New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1917-07-06

OdSllc VI A1ulDCA +, y tAN
~ time In the possession of the
late Freiherr Won Stumm, whom the
emperor often visited.
On the previous day we had arrived
with a numerous suite and a large
number of personal attendants, and
during the journey his majesty. had
been very busy receiving the daily re-
ports, signing documents that had been
submitted to him and debating some
personal letters in French to certain
sovereigns with whom he was on
friendly terms.
l think, however, that u host be-
came secretly irritated at the frequent
visits Of his imperial guest, for certain
ly what with the establishment of the
special telegraph to Berlin and q spe-
cial post office, and the finding of &C.
commodation for the crowd Of person
al attendants, each visit must have
cost poor old Won Stumm a consider
able amount.
l had already been busy upstairs In
the room allotted to me, and had come
out to take a walk in the warm and
welcome sunshine, when suddenly l
saw the emperor In a suit Of brown
civilian clothes striding towards me.
He seemed to be in a humorous mood
and jOked with me as l walked beside
him.
Suddenly he halted, rs though re-
collecting something and asked:
"Heltzendorff, have you with you
some Of u paper for important docu-
mentsY" ''.-'''.' e
Certainly" vas my reply.
"Ah then please place some Of 1t
with envelopes upon my table, and also
wire to Berlin to send here ten cou-
riers."
"Ten couriers?" l echoed In surprise.
"Yes, ten. l may want even twelve
or more"
l saluted and re.entered the schloss
to put the imperial command over the
special wire, after which l took out
and placed upon the emperor's table
some sheets of that special dark blue
paper which bears the imperial crown
and cipher embossed in black, with
the words in German document of
the highest Importance" the formld.
able looking envelopes to match bear
ing the same words.
Just befure eight O'Clock that night
1 was informed that the couriers were
waiting below, and on descending
found six of the imperial messengers
and four from the ministry of foreign
affairs, ready to travel anywhere, even
to the uttermost ends of the earth.
A S%tupendous Hoax.
On informing his majesty, the lat
ter handed to me about thirty of the
great blue envelopes containing "dOcu-
ments of the highest importance" ad-
dressed In his own hand to various Of
ficers of state, princes, princesses, and
other prominent people in all parts of
the empire.
"These are to be taken at once, Helt-
zendOrff," the emperor said. "The mes
sengers are to bring US replies"
"In every case?" l asked.
"Yes. In every case" he answered.
Then l carried the batch of cOrre-
spOndence below, and much puzzled at
the nature of this latest activity In
private letter-writing, 1 handed them
to the couriers, who sorted them out
and distributed them among them
selves.
Half an hour later the documents
were being conveyed to various parts
Of the empire.
When I returned to the study l
found the kaiser laughing quietly to
himself, and wondered what could be
the reason. He signed some docu-
ments I read to him, but ever and anon
a broad smile would cross his usually
stern features.
Until a week afterwards I did not
learn the cause Of the imperial merri-
ment, but when 1 did 1 burst into loud
laughter myself.
Those envelopes containing "docu-
ments of highest Importance" each con-
tanned only a comic postcard, which
the emperor had purchased during q
visit to S~aarbruck.
The kaiser had played a huge joke
upon those whom he despised, for the
delivery Of these formidable imperial
dispatches created a great stir In the
households of their recipients. Old
v-in,oc x,oro or-olapoa In tho nfddIa