The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1918-11-09
[MG4z2E FEATURES THE NEWS SCIMTTAR 1z4Z HOME Hzg
AND TEUTON
Ambassador Morgenthau's Story of Great War Plots
By HENRY MORGENTHAU.

ton, the Corcovado, lay about three
quarters Of a mile away. Wangen-
helms face was flushed and his eyes
were shining; he would stride up aad
recent German victory. now giving me a
little forecast Of Germany's plans-and
then he would stalk to the window
again for another look at the Corco-
Something is seriously d~istracting
YOU" l said rising. Il will go and
come again some other time"
No, no." the ambassador almost
shouted. II want you to stay right
where you are. This will be a great
day for Germany! II you will only re-
main for a few minutes o will hear
a great piece Of news-something that
has the utmost bearing upon Turkeys
relation to the war"
Then he rushed out on the portico
and leaned owe the balustrade. Al the
same moment l saw a little launch put
out IRON the CorcoVado toward the am
h~assador's dock, Wangenheim hurried
down, seized an envelope from one Of
the sailors and a moment afterWard
burst into tho room again.
We've got them" he shouted to me.
Got whatF' l asked.
The Goeben and the Breslau have
passed through the Dardanelles,'
he was waving the wireless message
with all the enthusiasm of a college boy
whose football team has won a victory.
Then. m~omentarily checking his en-
thusiasm, he came up to me solemnly,
humorously shook his forefinger, lifted
his eyebrows and said: "Of course, you
understand that we have sold those
ships to Turkey"
And Admiral S~ouchon." he added
With another wink, will enter the sui
Wangenheim had more than patriotic
reasons for this. e~XultationH the arrival
OF these ships was the greatest day in
his diplomatic career 1t was really the
had won. For years the CHARACTERISTIC
of the empire had been Wangenheim's
laudable ambition, and he behaved now
like a man who saw his prize within
his grasp. The voyage of the Goeben
ana IIirt the b Bre ss5 was his personal ma
Turkish cabinet for their passage
through the Dardanelles, and he had
directed their movements by wireless in
the Mediterranean. By safely getting
the Goeben and the~Breslau into Con-
clinched Turkey as German$'s ally. All
his intrigues and plottings for three
years had now finally succeeded.
] doubt If any, two ships have exer-
cised a greater influence upon history
of us at that time realized their great
importance, but subsequent develop
ments have fully justified Wangen-
helms exuberant satisfaction. The
Goeben was q, powerful battle cruiser
Of recent construction; the BresIau was
not so large a ship. but shs, like the
Goeben, had the excessive speed that
made her extremely serviceable in those
waters. These ships had spent the few
months preceding the war cruising in
the Mediterranean, and when the decla-
ration finally anne they were taking on
supplies at Messina. | have always re-
garded it as more than a coincidence
that these two vessels, both of them
a greater speed than any French
or English ships In the Mediterranean,
should have been lying not far from
Turkey when war broke out. The selec-
tiaR Of the Goeben vas particularly
as she had twice before WIS.,
tied Constantinople and her officers and
men knew the Dardanelles perfectly.
The behavior of these crews, when the
news of war was received, indicated the
spirit with which the German navy be-
gan hostiities: the men broke into sing
ing and shouting, lifted their admiral
upon their shoulders, and held a real
German iollification. 1t is said that
Admiral Souchon preserved, as a touch
ing souvenir of this occasion, his white
uniform bearing the finger prints of his
grimy sailors!