The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1917-07-11


he dared not risk arrest.
The London Times received the
document addressed to the King OF
1t was in vain that a search
was made throughout the palace,
the grounds and even the city of
Potsdam. No slightest trace OF
him was to be found.
After some confusion the audi
ence was terminated. What was
written on the parchment? No
one knows except His Majesty;
but perhaps, II It pleases the En-
peror, our readers may know
more tomorrow.
Sainte-Claire had finished reading.
After a few moments pause, he said
Now. really. that's remarkable! A
lunatic, of course"
But" observed Ciserat, 1--WE must
find what the later papers have to
say. There must be more to this
story"
What the Parchment Said.
He bent over, took a bundle of
papers from the floor and placed 1t
upon the table.
For a month the two men had not
been able to keep in touch with the
news Of the day, because the squadron
maneuvers that year, in which they
had been occupied, had been espe-
cislly exacting. OF course, the papers
had come on board regularly, but
there had been no time to read them
Therefore, the morning was doubt
less being made good use OF by all
the officers of the fleet as she lay
at anchor in Villefranche Harbor
The landing was to be made at noon
and altar n vnnd nNOhfta aaf har
were in newspaper-reading mood.
Here IT is" cried Ciserat- January
A. Last editionI Read itT
Before giving Sainte-Claire the
paper, however. he unfolded 1t, ran
over the first page. and his eyes fair
ly jumped from their sockets as he
exclaimed, excitedly:
"Oh, now, this is the limit of patti
encei Look-Just lookI Read to met
Sainte-Claire took the paper and
read:
Ultimatum to the Kaiser.
Berlin, January 3.
Telegram from our special cor
respondent)
Public -amazement-at the scenes
at Potsdam, about which I in
formed our readers yesterday, has
increased hourly instead OF abat-
ing. OF course. sooner or later,
the excitement will explode in
laughter, for we are evidently i
dealing with a lunatic or a prac-
teal joker. The contents OF the
parchment have leaked out The
text contains about a hundred
lines, and it commands the EN-
peror to hold himself in readiness
to
First. dissolve the Reichstag.
Second, to dismiss his ministers
and the chancellor, to make way
for men who will later be desig-
mated.
Third, we warn all officers and
subordinates in army and navy,
the colonies, in departments of fl
nance, public instruction, COM
merce, etc, that they must obey
the commands OF the new minis
tiers under pain of death.
Fourth and lastly, to give his
solemn oath that he, King of
Prussia and Emperor of Germany,
will be only the humble executor
OF the commands to be given by
the same man who has handed
him the parchment.
Everything can be definitely
arranged upon the strangers Che
calls himself THE Unknown,")
temperance within a year.
At an open meeting of the
Reichstag, February /, the Ger
man Emperor must proclaim that
he awaits the master and that he
will obey. Failing to do this, the
German Empire will be destroyed
within six months.
sainte-CIaire stopped reading, and
the two officers burst into laughter.
Ciserat was the first to control
himself, and he saidI
Surely that's not the end! There
must still be more. Let's go onI"-l
and they fell to unfolding the papers.