Washington Journal., 1942-05-29
The Lure Of Adventure

Coniugal felicity, though, did not keep the
young husband from craving a further mill
tary career of warfare and adventure. Not
long after his honeymoon de Kalb pricked
up eager ears to alarums of war from Spain
and Portugal.
Count William of Schaumburg-Lip pe a
famous German soldier of fortune, who had
learned his art Of war under Frederick the
Great and the Duke of Brunswick, in 1854
returned from military service in Portugal
to raise regiments of German mercenarles
for Portugal's threatened war with Spain.
De Kalb lost no time in offering his services
to Count Schaumburg-Lippe in the hope OF
fighting as a brigadier in the Iberian PENN
sula. His French protector, the Duke Of
Broglie, who knew the Count personally, en-
couraged de Kalb's aspirations and wrote
to his German friend and former opponent
liz war:
Lieutenant Colonel de Kalb is one of the
bravest and ablest officers / Know in the
French Army. He is thoroughly experienced
in the details of military service and an adept
in the science of war. During our latest war
| found him very useful and trustworthy, so
| can recommend him as an excellent gen
eral."
The Dukes brother, Count de Broglie,
wrote: "Kalb served under me throughout
our latest campaign as Acting Quartermaster
General, and proved himself not only a brave,
enterprising and untiring officer, but a sens
ible and highly experienced man. You could
scarcely find an ADLER officer for the recruit
ing and drilling of your troops. Neither a
lack Of funds, nor a desire to enrich him
self, move Lieutenant Colonel de Kalb to seek
military service abroad, for he is very well
off financially. But his present idleness pals
on him and he Graves suitable active service"
De Kalb's singular ability to win friends,
even from a hostile camp, was revealed by
his obtaining a warm letter Of recommended
ton from Robert Clerke, an English gen
eral, who was an intimate friend of Count
Schaumburg-Lippe.
No wonder Count William graciously re-
ceived de Kalb at Bickeburg and promised
him a brigadier generals commission in the
Portuguese Army; but it all came to nothing
because Of resumption of amicable relations
between the royal rulers of Portugal and
Spain.
When Count Schaumburg-Lippe returned
to his command of the Portuguese Army, and
on his way through Paris in 1867 wanted to
take Gle Kalb with him to Lissabon for mill
tary service there, the latter was away in
Holland. He had been won for secret military
and diplomatic service there by the Duke OF
Choiseul, a former French envoy, now Prime
Minister of France.
LIE Maids Decfet missions
De Choiseul, an inveterate enemy of Eng
land and a c~onsummate i~ntriguer, wanted a
trustworthy foreign agent and tried military
observer in Holland to prepare the way there
for secret service in England's American
colonies. The powerful Prime Minister was
impressed by de Kalb's recent diplomatic
stroke of obtaining an effective letter of re-
commentator from a British general. Fur
thermore he had read de Kalb's former coun-
sells for French enterprises against British
colonies, particularly in America. So he in
vited de Kalb to a confidential talk. AS a
result the Premier appointed him to a secret
French mission in North America to be under
taken after obtaining preliminary informa-
ton in Holland, where he was to find means
for the transmission Of confidential CORE
spondence and verbal messages from America
via Holland to France. The Premier's verbal
instructions to de Kalb, later confirmed in
cypher, were:
l. Monsieur de Kalb will go to Amsterdam
and there devote himself to inquiries con-
corning current reports from England's
American colonies.
2. After arrival in America he will as
certain the intentions of the inhabitants to-
ward England and learn whether they need
experienced engineers, artillery officers or
other helpers from France.
3. He will learn about the val resources
of these colonies and how many munitions
and military supplies they could furnish.
A. He will try to learn how serious is the
inhabitants resolution to break away from
English rule.
5. He will ascertain their preparations and
plans for revolt, what fortified places and
troops they might command and who are to
be their leaders.
6. We have complete confidence in Mon
ciaur do Kalh'c GOOD canca and adrOitna99