The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-03-19

know or my presence III Inv
Etiquette required that what hau 70
say TO the car should go through Tue
American minister at the RUSSIAN
Sourt. but il hal been stipulated De
tween my chief and his informcrs that
the documents furnished him should
be revealed TO no one except the car
of Russia and the messenger who pre-
sented them TO him.
| had no difficulty in reaching thc
ear, for my chief had Givea me a let
ter stating that | was member ..
the American legation 10 France ana
bearer of secret information Tor Us
imperial ma jeSiy the ear. The words
secret information" were an "olcn
sesame" | was accorded an Interview
with the emperor the Wy after my
arrival at ST. Petersburg but was M
formed that If the matter had IN
hand was Of personal Importance IL
his majesty | would be re; eiyrd 1t
once. thought it best TO await a
formal meeting and spent tho interval
in preparing myself TO state my case
to the best advantage Ii would MOI
avail me to prepare Il set speech. for
/ did not know in what mood or how
disposed toward what | desired |
should find his majesty. | coall Only
prepare myself in "A general way and
make my statement in accordance with
what should meet.
At the appointed hour ! appeared al
the palace and was conducted To- tn
cars cabinet lie received me with
out Formally and invited me 10 be
seated near him. | informed him OF
the nature of my mission. the reasons
for its secrecy and then before p.o-
cceding further handed him the en
velope containing the papers had
brought TO prove my ease. As he real
one after the other | saw his brow
contract and the corners of his mouth
drawn down. He read every dOcu
mcnt. some Of them twice or thrice
over. and when he had finished sat
thinking.
Presently he summoned an attend
amt. to whom lie gave an order that he
desired the presence of the French AIN
bassadOr. As soon as the attendant
had withdrawn the car said to me:
Since you are diplomat you I'M
derstand the necessity ut times of non
committals. am Obliged to the Amer
lean minister TO France for trans
hitting this Information to me-. Here
he handed me the documents. "On
tbs account owe him a reply. But
1t will be neither written nor an oral
one. nor to you for him. nor to him
directly"
supposed he would tell me what
kind of reply it would be, but he did
not. arose to go. but he stopped me.
Then he called an attendant and said
something to him that did not under.
stand The attendant motioned me to
follow him. and was shown into an
adjoining room. There waited for
further orders for nearly an hour At
the end of this time l heard door of
the emperor's cabinet open and the
announcement in loud voice. "Tho
ambassador from France"
The door between the room where
was and the cabinet had been left open
doubtless ny the cars ordcr-and
heard every word that passed in the
cabinet. The emperor spoke in French
lie told the ambassador that he had
learned that Napoleon was about tc
intervene In American affairs and
added:
Tell your master that ii he inter
feres in the struggle now going on In
the United States will strike him"
Whether the emperor turned away
from the man he addressed or other
wise Indicated that he wished no an
swer do not know. l heard none. but
few moments later door was clos
ed. and assumed that the ambassador
had departed. In few minutes an
attendant appeared and led me bach
into the cabinet The car was stand
ing alone.
Give my thanks to your chief fol-
the information he has sent me-" h,
SAID. ana with this | retired
was happy man on my return
journey to Paris. having accomplished
without any effort that which knew
would delight my chief. the president
of the United States. and the American
Unionists
prefer to write my own account OF
what was attained by my GRANDPA
ther's mission.
one winter morning during the wal
between the states the citizens of New
/ York awoke to find the harbor dotted
with Russian war vessels For tim,
no one knew what 1t meant. The,
gradually ii dawned ON the people thai
Its presence denoted the friendlines,
OF the car of Russia for those VIII,
were struggling TO perpetuate the Tn
ion. Then arose a cry of welcome
The officers of the fleet were invited
ashore and entertained royalty. Neye
before nor since has New York passet