, 1917-08-09

to secure the notice of the all-highest
one, who, in that green-upholsteret
private room wherein 1 worked witt
him, often smiled at the unseemly bus
tie while he calmly Disseminated
among men and women according tc
their merits.
1t is in that calm discretion that the
emperor excels, possessing almost un
canny foresight.
~ know Frau Kleist has told me y
were the words his majesty used on
many occasions when 1 had ventured
perhaps to express doubt regarding
some scandalous story or serious allie.
cation. Therefore l was confident that
the seventy-year-old dancing mistress
whose past was a 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.
Emperors First View of an AirpIane.
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
nnlliniC r,npCtar A,,na- It,nr 7
was seated at the side table in his
private In the Berlin Schloss,
taking down certain confidential in
structions which he wished to be sent
at once by one of the imperial couriers
to the commandant of Posen.
Suddenly Won Kahlberg, my col
league, entered with n message and
handed 1t to his majesty. The kaiser
ut once grew excited and, turning to
said:
THE crown prince sends word from
Potsdam that the American, Orville
Wright, is flying on the Bornstedter
field. We must go ut once. Order the
cars. And, Won Krahlberg, inform her
majesty Mt once. She will accompany
us, no doubt"
Quickly I placed before his majesty
n of his MISUNDERSTANDING that
1t would be wanted for presentation to
the daring American-and he took up
his pen and scrawled his signature
across 1t.
Within n 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
Vambery in the first car; the kaiserin
with her daughter, Victoria Luise, and
ess). with one of the court ladies, in
the next while in the third l rode with
Major Won Scholl, one of the equer-
ries.
On arrival at the Bornstedter field 1t
was already growing dusk, and n 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 nee before upon a wild
goose chase, only to find that Orville
Wright had zone home, declaring the
wind o 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, yet the German public had,
until those demonstrations by the
American aviator, taken but little heed
of the heavier-than-air 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 a"erOnautical 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 a huge gadfiy, much to the
interest and establishment of the EN-
peror.
"Marvelous he exclaimed, as ]
stood beside him, with the empress on
his right. "How is it done2"
The sight of n man flying in the air,
m~aneuverlng his machine at will, rising
swiftly, and then planning down with
the engine cut off, was one of the most
amazing s%pectacles the loyal Potsdam-
ers had ever seen. Even the emperor,
with all his dreams of world power.