation to
the daring American-and he took up
his pen and scrawled his signature
across 1t.
Within quarter of an hour three
Of the powerful cars were on their way
to Potsdam, the emperor with Herr
Anton Reitschel-a high German Off
cial at COnstantinople-and Professor
Vambery in the first car; the kaiserin
with her daughter, Victoria Luise. and
the latter's Ober-gOuvernante govern
ess), with one of the court ladies', in
the next; while in the third ! rode with
Major Won Scholl, one of the equer-
ries.
On arrival Mt the BOrnstedter field Ii
was already growing dusk. and great
disappointment awaited us. The crown
prince rode up to inform us gravely
that the flying was over for the day.
At this the kaiser grew angry, for he
had been out once before upon a Wild
goose chase. only to find that Orville
Wright had gone home, declaring the
wind too strong.
At his fathers anger, however, "Wil-
lie" burst out laughing. declaring that
he was only joking. and that all was
in readiness. Indeed. as he spoke, the
aviator came up and presented him
to his majesty.
Then. while he stood alone in the
center of the great. sandy plain, Mr.. Or
vile Wright clambered into his ma
chine and. rising. made many circuits
high above us.
The emperor stood with Herr Reit-
schel and the shaggy old professor.
straining his eyes with keenest inter
est. 1t was the first time his ma jesty
had seen an airplane I'm flight. Much
had been promised Of Won Zeppelin's
invention. vet the German public had.
until those demonstrations by the
American aviator. taken but little heed
of the heavier-than-air machine At
that time. indeed the emperor had not
taken up Won Zeppelin. and IL was only
after seeing Orville Wright's demon
STATIONS that he entered with any en-
thusiasm into aeronautical problems.
High above us against the clear eve
ming sky. wherein the stars had already
begun to twinkle. the daring American
rose. dipped and banked. his machine
droning like huge gadfy. much to the
interest and establishment of the en-
peror.
"Marvelous." he exclaimed, as I
stood beside him. with the empress on
his right. "How Is il done?"
The sight of man flying in the air |
his machine at will. rising |
swiftly. and then planning down with |
the engine cut off. was one of the most |
spectacles the loyal Potsdam-
FRS had ever seen. Even the emperor.
with all his dreams of world power.
could never for moment have fore |
seen what great factor airplanes |
would he I'm war
At Iost Wright came down In
spiral. banked slightly. steadied him
self. and then came lightly to earth
within a few yards Of where we stood.
having been the first to exhibit to the
emperor how completely the air had
been conquered.
Afterwards. though 1t had now
crown dark. the emperor by the pow
nrful headlamps of the three cars,
thoroughly examined the Americans
iirplane, the aviator explaining every
letail.
From that moment fOy months after
wards the kaiser was constantly talk
ne of aviation. He commanded pho
ographs of various types of airplanes.
ogether with all literature on the sub
ect. To he placed before him. Indeed.
he sent over to Britain. in secret, two
'fiicerS To attend the airplane meetings
leld at DoncaSter ana Blackpool.
where Il large number of photographs
we're taken. and duly found their way