The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1918-11-14

few terrors for us. Our situation was
not enviable-but had the Germans ex-
pected TO take q defenceless woman out
in the night and murder her and then
? 10 escape the moral consequences?
II Was, OF course, the policy of terror
ization transferred to the diplomatic
field; they were trying to divert atten-
ton from their responsibility by
complaining Of us.
At any rate the Germans had a copy
Of the London Times over at the
Politsche Abtellung with our reports
spread out in full through all its broad
columns, and were greatly agitatsd.
Even little Conrad. much moved, had
exclaimed to Villalobar:
They've put me in it, IAN right"
said the marquis, you have become
one Of the big bonnets OF Europe
Then we heard hat the German rage
was especially directed against de Lee
val for having made a report at all,
and that they threatened to send him
to a concentration camp In Germany.
That was on Saturday, the 23d. was
convaIAscing; my physician had told
me that / might &C to work again ana
/ had made an appointment to see the
Baron Won der Lacken IN Monday to
discuss la reprise de travail, an APP
pointment that had been postponed
several times already by my illness. 1t
wa raining heavily when Monday
came, and IN. Darschied came TO give
me a "pidue' and to tell Inc not to go
out; but l went.
The Baron Won der Lanckeu, pink
from his morning ride, booted, with his
iron cross and other ribbons, the
white cross OF st. John on his side and
a large brief under his arm, received
me with a dark face, asked me upstairs
to his little workroom, where a. IRE
was burning, and when seated ne De-
gan solelnnly:
Il am very much pabled TO have to
mako r. Won the COMMUNICATION, etc"
He spoke then Of the diplomats haV-
ing remained in BRUSSELS by courtesy
of the Germans. then he said that the
publication of my report in the CaVeH
case was a great injustice to Germany;
that 1t was a breach Of diplomatic etl-
quette; that De Laval was largely re-
sponsible; that our legation was
furnishing an arm to England, Ger
many's enemy, etc. | interrupted him
to say that | could not permit him to
charge us with furnishing an arm OF
any sort to England; that fNhad but
communicated the facts to u ambas-
sador in response to a request, and that
I was not responsible for the publica-
zion. His tone grew more calm; ''let US
talk the matter over unotficiallI and in
a friendly way and try to reach some
conclusion" he said. This was better,
and we discussed the case in all its
bearings.
He had copies OF the Times and of
the Morning Post before him, marked
with red and blue pencil. His objections,
1t soon developed, were not to the re-
port, but to the fact that the report
had been published, a V that by rea-
son Of what he alleged as rnisstate-
had been accused of having broken his
promise. He said that L, officially, as
American minister, had MOI made fire.
quent inquiries; that II was De Leval
who had spoken to Conrad and that
neither De Leval nor Conrad had any |
diplomatic quality. What he wished
then, at the end, was that l express re- |
gret at the publication and that De |
Leval instantly he dismissed from the
legation; otherwise he could not be |
responsible for what would happen to
him. Already the military had threat
ened to arrest and deport him. |
To this ] replied that | was RESPONSE |
bic for De LevaI, and for his actions; |
that | would not dismiss him, and that
my legation would be his asylum If
any effort was made to molest him.
You don't think me capable of |
throwing him to the wolves and let
this Sauberzweig eat him alive!" l ex-
claimed. |
The baron smiled; his blue eyes
~ hlt no ~ tic itElCtb L 6dlu Tia |
l would not express any nor make any
statement unless Instructed by my
government SO to do. We talked calmly |
and frankly perhaps as never be- |
fore, both recognizing in our CONVERSE
ton that fact that the relations be- |
tween u governments were still
over the Lusitauia case. We |
spoke Of the "ravitaillement' and the |
danger involved to 1t in any Disagree |
ment, but ever so. | said, rather than |
seem to shirk any responsibility, or to
De Leval l should prefer to
withdraw from Belgium. At this he |
protested. begged me not to mention |
such a thing, suggested that Villalobar |
Join the discussion, to which / on |
scented. Of course, WITH pleasure. and we |
parted to meet again at 3 pm. And |
hands twice and inquiring solicltously |
about my health. |
At 3 O'Clock that afternoon in the |
yellow salon downstairs the baron and
the marquis and / met, and Baron Won |
der Iancken outlined the whole sub |
ject again; on the table before him were |
Of the London newspapers with |
the Graphic or some illustrated Jour |
containing my picture and one of
Villalobar-the marquis In a yachting |
cap, at Cowes. 80 years before, he said
with a sigh.
Baron Won der Lancken's tone made |
clear that they were especially bitter |
against De Leval. He said that De |
IeVal was persona non gratA and that |
his presence compromised our neutral |
tty. | told him that OF course II De |
iIeval was persona non erata he could
be eliminated, though not as a pun
and only after communication
with Washington.