New-York tribune., 1917-06-17
The Castle
At Corfu

Som. Of nv pleasantest recollections ard
associated with the Kaiser's trips TO the
Mediterranean, when he visited the Schloss
Achilleion, his beautiful marine residence
at Corfu. II was q truly majestic royal msns
sion, embowered with semi-tropical plants ana
the loveliest exotic flowers. No wonder ne
lodged a protest when it was utilized as
convalescent home and hospital for such RENE
nants of the routed but heroic Serbian army
as its capacity would allow. The gallant Sers
bian soldiers must have derived some con"
ISOLATION, after the almost unprecedented hard
ships they had undergone, from the iron'cal
circumstance that they were to be nursed
back to health in the palatial pleasaunce OF
the sinister figure who had sought to encom'
pass their ruin.
At Corfu Castle the Kaiser gathered round
him his most trusted counsellors, and while
meditating over "the glory that was Greece"
and "the grandeur that was Rome" he doubt
! less conjured up visions Of an empire whico
was eventually to be even mightier than
both He and his courters meantime wan.
dered about the beautiful gardens, redolen4
with the delicious odors Of the choicest
|
stately terraces, graced with classic sculpt-
ured statuary. But even royal day-dreams
are sometimes dispelled by the most common.
place occurrences, such as the dinner gong
! On the Mediterranean cruises the plenteous
pantries of the Hohenzollern were always re-
plete with provisions calculated to satisfy the
royal demands.
! One day, however, by some unfortunate cir-
cumstance, after the royal party had gone
ashore. the refrigeratng arrangements OF
the royal yacht became dslocated. There was
to be grand banquet at the castle that night.
Music was in the air and the surroundings
were idyllic. Overhead there hung sky OF
italian blue, the cooling zephyrs Of eventids
, adding their benefcence to a perfect day.
Late in the afternoon the chef at the SchlosS
also an Engishman and native of BrighA
ton-sent over to the Hohenzollern for addis
tonal supplies. Turkeys had TO be served foS
dinner by royal decree. Would ] send the
necessary birds along?
With every desire TO comply with the royal
mandate, / proceeded to the refrigerator, to
discover, TO my intense discontinue, that the
turkeys had almost melted The frozen ris
placed on board on our departure from the
shores Of Germany, had entirely disappeared
Instead, was confronted with a sem-putrsst
cent mass which it seemed almost impossible
TO serve.
The castle chef, when informed, was almost
at his Wits end. But the fat had gone forth.
Turkeys had been ordered for dinner. Turs
! KEYS must be served What was to be done1
Then followed a council Of the cooks OF the
castle and the yacht. The turkeys were in Z
truly lsmentable state. How could theft
culinary glory be restored? Only by artiAceI
and as the result Of the impromptu confabus
lation | suggested visit to an apothecarya
store, where succeeded in procuring the
chemicals which went in search Of.
The recsleitrant birds were subsequently
tathed in the chemical solution, and to the
evident relief of the castle chef and the sp.
proval Of the guests duly graced the royal
table a. the appointed time.