4
THE DAILY CAPITAL JOURNAL, SALEM, OREGON, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1918.
Revelations From Secret
Chapters of Hun Royalty
Colonel Schroeder, an officer with the armies of German Crown Prince, once
trusted messenger of the emperor, confident and companion of Baroness Else
Baronin Schweirin, and until recently aide-de-camp to Rupprecht, the Crown
Prince of Bavaria, no wa deserter in Denmark, makes sensational revelations
and reveals the hideous secrets of kaiserly intrigue before and during the war.
4HMMMMHMMHMMMtMMM'MMMtHMMMMMIMttMMMHtMtMt
, (Continued from last Saturday.) . .
,"Well, Schroeder, you look surpris
ed?" ..
Surprised! ....
I should think I was surprised, in
deed, when on May 25, 1916 how well
I remember the date, for it was that of
no of our gtcat attacks on the French
at Vordun 1 came face to face with
the Baroness Elsa Baronin Schweirin as
I was bringing back a handful of men
after hours of murderous and unsuccess
ful fighting.
. We came dribbling back, tired, sweat
ing, bleeding and angry and dejected.
There stood the Baroness at the ent
mnco of my dug-out.
I can say now that it was no uncom
mon thing for lady visitors to be enter
tained in our trenches, and it seemed
that no one had the slightest idea that
this lady with the rather thick veil was
the notorious Baroness Elsa Schweirin.
"You're- not uncomfortable hore.
Behrooder," she went on, stepping in
side with me. "A bed, a table, ichairs
photographs even. It looks as if you
were going to stay here some time, my
friend, doesn't-it f"
. No one was within hearing, so I
spoke freely.
. ' ! Curse it, yes! Stay here for ever,
wa shall. We shall never get Verdun!"
I answered.
. Those Cursed British.
I was just dead beat, and I knew as
did pretty well all of ug the usclcssness
of our assaults. But orders had to be
obeyed, and wo were simply flung in
to the pit of slaughter.
"That's exactly what I think." The
Baroness loant closer to mo. "We wore
to have had our Christmas dinner in
Paris, 1914, and what is it nowt 1916.
Schroeder, this war is going to be a
failure for us, I can seo, and it's Brit
sin that has done us. But what fools
we have beenl What fools! What
fools!"
She had thrown back her veil, and I
saw spots of angry color on hor cheeks.
"Yes, the British, those cursed British-"
she went on. "Whoever would
save thought they would have baffled
unf You know a3 well as I do that the
retreat from Mons was not a British de
feat; it was a British victory, and we
shall never win, never, never, nover, un
less "
"Unless ; what J" I asked, soeing
er" hesitate for a moment as if in deep
thought.
.."Unlosg wo take a chance, . mg
ehanco, a great big risk, and that with
the navy. What's the go6d oi avji
our ships loafing their time nway in
the Keil Canal T It's that old fool Tir
pitz, pleading caution all tho time.
Mein Gott. Schroeder, they've got to
go out, and they shall. It means ruin,
utter ruin, for Germany if wo oan't do
something on the sea!"
He is a Funny "Hun."
"That fool, that dolt, that idiot, the
Crown Prince!" went on the Baroness
angrily. "It's his fault. He thinks
f """rV. Xmas
I ,, . 'Ji ! - - I
wiiigllipillfc L Xmas
V5:?iT;V';; your
V s ravo-
nte
Wm.S.HART
in
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Make your arrangements accordingly
O
THE
REG
44 aa4aaAAA.A.l.. A. ...lA..-..
himself a heaven-born goncral. Pah I
The fellow's only had experience
at manouvrcs,, and then he's made a
muddle .of -everything he . had ,to do.
Look how he throws lives- away here.
Oh, it's the navy thatH haev to help
us, and that's why I'm hore." - -
"But the navy isn't heie, .Frau oar:
onin!" I couldn't help saying.
"My young friend's getting witty,"
sho said, a little bitterly.
"Well, I'll tell you why I'm hore,
Schroeder, because you are coming with
me. I've got leave for you at loust,
you'll not it immediately you apply, and
no questions will" be asked you and
you'e got to come with me to Cuxhaven
I must have an escort, you know."
The German Fleet.
I ,was used to being tho Baroness's
personal attendant lucky almost it was
thon beginning to seem to me and the
kaiser himself seemed to prefer mo to
any one else as a sort of confidential
attendant and go between for him and
tho Baroness. And so once more I did
as she asked.
On our way to Cuxhaven she told mo
that tho German generals on the French
front had sent for her, that they had
decided to ask her help. They know
what a hopcloss struggle they were en
gaged in and they didn't see why the
navy shouldn't help shouldn't at any
rnto take a chace.
For there was intense discontent on
tho part of the army. That the navy
should all the time be lying in the Keil
canal angerod men who wore fighting.
And I may tell you here that every
German really, absolutely and literally
believed that our navy was invincibl
I thought so myself and that is why
it was not sent out to fight. It was
tho kaiser's favorite toy, and ho eoul
not bear the thought of any of his bo
loved ships being knocked about.
That was one reason.
'Anothor was that the Crown Prth
was against the navy coming out, for
ho was so convinced in his brainless
head that he was going to achieve a
colossal victory at Verdun that he did
not want his light in any way dimmed.
To the Baroness, then, had tho Gen
erals appealed, and she had. consented
to go to Cuxhaven and use her influon
co with the kaiser to get him to send
the ships out in force to battle with tha
British navy, which, strange as it maj
seem, was really despised.
"It's for the Fatherland I'm doing
this," she said. "I may have taken
money before, but that was when I thot
victory was certain. Now I know that
it isn't, I'd crawly on my hands anfl
knees from here to "Cuxhaven if necee
sary. , Just remember that, Schrocdor.'
A Council of War.
"Take this to him," she said to me,
when we had established ourselves is
tho Hotel Gormania at Cuxhaven, giv
ing mo a noto which she had scribbled
and put into a thick envelope.
Every one knew, of course, whore the
kaiser (who was then conferring w!tl
the naval chiefs) was staying, and when
oN
Til
ttHMM t.MM.t.
information was sent, through the usu
al channels, that Herr Colonel Emil von
Schroder, the bearer of an important
message was waiting to see His Majes
ty, I was shown through at once. In
deed, right before a crowd of . notables,
highly-placed officials, generals, admir
als ,and diplomats was the humble Colo
nel von Schroeder admitted to the
presence.
It was actually into tho very midst
of a council of war that I stepped. At
a long table were seated many great
sailors, all of whose faces were familial
to me either personally or through pho
tocranhs. The kaiser was at the head
J of them ,and directly he saw me he rose
the others looking up angrily at this in
terruption. "Gontlemen," he said, in his guttur
al voice, "you are excused for a few
moments."
He waved his hand towards a door
which led into an adjacent room, and
they all trooped out, some of them
looking very fiercely at mo as they left
me alone with His Majesty.
He took the envelope which I handed
to him, read the fow linos without
moving a muscle of his face, without
a word of comment, of course; and then
looking at me, he said
"Tonight at ten, then. That is all."
Then he came and put his hands on
my shoulders and looked me straight in
the face, a way he had when he want
ed to bo impressive.
"Schroeder," he said, "you're a for
tunate man, to be bo trusted. A vCry
fortunate man!" he repeated, with a
strange emphasis on the words, which I
took to mean that that trust should not
be abused.
In The Baroness's Boom.
Ho pointed to the door, and I went
out.
"At ten o'clock then," the Baroness
repeated the Imporiol words after me
when I returned to the hotel. "Don't
go out tonight Schroeder, I may want
you."
.The kaiser could do no wrong, accord
ing to tho popular idea, and it was not
thought at all extraordinary that he
should come to tho Hotel Germania to
visit a lady. The Baroness had s0 far
not been recognized, and had registered
under another name. "
I was, of course, waiting in the hall
of tho hotol to receive His Majesty,
who came quite alone and in a navel
uniform. I took him at once to the
Baroness's sitting-room, and there left
1 thorn alono together.
I An hour later a message was sent to
' mo in the lounge of the hotel that the
lady, Frau Glattfelder wished to see me
at once.
Tho Baroness was waiting for me on
tho landing outside her sitting-room
door, and when I came up she put her
fingers to her lips and took me inside.
I nearly shouted aloud in surpirse at
what I saw.
For there, lying back in a chair, with
facunt look on his face and a cigar be
ing held in a very unsteady hand, was
the kaiser himself!
To all appearances he was drunk
absolutely drunk!
But even theough tho evidence was
there befire my eyes, to me'this seemed
absolutely impossible, ror. whatever
else the kaiser may or may not have
been; he was at any rate a most tem
pcrato man. Ho waived his cigar at
me, and tried to speak distinctly.
"Von Schrocdor," he said, mumbling
his words, "mave you got an Iron
Cross !"
"Not yet, your Majesty," I answer
ed, hoping he wasn't going to bestow
one on mo. For the number of Iron cros
ses which wero showered around was
already tho laughing stock of the army.
"Come here, Schroeder, and I will
decorate you."
The Order For Battle.
And, fumbling with the orders on his
coat ho wag covered with decorations
of all kinds he managed to detach a
cross, and pin it on my breast. He al
most fell off his chair as he was doing
it, and I could have wept with shame
as Lknelt by him to receive the honor.
This was my emperoT.
Tho Baroness went up ,and laid her
hand on his arm.
"And now you'd better have a little
sleep, I think," she said.
"As you wish," was the thick re
sponse. With her help ho stretched himself
full length on the sofa, and closed his
eyes.
It was not a pjretty sight Vo see onr
kaiser lying there in a drunken sleep.
"Take this at once to the Marm Amt
(offices of the navy). The Admirals
are now in conference there. But look
at it first. It may interest yon,"
The Baroness took a sheet of paper
from the table, and, before folding it
and putting it into an envelope, she
showed it to me.
"To my brave navy I give the order
go forth!" r-(Signed) Wilbelm."
I remember the words well.
The Baroness smiled as she gave me
the envelope.
"But how how" I stammered.
"How did I manage it you mean, nf
Do you ask me that Sehroedcrf" She
looked straight into my gace. "Is there
a man living who ean resist me when I
choose that he should not, especially a
man whose secret I, I alone, knowT
But you are eoing to know it now, Sch
roeder. Look!"
I She pointed to the sleeping fngpre
on the sofa.
And in that moment it came to me
that I did not love her at all that I
hated herl I saw into the blackness of
her heart. -
It was, I think now, the figure of the
kaiser lying in an apparently drunken
sleep that helped to dostroy the lust
little bit of illusion.
For, although he was, to me at any
rate, no longer a great man on a pinna
cle, still he was the representative of
the German people, of our German Fa
therland and this woman bad worked
havoc with his soul.
A Slave to Opium.
"He's in my hands now, he's in my
power," she went on, pointing again j
to the sofa. "If only I were to let it l
be known what what well, what ho
does, the Crown prince and his party1
would have him oil the throne in a
few weeks, for, Schroeder, he is a slave
to opium. I have long known-it, long,
long. It is that which accounts for his
strange speeches, his Btrange ways at
times,' and those curious looks in his
eyes. Tonight I saw that he took doub
le hi8 usual dose, and that that is the
result. He'll sleep now until twelve
too late to countermand tho order he
has given, even he remembers hav
ing given it. Once the machinery to
execute that order is set in motion noth
ing can Btop it. 1 And now to tho Admir
al's room at the Marin Amt."
.The Admirals' room at the ww, of
fices was a large room, whore the ad
mirals and chiefs of the navy were en
gaged in conference. At first I had
some little . difficulty in obtaining ad
mission, but at length I found mysoll
before them, and presontcd the scaled
envelope from the Baroness to the chief
man there.
"Gentlemon! " ho cried, springing to
his feet after reading the message," To
the .Day! We go out to battlo! "
Then he read the messago aloud, and
every one present sprang to his feet,
and Hoch! Hochl Hochl resounded
through the room.
Thus . the : great machine, Germany '
navy, was sot in action, and the Battle
of Jutland was tho result.
I returned at once to the Hotol Ger
mania, the Baroness having told me to
be outside the door of her sitting-room
at twelve o 'clock. : I
"He'll wake up," she explained to
me, "fresh, and with his braiu clear. J
shall remind him then of what he's
done. He may have forgotten. Jle ics
forget sometimos when under the iuflu
ence of the drug. So look out for
squalls, Schroeder."
Shortly after twelve o'clock the kai
ser came out of the sitting room with
the Baroness, and, to my sutprise, in
stead of looking troubled or gloomy, he
had quite a pleasant smile on his face.
"Ah, tho faithful Schroeder!" he
said, "Schroeder, you shall walk home
with me. I want some fresh air. "
The Kaiser's Surprise.
S0 the car, which had boon stolidly
waiting in the same spot evor since his
arrival, was sont away, and I walked
back with the kaiser to his residence, a
large private house, taken for tho occa
sion. ..;,.
As the two senfcrics outside sprang
stiffly to attontion, he turned to biu
me good night, and suddonly he -took
me by the arm and led me under a iras
lamp. -
"Where did you get that from, Sch
roeder!" he said, sternly, pointing to
tho Iron Cross he himself had pinned
upon my breast.
Tho events of the past two hours Uad
been s0 bewildering to me that I really
hadn't taken time and trouble to exam
ine the cross very carefully. It had
seemed to me that it was just an ordi
nary Iron Cross which the kaiser him
self was in tho habit of wearing some
times to show that he appreciated the
Order.- But now that I looked at it
more closely I became aware ot a diff
erence. It certainly was an Iron Cross, but
along the two centre horizontal arms
there ran some lettering. This I noticed
as the kaiser took the cross in his fing
ers. But even then I did not under
stand what it meant till he unhooked
it and hold it up for me to look at.
There wero throe words engraved on
it, and they ran in German, of
course
To The Bravest
I gasped. I had only heard of this
decoration; I had never yet soon it, but
I knew that it was the highest Order
in the land to which a German soldier
could belong. Tho Sovcrign himself be
longed to it by hereditary right, and it
was, of course, in his power to bestow
it for any special deed of valor, thouuu
sometimes it was given to those who
had distinguished themselves in other
walks of life apart from military. In
the Franco-German War of 1870-71,
there had only been three of these Ger
man crosses bestowed, and not one in
this present war, and yet hero I was
with one in my hand now!
"ButI I Your Majesty gavo it to
me yourself but a short time ago! You
pinned it on mv breast. yourself."
The Kaiser looked at me hard and
long.
' ' Ah, yes, I remember! " he said, mov
ing still closer to inc. "It was a bevg
deed, Von Schroeder, and it shall be
reported in the official papers tomor
row. You're a fortunate man, Von
Schroeder, a very fortunate young
man."
Defeat.
Again the emphasis on those words
which he had used before, and I knew
that ho understood, and that he knew
that I understood too.
And the next day, in the official re
ports issued from His Majesty's head
quarters and published in the papera
there was a mention of the fact that
Capt. von Schroeder had been personal
ly decorated by His Majesty the kaiser
with the Grand Cross Supreme tha:
what it was called for an act of the
most distinguished bravery.
"You'll stop here now, Schroeder,"
said the Baroness to mo the next day,
"until wo hear the news. It's for the
31st."
I knew what she ment. The navy was
to go out on the 31st of May 1916.
And with her I stood watching in a
seeludod spot to which a pass olitaired
by her had admitted us. Not another
soul war near us; only at some dis
tance the kniser and a few of his staff.
And all of us were watching the dim,
lone ships gliding out through the
blackness of the night, out t0 the sea
Tho joy of feelj3 fit arid
fresh rewards those who
heed tha laws cf hedth,
aci keep tha habits regs-
Iar wita .
Lars Ml Sal of Any Mficise in K Wort A
Sold Erarywnan. In lama. 10c 25c
to give battle to the cursed British, om
chief foes, as we all knew right well.
And when our ships same inijung
to home, leaving I can tell the truth
now over twenty-five at the bottom
of the sea, or else entirely crippled, I
shall-never forget the Baroness's face.
I was with her in her sitting room,
making preparations to leave Cuxhav
en, when the news came in. It was
brought by an equerry direct from the
kaiser himself.. ...
"Mein Gott, Mein Gott!" she cried.
"This means the end of cverythiugi If
we can 't win on sea wo shall never win
on land. Fah! tho fools, tho fools!"
, ' The 0)ae to Blame.
As she said the last words sho looked
out of the window down at tho cheer
ing crowds in the street below for th
news had already gone forth that a
groat victory had won by Germany.
"Ho was right. Ho was right for
once," she went on.
And 1 knew what she meant.
"Ho said all along that the British
navy was stronger than ours; that wo
must wait, wait until our new ships
were ready, but I porsuaded hiin to do
it, and, mein Gott, mein Gott, we're
beaten! Twonty-fivo of our ships gone
t0 sixteen of the British and they 'itili
hold the seas, and we call it victoryl
Mein Gott, mein Gott!"
There I saw her as the real patriot
sho was. .
But the next moment tho evil side of
her nature came uppermost as she look
ed at me and smiled,
"But, thank goodness," she Bald,
"I've plenty of money put away in
Britain, that false country, which will
never be beaten now. Oh, we shall be
happy yet some day, Schrocdor!"
That is the story of how the Battle
of Jutland came to be fought. It was
jealousy on the part of the army and
over-eagerness on tho part of our navy,
both cunningly worked and played on
by the. influence of an unscrupulous,
beautiful woman, but for whom the
kaiser would have nevor consonted to
allow the aGrman Fleet to leave the
safe anchorage of the Kiol clonal.
And in that ont thing at any rate he
he was right. He doridod the British
army, ho thought we should walk over
it easily, but in his soul he knew that
tho British navy was, and tho great
battlo of Jutland, disastrous as it was
for my country, must not be doomed his
mistake. For that shattering blow at
Gorman prestige the Vampire of Berlin
was responsible. '
(To bee Ontinued.)
(Next week, Colonel Schroeder will
doscribe the dramatic events which led
to his still further promotion.)
Our food Gospel
csxi less
serve less
waste nothing
America's Pledge of Food
Gave Heart to the Allies
InTheir Darkest Hour
Whatever is necessary America will
send. That wag America's pledge to
the interallied food council. And be
cause the American food army bad
hitherto made good the;- took Ueurt
and went forward.
Farm enterprise and much soft corn
Increased pork supplies, food conser
vation Increased exports total ship
ments doubled,
'
FAITH JUSTIFIED
BY EVENTS.
I do not believe that drastic
force need be applied to main-
tnln economic distribution and
t sane use of supplies by the
l great majority of American peo-
pie, and I have learned a deep
and abiding faith in the Intelll-
Kence of the average American
business man, whose aid we an-
l tlclpnle and depend on to reine-
dy the evils developed by the
war. Herbert Hoover, August
10, 1917.
t
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