Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1939-06-23
ENVOY. EXTRAORDINARY
AE.PHILLIPS' OPPENHEIM

er found so unresponsive an auditor
as this stiff, gray bearded and gray
moustached, stockily built little man
the Premier.
81 trust" Matresser wound up,
chat you have now, sir, clearer ap-
prehension of this matter. You will
realize, of course, that everything
would have been put before you in a
more statesmanlike manner many
hours ago, but for the unfortunate ac-
cident to the plane in which Lord
Somerby was travelling"
The conference which was being
held between the three men in a mag
nificent bureau of the Quai d'Orsay
had commenced at three o'clock in the
morning and had already lasted more
than two hours. There were Monsieur
Henri Lacheur, Premier of France at
that moment but only two months be-
fore dresser of calf skin in Orleans,
and Monsieur CASTOR Desselin, who
had held the post of Minister for For
eign Affairs half dozen times dur
ing his lifetime and who had now
been hurriedly recalled to office.
Certainly" the Premier admitted,
gravely, "your explanation throws a
somewhat different light upon the sub
ject, Lord Matresser, but we are still
my colleague here and What
words can use-dumbfounded, shock
ed, that you should have proceeded
without France as for as you have in
these negotiations with a country
which we consider our common en-
emy."
eff you press that point, Monsieur"
Matresser replied, II must answer it.
I shall have to ask you to believe that
the government, on behalf of which
am speaking can only offer you plain
facts and beg you to consider these
for moment from it's point of view."
"Your explanation is somewhat con-
fusing," the Premier remarked drily,
"but pray continue"
"The English Cabinet" Matresser
went on, changing his place slightly
to avoid the first days of sunshine
pouring in through the high windows,
REALIZES that you may have some ap-
parent cause for complaint but it Of
fers you frank and full explanation.
believe I am correct in saying that
the French government has fallen and
been re-established six times during
the last thirteen months"
France remains!" CASTOR Desselin
exclaimed with theatrical force.
Precisely" Matresser assented,
"but to whom could we turn to sex-
pound our scheme? Since we open
ed tentative negotiations, first of all
with a retiring German dictator and
secondly with a small but powerful
committee of German statesmen, three
French cabinets have been established
and fallen. You see the point of this,
I am sure. Three of those men who
must have answered for your country
have abandoned politics and gone back
into private life. At least one of
these was an enterprising journalist
who would have been free at any
time to publish our scheme to the
whole world and thereby destroy it."
Matresser paused. Neither of his
auditors had anything to say except
that the Premier muttered a name
under his breath.
"That fact and that fact alone is
responsible for what must have SEEM
ed to your our secrecy, a secrecy
which would have been ended yester-
day before your Cabinet meeting if
this terrible mishap had not befallen
our Ambassador"
ct withhold comment" the Premier
said in reply to a questioning glance