Williams news., 1917-08-09

at Potsdam in the autumn of
 1912. I became implicated in 1t in a somewhat curious manner.
 chanced to be lunching at the Els planade in Berlin, chatting with La roque of the French embassy. Our hostess was Frau Breitenbach, a wealthy Jewess-a woman who came from Dortmund-and who was spend ing money like water in order to wriggle into Berlin society. AS per sonal adjutant of the crown prince, I was, of course, one of the principal guests, and I suspected that she was angling for card of invitation to the next ball at the Marmor palace.
 Frau Breitenbach was lunching with sixteen guests at one big, round table, her daughter Elise, a very smartly dressed girl of nineteen, seated oppo- site to her. It was merry party, in- cluding, as it did, some of the most renowned persons in the empire, among them being the imperial chancellor, Bethmann-Hollweg and that grand seigneur, who was a favorite at court, the multimillionaire serene highness, Prince Maximilian Egon zu Fuersten- berg. Of the latter it may be said that no man rivaled his influence with the emperor. What he said was law in Germany.
 Fuerstenberg was head of the fla nous princes trust" now dissolved, but at that time, with its capital of $5O0,0O0,000, it was great force in the German commercial world. Indeed, such boon companion was he of the kaiser's that an august but purely dec orative and ceremonial place was actu- ally invented for him as colonel mar shal of the Prussian court, an excuse to wear gay uniform and gorgeous decorations, as befitted a man who, possessing hundred millions, was an important asset to the emperor in his deep-laid scheme for world power.
 Young Man Across the Room.
 That merry luncheon party was the prologue of very curious drama. AS we chatted I noticed that far across the crowded room, at table set in a window, there sat alone a dark-haired, sallow, good-looking young civilian, who was eating his lunch in a rather bored manner, yet his eyes were fixed straight upon Elise Breitenbach, as though she exercised over him some strange fascination.
 Half dozen times I glanced across, and on each occasion saw that the young man had no eyes for the no- tables around the table, his gaze being fixed upon the daughter of the great fnancier.
 Somehow I felt a distinct belief that the young civilians face was familiar to me. It was not the first time had seen him, yet could not recall the cir. cumstances in which we had met.
 Two nights later I dined with the Breitenbachs at their fine house in the Alsenstrasse. The only guest besides myself was the Countess von Base witz, and after dinner Frau Breiten- bach took the countess aside to talk, while I wandered with her daughter into the winter garden, with its high palms and gorgeous exotics, that over- looked the gardens of the Austrian em- bassy.
 When the man had brought us cof- fee, the pretty Elise commenced to question me about life at the crown princess court.
 How intensely interesting it must be to be personal adjutant to the crown prince! Mother is dying to get a command to one of the receptions at Potsdam," the girl said. "Only today She was wondering-well,w whether you could possibly use your influence in that direction"
 In an instant saw why I had been invited to dinners and luncheons so often.