The Carlisle independent., 1917-08-09


 Afterwards. though it had now grown dark, the emperor. by the pow erful headlamps of the three cars, thoroughly examined the Americans airplane. 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 ject, 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 q large number of photographs were taken, and duly found their way to his table.
 The Dancing Mistress Visit.
 I have recalled the emperor's first sight of an airplane in flight. in com pany with Herr Anton Reitschel and Professor Yambery. because of an in- cident which occurred that same day. Just before midnight the emperor was giving me certain instructions to be sent to Carlton House Terrace when the door opened without any knock of permission. and upon the threshold there stood Frau Kleist.
 Have I your majesty's permission to enter?" she asked.
 "Of course, of course," replied the emperor, turning in his chair. Come In and close the door. It has turned quite cold tonight. Well?n he asked, looking at her inquiringly.
 The court dancing mistress hesitated for Il second. Their eyes met, and in that glance I saw complete understand ing.
 May I speak in confidence with your majesty?" she asked, advancing into the room. Except the court ladies she was the only female at court whom the sentries stationed at the end of the corridor allowed to pass to his majesty's private cabinet.
 But Frau Kleist had access every where. Her eyes were the eyes of the emperor. Many a diplomat, financier, military OF naval commander has been raised to position of favOrite because he first secured the good graces of the ex-ballerina. And, alas, many go.d, honest man has been cast out of the Potsdam circle into oblivion because of the poisonous declaration of that smiling, bejeweled old woman.
 of what do you wish to speak?" in- quired the emperor.
 "Of the ReitscheI affair." was the old woman's low reply.
 At her words the kaiser drowned slightly, and dismissed me. I bowed myself out. and closed the door upon the emperor and his clever female spy.
 That she should have at that late hour come from Potsdam-for, looking down into the courtyard. I saw the lights of her big Mercedes-showed that some underhand work was in progress.
 By handling. as I did, hundreds of secret reports which reached the en- peror I had learned much concerning Herr Anton Reitschel. and from old Von Donaustauf, master of ceremonies, I had also been able to obtain certain missing links concerning the intrigue. Reitschel q burly, roundfaced, fair haired Prussian of quite superior type, held the position of chief director of the German Ottoman bank in Constan- tinople. His duty for the past three years had been to conciliate the sultan and to lend German money to any in- Gustrial enterprise in which any grain of merit could possibly be discovered. He had been singled out. taken from ! the Dresdner bank, and sent to Con- stantinople by the kaiser in order to play Germany's secret game in Turkey especially that of the Bagdad rail- l way--and to combat with German gold Great Britain's diplomacy with Tewfik Pasha and old Abdul Hamid in view of "The Day" which the emperor had long ago determined should soon dawn.
 AS old yon Donaustauf had put it.
 "Our employer intends that. notwith- standing Britain's policy in the near East. Germany shall soon rule from Berlin to Bagdad. Herr Reitschel is in reality charged with the work of .Germanizing' the Ottoman empire. That l already knew by the many &C., cret reports of his which arrived so constantly from Constantinople. Truly the game which the emperor was playing in secret against the other