The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1917-07-21


In alarm l called Won Wedell, and
together we approached him. Togeth-
er we managed to get his majesty be-
low and hand him yer to his valet
and the court physician without any
of the crew being the wiser.
The kaiser's Amazing Sermon.
Next morning he appeared fresh and
active, and apparently quite normal
but that evening at sunset he ordered
the officials, suite officers, and crew to
assemble on deck, and then, appearing
in clerical garb, he preached a most
marvellous and amazing m
ST am Gods instrument! !" he cried.
"He has sent me to unsheath the sword
against the world, to lead OF the
armies of our empire to victory and to
world-power! In me-" he cried, "you
see the one sent unto you as a de-
livererl - the all-highest upon this
earth-your kaiser"
He raised his arm toward the sun
and shouted: "The enemies of Ger
many shall wither as grass before the
fire. I am your emperor, your deliver
er, your master!"
stigation, the captain swOre the whole
crew, the officers, and the encourage
to secrecy, but the old Norwegian pilot
was, a month later, indiscreet when he
got back to Ekersund hence the sem
sational report which appeared in the
: Globe in London, a report which, of
course, was promptly denied by the
Wolff bureau.
Three days later we were winding
our way in the smooth water between
the island of Smolen and the Hatlerns,
that rocky archipelago a little north of
ChristianSund. The emperor, whom
his royal spouse regarded with great
est concern, seemed to have recovered.
I had had a most strenuous time, for
his majesty had dictated all sorts of
wild dispatches and made all sorts
of extraordinary dismissals of high Of
ficials, together with the most amazing
appointments.
Beneath his eye I had been COM
PEELED to seal up the papers in the
heavy leather dispatch bag, and they
had been landed with the imperial
I courier, n Natzmer, at the little fish
ing village of Fosnaes, at the entrance
to the Folden ford.
Another matter which greatly per-
turbed me was the fact that my as
~sistant, the personal adjutant, young
Rudolph Won Lantzsch, had, while
listening to the kaiser's astounding
sermon, exclaimed in his amazement,
and loud enough for all to hear:
"That man Is no emperor; he is
crazy!
The kaiser had heard him, and had
turned his eyes towards him for an in
slant without pausing. But well did I
know the fierce imperial vindictive-
ness.
In desperation I sought the en-
press In her pale-blue-and-gold salon.
I found her seated alone. I referred
to the unfortunate events, and begged
her to allow me to use the wireless
and sign an imperial order In her au-
gust name.
I could see that the poor lady was
greatly upset and extremely nervous.
ut is all most unfortunate, Count
Won Heltzendorff," she said. II only
hope that we may be able to prevent
the people from hearing of his majes-
tvs actions. 1t was truly regrettable
that Captain o Lantzsch should have
made that very untimely remark. The
emperor Is absolutely furious regard
ing it."
"Very naturally" I said. "Lantzsch
showed a great want Of tact. But, your
majesty" l went on, II am more per-
turbed regarding the contents of the
dispatch bag now on it's way to Ber-
lin. Natzmer is now travelling by road
to Trondhjem, where he Is due at noon
tomorrow. Thence by rail he will go
down to Christiania and on by the de-
stroyer awaiting him to Hamburg. He
will be in Berlin on Thursday"
8" agree. The bag should be
stopped" said the empress. "Yet I
fear what the emperor may think If I
assume his authority. Cannot you eff
feet it by any other means?"
Stopping the Dispatch Bag.
I revealed to her some of the dis
missals. There were insulting notes
addressed to the imperial chancellor
and also to the crown prince, and an