Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1918-09-13


return and that he would like me to
call at his palace either that noon or
at four p. m.
l was ushered into very large room
in the corner of which was business
like looking fat-topped desk, but which
was otherwise deliberately furnished.
The reichskanZler, q tall, broad-shoui-
dered, handsome specimen of man,
came over to me and, putting his arm
in mine, walked me to seat Destde
the desk. He asked me what l would
smoke, and upon my taking cigar
cite, he did likewise.
"The kaiser's been telling me, doc-
tor" he said, "of your recent visit TO
America, and I would like to ask you
a few questions"
7 said that was always glad to talk
of America. Indeed, I was particular
ly glad of the opportunity to speaE
with the prime minister of Germany a.
that time.
Then followed a bewildering succe:
sion of questions, the purpose
which was not at ill clear to me. V
had peculiar conversation-half IL
German, half in English. The reichs-
.1anzler did not speak English partlc-
ularly we'll.
GLOW are things in America" he
asked. "Did you have any opportu-
nifty to gauge the political situation!
Who do you think will be the next
president? Do you think that Ameri-
cans are opposed to peace because
that would end their chance to make
money out Of the war? Are your
people so mercenary that they would
like to see the war prolonged for the
sake of the money they can make out
of it?"
mo, your excellency," I replied,
"you are quite wrong if you imagine
that my countrymen would like to pro-
long the war for the sake Of war
profits. That is very far from being
The case. On the contrary, the coun-
.ry at large is anxious for peace"
"Don't forget your people are max
ing lot of money out of this war"
The reichskanzler persisted. "They
are becoming very rich. They will
soon have all the gold in the world.
Putting an end to the war would to a
great extent end American opportuni-
ties for making money on this enor-
nous SCALE"
"That may be all true" I replied,
but fortunately my countrymen think
more of the blessings of peace and
liberty than they do Of war and profits,
and the sooner peace can be brought
about on q basis which will have
some assurance Of permanency the bet
ter we will like it."
"Wilson has the greatest opportu-
nifty ever presented to a man to make
his name Immortality bringing about
peace in the world" he went on. 1--WE
feel now that he is not our friend, but
friendly to the allies, but nevertheless
he may be able to see that If this war
is prolonged indefinitely it will mean
| the destruction of all the nations in
volved in it. Do you think there Is
any possibility of America entering
| the war"
"That, Of course, will depend, your
eycellency," I answered, upon devel-
opments. I don't believe my country
is anxious to fight, but I'm quite sure
that nothing in the world will keep US
out of it if our rights as a neutral
nation are not respected"
1--WE certainly don't like the way
Hughes has been talking on the
stump" declared the reichskanzler.
did you hear any of his speeches or
any of Wilson'S"
I said I had had no opportunity to
hear any of the campaign speeches,
but that I had followed them in the
newspapers.
"Well, did you gather from what
you read that the American people
want to see peace in Europe or dc
they want the war to go on so they
can continue to make fortunes out
of it?"
Again I replied that I was certain
our country would never be Influenced
by such sordid considerations as were
implied in the reichskanzlers question:
but that If the right kind of peace
could be brought about the whole
country would eagerly embrace it.
The subject Of the U-boat campaign
was never mentioned and it was not
until several months later when the
submarine warfare was started again
on q greater scale than ever that J
realized that the whole purpose O
this interview was to ascertain If they
could, without telling me their inten-
tons, who was the candidate, Hughes
or Wilson, who would be least dam
gerous to them if more American YES
sells were sunk in the ruthless sub
marine campaign they were then con-
templating.
The election was drawing close; II
was necessary to notify Won Berns-
torff of Potsdam's preference; the kali
ser believed that perhaps he held the
deciding ballot in his hand in the
shape of the German-American vote
and he didn't know how to cast 1t.
Hence the eagerness with which they
Intercepted me upon my return. from
the front"
The interview with the reichskanzler
and the fact that it was instigated by
the kaiser indicated to me that Amer
ica occ,1nied q most important place