The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-10-10
BY Countess Won schaumberg


BY Countess Won Schaumberg
On my return from Brazil, Won Hol-
stein of the Intelligence Buneau told
me that it was the Emperor's wish
that should once more establish my
self in St, Petersburg. This time my
duty simply consisted of becoming a
maid of honor to the Czarina and to
watch developments and report them
to the Berlin office as fast, as they
occurred. I had ne unpleasant duty
to perform. All had to do was to
keep a sharp eye on those who were
in the habit Of visiting the Cars pail
ace. I was to be kind of sNperin-
tendent over our numerous spies in
and about the Muscovite court, and
was to see to it that they did their
work as they should. s.
Won Holstein informed me that a
position for me as maid of honor had
been secured through one of the
Grown Princess Cecile's highly sta
toned relatives in the Russian court
The gracious countess will make
herself liked by everyone in and about
the Russian court-for the present.
She will hold herself in readiness for
sudden Instructions. Meanwhile she
will keep her eyes on all our agents,
they are behaving" spoke to me Bar
foreign secret service department, be-
Intelligence Bureau.
Let me state hefe that I have car
ried out no less than five Russian
commissions. I have already written
on my mission to induce Lenin to re-
turn to Petrograd. What I am about
to relate is the story of my third ven-
ture in the interest of the service to
Russia. This, naturally, concerns my
Experiences in the Russian court dur
| ing the period in which our agents
in Russia had begun to master the sit
uation and the court was then under
our direct influence. However, our
secret service bureau was very anxi-
Gus that within the next three or
four months things come to a head.
So, in the capacity Of super-spy, ]
was assigned to my new duty.
This was in the days of Rasputin's
great power in the Russian court. Our
agents had succeeded in enlisting this
most extraordinary person in the
world to our service.
| It was a year since the last time
had been in St. Petersburg. I started
on my journey gladly, but before il
was over found it the most repulsive
assignment that I had ever filled.
| On reaching st. Petersburg I found
that Rasputin was the whole court
and that Russian history was being
written entirely through him 1t Ii
useless for anyone to attempt to write
about Russia of those days without
referring to this man, whom first
Regarded with curiosity then dislike
which as time passed ended in abhor,
renee Of him, notwithstanding the
fact that he was our best tool in rul.
ling the Czarina, and, through her
every phrase OF Russian war policies
/ Without Rasputin the Russian
hordes would have established them.
selves solidly in our eastern Prussia
Without Rasputin we could nevel
have driven the Russian armies from
Poland. Without Rasputin, and
through him, the Russian war office
at whose head was General Sukhom
likoff, Russia would have disputed
Jour military power along our eastern
front. Therefore-as much as we al
defest him, and to me he was vii,
beast--it In quite impossible to writ,
Of these events without telling tn,
l story Of this most stupendous fake
in the world.
More than once have been asked
4 How 10 1t that an ignoramus such a.
! this Rasputin had 30 long exertet
such enormous influence over the I'm
perta1 court oire1e7 First you mus
know that Russia IL half heather. I
should also be kept in mind that tn
so-oa1led 'inteiieetuar' classes In 81
Petersburg constitute but a. very, yer,
small section of the population. Out
side of these, the majority of the nnid
die classes, most of the aristeeraey
and all of the piuteeraey, are hal
heathen mysties and saHauaiists.
: people only knew this fact they weu1,
; more readily understand why Russi
SO easily sueeunhs to every queer an
strange teaching such as those laugh
: by LeHin, RasputiH and Teistey. I d
, not mean to classify these three per
] sops as of the saHe eaIibFsj they
I heWevaF, appeal to A certain elemeHi
land aaeh has had a sfreag believing