The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1918-12-04

Continued from Previous Eysue,l
Wangenhoim also showed great anx-
iety over the proposed removal of the
government TO Eski-Shehr In early
January, when everyone vas expecting
tho arrival OF the allied fleet, prepa-
rationA had been made for moving the
government 10 Asia Minor; and now at
tho first rumbling of the British and
French guns, h special trains were
prepared. once more, Wangenhelm and
PallaVtcini. both told me Of their uh.
willingness to accompany the sultan
and the government to Asia Minor.
Should tho allies capture Constantine
Pile. the ambassadors of the central
powers would find themselves Gu1 off
from their home countries aud com-
pletely in the hands Of the Turks, The
Turks could then hold US as hostages"
said Wangenhelm, They urged Talaat
at A~drianople, from which town they
could motor in and out of Constauti-
nople, and then, IN case tho city were
captured, they could MAKE their escape
home, The Turks, on the other hand.
refused to adopt this suggestion be-
earia,. WanSenhelm and rallaviclni
nov found themselves between two
rires, II they stayed In C~onstantlRople
they might become prisoners OF the
English and French; on tho other hand,
II they went TO Eski-Shehr. il was not
unlikely that they would become pris.
oners Of the Turks, Many evidences Of
the tlimsy basis on which rested the
German and Turkish alliance had come
to my attention, but this was about
the most illuminating, WangenheIm
knew, AZ did everybody else, that In
case the French and English captured
Constantinopie, the TURKS would vent
their rage not mainly against the en-.
tcnte, but against the Germans who
had enticed them into the war.
II all seems 40 strange now, this eon.
yiction that was upper1nost In the minds
Of everybody ~thbn-thSt the success OF
the allied fleets against the Dardanelles
as inevitable and that the capture OF
No~nstantinople was n matter Of only q
few days, I recall an animated dis
cussion that took place at the Amer.
lean embassy on the afternoon of Feb,
-. The occasion was Mrs. Morgens
thRu's weekly reception-meetings
which furnished almost the only oppor.
tuuity IN those days FOR the foregath.
ering Of the diplomats. Practically AL
Mere ON han dthis afternoon. The first
great bomhsrdment Of the Dardanelles
had taken place five DAYS before. this
had practically destroyed the fortiti-
cations at the mouth of the strait.
There was naturally only one subject
Of discussion: Would the allied fleets
get through What would happen II
they did, Everyhody expressed an
opinion, Walgenheim, P~allaviotui Gar
runi. tho Italian ambassadors. pane.
karsvard, the Swedish minister; Koul.
oucheff, the Bulgarian minister: kuhl-
mann and Soharfenberg first seere-
tary Of the German embassy, and il
was the unanimous opinion that the
allied attack would succeed. nartieu-
larry remember kuhlmauu'S attitude.
lie discussed the capture Of CONSTANT
nople almost as though II was some
thlnE Witch had taken place already
The Persian amha ssador showed great
anxiety; his embassy stood not far from
the sublime Porte; he told me that he
feared that the latter building would
he bomhRrded and that Il few stray
shots might easily set attire his own resi-
dence, and he asked II he might move
his archives to the American embassy.
The widest rumere were atloat: We
were told that the Standard OIL agent
at the pardane'les had courted II
trs losdaA with tvoops; that thf
warShipa had already fired BOO shptf
and had lsYeied all the hills al the en-,
trance; and that Talaat's ~bodyeuAr6
had been shot-the implication beint
that the bullet had missed its intended
ITO Be ContiRued.l