Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1918-10-11
CHAPTER II.
The Kaiser at Potsdam:

The Kaiser at Potsoam.
Getting out of Germany proved to be
q far more difficult proposition than I
had imagined. "
Realizing that it would probably be
several months beforesI could finally
settle up my affairs, and that my child.
who was anemic, ought to be taken
out Of Germany with as little delay as
possible because food conditions were
fast going from bad to worse, ap-
piled to the kommandantu 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. / 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 time under pile OF
other applications of a similar char
acter or awaiting, the investigation of
our personal histories, and it was not
until the end Of June that we received
00y WOIu 1CSdAuAA6 49, AAASA4 ~
learned that 1t had been denied. !.
This was my first intimatlon that we
might have difficulty In getting out of
Germany.S
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. It was the only favor OF a
personal character had ever asked OF
him.
my child is ailing, your majesty" ]
said, land feel that she needs q
change Of climate. applied to the
kommandantur for leave for my wife
and child to 60 to Montreux, but have
just heard that 1t 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 it to me
and will see what can dol"
The kaiser's influence would readily
solve our problem, I thought. and !
was very much relieved. Two days
later, however, II received q 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-
ltion. II, however, my child's condition
were such as to make change of eli
mate really necessary, he added, the
kaiser suggested that trip to the
Austrian Tyrol might perhaps be ar
ranged, as the climate there was just
as good as that Of Switzerland, but be-
fore permission would be granted for
that trip it would be necessary to OBJ
tain certificate from the district doc
tor stating that it was necessary.
As the food situation In Austria was
-just as bad as 1t was In Germany, If
not worse, that idea didn't appeal to
me at all, and went Immediately to
: the kommandantur 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 higher authority than
ours. It is useless to pursue the mat !
ter any further. We received COM
municatiOn from his majesty regard |
Ing your case, but the matter was left |
:. entirely to our discretion. It was not
"a command, only request from his |
ajesty. A command, Of course. would |
have been different"
Then I applied for pass for my
wife, child and myself to go to Amer
lea. They pointed out at the kOmman- |
dantur that as my wife's application |
to leave Berlin preceded mine, it was |
possible she would be allowed to leave |
before me. I told the officer that that
would suit me admirably, as wanted
the pass for Mrs. Davis and the child |
granted at the earliest possible mo-
ment regardless of what action might |
be taken on my own application.
Again there followed 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 II. 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. Their
apparent objective was Petrograd and
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 Germany
caused by the serious internal situa-
ton In Austria at this period. NUM-
tion factories were being wrecked by
hunger-crazed and war-weary strikers
and the populace was being shot down
A. ~,,v,horc In fho fOO6 PiOfS