Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1917-08-18

! the Seyenty-year-Old dancing mistress,
whose past was complete mystery,
was an important secret agent of the
emperOr's.
And what more likely? The kaiser,
as ruler of that complex empire would
naturally seek to know the truth con-
corning those who sought his favor be-
fore they were permitted to click their
heels or wag their fans and bow the
knee in his imperial presence. And he
had, no doubt, with that innate cum
ming, appointed his creature to the po-
sition of court dancing mistress.
Emperor's First View of an Airplane.
On October II, 1908, had returned
with the emperor and his suite from
Hamburg, where his majesty had been
present at the launching of one of Herr
Ballins monster American liners. |
was seated at the side table in his
private room in the Berlin Schloss,
taking down certain confidential iu-
structiOns which he wished to be sent
at once by one of the imperial couriers
Suddenly Won Kahlberg, my col
league. entered with message and
handed it 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 graphs-knOwing that
it would be wanted for presentation to
the daring American-and he took up
his pen and scrawled his signature
across it.
Within Il 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
| Eambery in the first car; the kaiSerin
with her daughter, Victoria Luise, and
the latter's ober-gouvernante govern
pss) 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 at the BOrnstedter field it
was already growing dusk. and a 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, evil
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 l 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 majesty
had seen an airplane in 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- machine. At
that time, indeed. the emperor had not
taken up Won Zeppelin, and it 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 gadtly, much to the
interest and establishment Of the en-
perOr.
"MarvelOus!" he exclaimed as l
stood beside him, with the empress on
his right. "How is it dOne?"
The sight of Il man flying in the air,
maneuvering his machine at will, rising
swiftly, and then planning down with
the engine cut off, was one of the most
amazing spectacles the loyal POtsdam-
erS had ever seen. Even the emperor,
with all his dreams of world power,
could never for a moment have fore
seen what a great" factor airplanes
. would be in war.
[ At last Wright came down in a
spiral, banked slightly, steadied him.
self, and then came lightly to earth
within few yards of where we stood
having been the first to exhibit to the
, emperor how completely the air had
been conquered.
Afterwards, though it had now
grown dark, the emperor. by the pow
erful headlamps of the three cars
, thoroughly examined the Americans
airpIane, the aviator explaining every
detail.
, From that moment for months after
; wards the kaiser was constantly talk
, ing of aviation. He commanded pho
, tOgraphs of various types Of airplanes
+ together with all literature on the sub
iect, to be placed before him. Indeed
he sent over to Britain in secret, two
officers to attend the airplane meetings
held at Doncaster and Blackpool
, where large number of photographs
were taken, and duly found their way
+ to his table.
I The Dancing Mistress Visit.
have recalled the emperor's first
sight of an airplane in flight, in com
pany with Herr Anton Reitschel and
, Professor Vambery, because of an in
cident which occurred that same day