Williams news., 1917-07-26

open 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 1:
 q am engaged. Come later."
 q will endeavor to do my best," I went on, providing that your majesty will support me-"
 'T certainly will. These dispatches must be stopped at all hazards" she said. Cannot you yourself land and overtake the courier?'
 It was a wild suggestion. Natzmer had gone off in the steam pinnace an hour before, and the boat, returning, had already been hauled up. I could not step ashore for at least a couple of hours, and then at some point on that rugged coast where I might be compelled to drive by some circuitous rout by carriole down to Trondhjem. Further, the emperor would miss me, and would consequently suspect.
 In a few brief sentences I pointed all this out to the empress.
 "Try-do try-for our empires sakeI" she urged. q will assist you with all my efforts. You must arrive at the imperial chancellery prior to those dispatches. The emperor is not himself. Count von Heltzendorff, you are trusted servant of our house. Into your hands place the solution of this most difficult problem"
 "Will not your majesty allow me to wire in your name to our legation in Christiania to recall the courier" I suggested. 'T will send a wireless mes sage which the minister, Won Petsch, will receive within a couple of hours, and watch will then be kept for his arrival by train. To overtake him now is, feel sure, impossible.
 For the next few seconds the kais- 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 overrule the, emperor!
 "Yes," she said, after a few mo- ments' further reflection. "You are quite right, count. I give you orders to act just as you wish. Please give your commands in my name."
 In few seconds had written out an imperial dispatch to be transmitted by wireless, and to this the empress, grave and sad-eyed, appended her sig nature.
 A quarter of an hour later that mes- sage to the German minister in Chris tiania was being taken down by the wireless operator at Lagesund, in the Christiania fjord.
 A Sudden Apparition.
 That same evening was reading in my cabin when Rudolph von Lantzsch, in the uniform of the Red Hussars of Potsdam, entered. He was tall, fair haired man, a typical Prussian cav alryman.
 "Well, Heltzendorff," he laughed, "my remarks during the emperor's ser mon seem to have stirred up quite a lot of trouble"
 "Trouble for yourself, I fancy, my dear comrade," said.
 "Well, after all, I only spoke the truth. Didn't he declare to us that he has been sent by providence as the war lord of Europe? Why, Heltzen- dorff, any man who would talk like that is crazy"
 "Hush!' cried, starting up-the next second to find ourselves in the presence of the kaiser himself.
 We both started, staring at the fig ure in naval uniform, pale and hollow eyed, standing before us like sudden apparition.
 "So now know. the opinion you hold of your emperor, Won Lantzsch l" his majesty said very slowly, his gaze fixed upon his assistant personal ad- jutant.
 "Your majesty, I have nothing to retract," replied the hussar.
 "You declared me to be irrespon- sible."
 "For your words, your majesty; not for your actions," was the cool re- tort.
 The emperor, boiling over with rage, for he had never before had such plain words spoken to him, made spring forward and struck the captain full in the face.