The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1918-09-19
CHAPTER u.
The kalser at Potsdam.

" u oAAAA<ahS
had imagined.
Realizing that 1t would probably be
several months before / could finally
settle up my affairs, and that my child,
who was anemic, ought to be aiken
out Of Germany with as little delay as
possible because ( ,od conditions were
fast going from bad to worse, / APP
piled to the kOmmandantur for leave to
have my wife and child go to Mon
treux. on Lake Geneva, Switzerland,
where I hoped to join them at the
earliest possible moment and accom-
pany them home. l did not relish the
idea of their going across the ocean
without me.
That was In May, 1917. Weeks
passed while our application was going
from one official to another, lying, per-
haps for days at a time under a pile Of
other applications Of a similar char
acter or awaiting the investigation Of
our personal histories, and 1t was not
until the end Of June that we received
any word regarding 1t. Then We
learned that 1t had been denied.
This was my first intimation that we
might have difficulty In getting out Of
Germany.
A day or two later the kaiser called
on me professionally and / told him Of
our plight, hoping that he would inter
cede for us. 1t was the only favor Of a
personal character had eve asked of
him.
MY child is ailing, your majesty" ]
said, "and i feel that she needs a
change of climate. | applied to the
kommandantur for leave for my wife
and child to go to Montreux, but | have
just heard that it has been refused!"
Davis, / will see what / can do In
the matter" he replied reassuringly,
and as he was leaving my office he
turned to me and said In the presence
of his two adjutants: Regarding that
matter you spoke of, leave 1t to me
and l will see what | can do I"
The kaiser's influence would readily
solve our problem, l thought, and l
was very much relieved. Two days
later, however, ! received a letter
from Count Won Moltke, one of the kali
ser's adjutants, stating that the kali
ser had spoken to him regarding the
Switzerland project, but, under the
circumstances, 1t was out Of the ques-
ton. If, however, my child's condition
were such as to make a change of eli
mate really necessary, he added, the
kaiser suggested that a trip to the
Austrian Tyrol might perhaps be ar
ranged, MS the climate there was just
as good as that of Switzerland, but be-
fore permission would be granted for
that trip 1t would be necessary to OBJ
tain a certificate from the district doc
tor stating that 1t was necessary.
As the food situation In Austria was
just as bad MS 1t was In Germany, If
not worse, that idea didn't appeal to
me at all, and ! went Immediately to
the k~ommandantur and explained the
situation to them.
When they saw Count Won Moltke's
letter the officer In charge threw up
his hands.
'"That's final," he declared. "That
comes from a higher authority than
ours. 1t Is useless to pursue the mat.
ter any further. We received a com
munication from his majesty regard
ing your case, but the matter was left
entirely to our discretion. 1t was not
a command, only a request from his
majesty. A command, of course. would
have been different"
Then l applied for a pass for my
wife, child and myself to 60 to Amer
lea. They pointed out at the komman-
dantur that as my wife's application
to leave Berlin preceded mine, ii was
possible she would be allowed TO leave
before me. / told the officer that that
would suit me admirably, as l wanted
the pass for Mrs. Davis and the child
granted at the earliest possible mo
ment regardless of what action might
be taken or my W application.
Again there followed a long period
of anxious waiting while the German
red tape slowly unwound, but eventu
ally, in September, we received WORD
that. Mrs. Davis and the child might
leave Berlin for Copenhagen between
October 10 and IL. They left on the
tenth.
A day or two later commenced the
German offensive against Riga, on the
Baltic. Within three or four days the
Germans captured successfully the
Oesel, Runo, Obro and Moon islands
In the Gulf Of Riga and then carried
their invasion to the mainland. Theil
apparent objective YVES Petrograd ant
on October 10 the Russians announced
that the seat of the government would
be removed from Petrograd to Mos
cow.
These successes on the Baltic failed
to overcome the depression In German,
caused by the serious internal situa
ton In Austria at this period. NUM-
tion factories were being wrecked By
hunger-craxed and war.weary strikerl
and the populace was being shot dowI
- great numbers In the food riot'
which developed In various parts q
Austria. Not since the war began had