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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..72b78c6 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #67951 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/67951) diff --git a/old/67951-0.txt b/old/67951-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 16f17bb..0000000 --- a/old/67951-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,4499 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of My Secret Service, by The Man Who -Dined With The Kaiser - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: My Secret Service - Vienna, Sophia, Constantinople, Nish, Belgrade, Asia Minor, etc. - -Author: The Man Who Dined With The Kaiser - -Release Date: April 29, 2022 [eBook #67951] -[Last updated: August 18, 2022] - -Language: English - -Produced by: Martin Pettit and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team - at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images - generously made available by The Internet Archive/American - Libraries.) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MY SECRET SERVICE *** - - -MY SECRET SERVICE - -BY THE MAN WHO DINED WITH THE KAISER - - - - -MY SECRET -SERVICE - -VIENNA, SOPHIA, CONSTANTINOPLE, -NISH, BELGRADE, ASIA MINOR, Etc. - -BY - -THE MAN WHO DINED -WITH THE KAISER - -[Illustration: Logo] - -NEW YORK -GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY - - - - -Copyright, 1916, - -BY GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY - - -PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - - - - -TO - -LORD NORTHCLIFFE - -IN GRATEFUL RECOLLECTION -OF THE KEEN INTEREST HE -HAS SHOWN IN THESE -ADVENTURES, THIS VOLUME IS -DEDICATED BY THE AUTHOR - - - - -CONTENTS - - -CHAPTER I - PAGE -INTRODUCTORY 19 - -“Were You Afraid?”--About Myself--War -Finds Me in England--The German -War-Machine--My Travels--The German -Spy System--My Three Journeys--I Become -a Workman at Krupp’s--I Travel in -Chocolate--My Most Important Trip--The -Risks--Proofs--My Reception in England. - -CHAPTER II - -VIENNA IN WAR TIME 26 - -I Set Out for the Enemy Country--The -German Official Mind--Turned Back at the -Frontier--Arrived at Vienna--The Kindly -Hofrat--Hatred of the English--A Subdued -City--Hardships--The Hidden -Scourge--The Toll of War--Austria’s Terrible -Casualties--The Tragic 28th Regiment--“Mr. -Wu” in Vienna--Interned Englishmen. - -CHAPTER III - -IN THE BALKANS 48 - -I Leave Vienna--Gay Bucharest--The -Bandmaster’s Indiscretion--“_À bas les -allemands!_”--Roumania Eager for War--German -Devices--An English Cigarette--A -Terrible Journey--The Spoils of War--The -Wily German--Bulgarian Poverty -Under the Germans--Austrian Satisfaction -over the Serbian Victories--Compulsion in -England--Bulgarian Anxiety about the Attitude -of Greece--The German Language in Bulgaria. - -CHAPTER IV - -CONSTANTINOPLE 69 - -I Leave Sofia--A Valuable Document--The -Change in Adrianople--The Bulgars in -Possession--The Turk Determined to Fight--I -Adopt the Fez--War Pressure--The -Fate of Enemy Subjects--A Way They -Have in Turkey--The Financial Situation--Enver -Goes to Berlin--A Turkish Girl -Clerk--A Quick Change--A City of Darkness. - -CHAPTER V - -I INTERVIEW ENVER PASHA 87 - -Germanising the Turkish War Office--Halil -Bey--Wireless Disguised as a -Circus--Enver Pasha Receives Me--The -Turkish Napoleon--Something of a Dandy--“If -the English Had Only Had the Courage”--“To -Egypt!”--Turkey’s Debt to -Great Britain--Affairs before Manners--A -German Tribute to British Troops--Their -Designs in the Suez Canal--German War -Plans--Where to Kill Germans--The Baghdad -Expedition--German Officers in Mufti. - -CHAPTER VI - -I VISIT ASIA MINOR 104 - -A Remarkable Railway Station--I Leave -for Konia--The Anatolian Railway--How -to Get to Baghdad--Elaborate -Instructions--Necessity for Caution--English -and French Prisoners--Instructing the Turk in -the Arts of Peace--A Noisy Sleeper--Hamburg’s -Hatred of Great Britain--Sops -to Austria and Turkey--Field-Marshal Von -der Goltz--I Return to Constantinople. - -CHAPTER VII - -CONSTANTINOPLE FROM WITHIN 120 - -A City of Maimed and Wounded--I See -the Sultan--Enver’s Popularity--Talaat -Bey the Real Administrator--Gallipoli -Day--Constantinople “Mafficks”--The Return -of the Ten Thousand--How the _Goeben_ and -_Breslau_ Escaped--Their Fateful Arrival at -Constantinople--German Privileges--Mendacities -of the Turkish Press--The Egyptian -Situation--A German Camel Corps--The -Turks a Formidable Factor. - -CHAPTER VIII - -THE “UNTERSEE” GERMAN 135 - -My Kiel Acquaintance--Submarines by -Rail--German Submarines at Constantinople--My -Voyage of Discovery--The Exploit -of U51--Captain von Hersing--German -Hero-Worship--A Daring Feat--A -Modest German!--Von Hersing in -England--The German Naval Officer--His -Opinion of the British Navy--A Regrettable -Incident--Dr. Ledera Imprisoned--I -Encounter an Austrian Spy--He Confides -to Me his Methods--The Carelessness of -British Consuls. - -CHAPTER IX - -“OUR KAISER IS HERE!” 152 - -Getting Out of Constantinople--I Become -Suspicious--I Appeal to Halil Bey--A -Gloomy Apartment--I Visit the Prefecture -of Police--I Join a Military Train--Marvellous -Engineering--A Subtle Device--The -Kaiser at Nish--I See the Two Monarchs--A -Remarkable Stroke of Luck--I -am Invited to the Banquet--Fokker Aeroplanes. - -CHAPTER X - -THE BANQUET AT NISH 169 - -The Banqueting Hall--A Small Gathering--The -Menu--The Kaiser and King Ferdinand--Von -Falkenhayn--An Impressive -Figure--The Kaiser’s Health--His Poor -Appetite--Constant Coughing--King Ferdinand’s -Triumph--The Bulgarian Princes--German -Journalism--A Bombastic Oration--“Hail, -Cæsar!”--The Kaiser’s Unspoken -Reply--The Hour of “The Fox”--The -End of an Historic Function--The -Post Office Closed. - -CHAPTER XI - -THE BALKAN EXPRESS 191 - -Existence of the Balkan-Zug Denied--A -Great Strategical Factor--The Publicity -Train--German Economy--I Join the Balkan-Zug -at Nish--King Ferdinand a Fellow-Passenger--His -Condescension--Excellent -Food--Ruined Belgrade--Arrival at -Buda Pesth--A Tremendous Ovation--Russian -Prisoners at Work--Arrival at -Vienna--Another Tremendous Reception--Remarkable -Punctuality. - -CHAPTER XII - -FRENCH THOROUGHNESS 213 - -I Leave Vienna--I am Ordered Back--I -Risk Proceeding on My Journey--A Friendly -Hungarian Officer--Over the Swiss Frontier--My -Frankness My Undoing--The -French Super-Official--I am Detained -Somewhere in France--My Protests Unavailing--I -am Suspected of the Plague--Left -Behind--_The Daily Mail_ to the Rescue--Profuse -Apologies--I Proceed to -Paris--“You Will Never Convince England”--London -at Last--Rest. - -CHAPTER XIII - -THE GERMAN MENACE 229 - -After Thoughts--The Great Factor--National -Service--False Ideas as to the German -Soldier--The Danger of Under-estimating -Germany’s Resources--Great Britain’s -Helpers--Crush the German--“Wait -Till We Get to England.” - - - - -ILLUSTRATIONS - - PAGE -VIENNA BREAD TICKET 38 - -HALIL BEY’S CARD 155 - -MUSIC PROGRAMME AT THE NISH BANQUET 170 - -MENU AT THE NISH BANQUET 172 - -MY TICKET ON THE BALKAN EXPRESS 196 - - - - -MY SECRET SERVICE - - - - -CHAPTER I - -INTRODUCTORY - - “Were You Afraid?”--About Myself--War Finds Me in England--The - German War-Machine--My Travels--The German Spy System--My Three - Journeys--I Become a Workman at Krupp’s--I Travel in Chocolate--My - Most Important Trip--The Risks--Proofs--My Reception in England. - - -I am not a spy, that I wish to make abundantly clear; I am a -journalist, and I love my profession. Equally well I love adventure -and sport, the greatest sport in the world, in which the stake is the -player’s life. - -“Were you ever afraid?” a young and charming English girl recently -asked me. - -“Afraid!” I replied. “Listen! Imagine yourself with two maps next to -your skin, each marked with German submarine bases, military works, -and the like. Then you are interrogated by half-a-dozen German Secret -Service officers. The least hesitation, the slightest faltering in a -reply and, at a motion of the hand two German soldiers take you into -an adjoining room, strip you, and--ten minutes later you are dead.” - -The girl blushed: in my earnestness I had forgotten. Yes! I have been -afraid many times; yet, with the gambler’s instinct, I have continued -the game which, sooner or later, will probably end in a little episode -in which the protagonists will be myself and a firing party--somewhere -in the enemy country. - -I am a citizen of a neutral country. Those in high places whom it -concerns know all about me, have seen my passports, examined what -remains of my ticket on the Balkan Express with its perforation -“18--1--16,” and can testify from the chain of documents I possess, -from which not a link is missing, that I have actually been where I say -I have. - -When war broke out I found myself in England, and I immediately saw in -the terrible struggle great possibilities for myself. I am twenty-six -years of age and speak, besides my native tongue, English, German, -French and Flemish. I had lived in England before the war broke out, -and have learned to love it second only to my own country. I was -anxious to help in the great struggle, and I determined to try and -find out as much as I could about the great German War-Machine. For -twelve months I have been engaged upon this interesting task, visiting -Frankfurt, Hanau, Neuwied, Essen (and other cities in Germany), Vienna, -Buda Pesth, Bucharest, Sofia, Constantinople, Brasso, Rustchouk, -Adrianople, Nish, Belgrade, Konia (Asia Minor), etc. Incidentally, -I have proved that the German spy system is not so perfect as it is -considered by many in this country. - -In all I have paid three visits to the enemy countries, each time -using the same name, but following a different trade or profession. -First I was a workman, and crossed the frontier in shamelessly shabby -clothes and with very little impedimenta in the way of luggage. I -professed to be a steel-driller, having had a very slight experience in -that occupation, obtained for the purpose of my visit. In this guise -I penetrated the German Holy of Holies, the famous Krupp factories -at Essen. Here for some days I worked, until it was discovered what -an execrably bad workman I was. Summary and ignominious dismissal -followed, but never did a man take his dismissal less to heart than I. -I had gathered some interesting and valuable information, and had seen -many remarkable things. This was in March, 1915, although the account -was not published until February, 1916, as the Censor prohibited my -story appearing in the press, no doubt for very good reasons. - -My next journey was to Constantinople as a commercial traveller -representing a chocolate firm in a neutral country. On this occasion -I interviewed Captain von Hersing, and heard from his own lips the -account of his wonderful journey in a German submarine (U51) from -Wilhelmshaven to Constantinople. I also obtained a great deal of -information which was published at the time. This trip was made in -June, 1915. - -My third trip was by far the most successful. This I made as a -journalist, ostensibly on behalf of a leading neutral paper, but -in reality for _The Daily Mail_. It will be readily understood that -these journeys required most careful forethought. It sounds so easy on -paper, but in point of fact it requires much energy, and most careful -and cunning preparation. One mistake, one careless word, and there -is suspicion with, in all probability, a fatal result. I began to -understand what must be the feelings of a soldier going into battle. -When he enlists he thinks of all the dangers in a detached sort of way, -and regrets leaving his dear ones behind, but as soon as he is in the -thick of the fight he forgets all else but the clash of battle; so it -was with me. - -On my third journey I knew that at any moment I might be recognised by -one of the countless German spies that seem to spring up everywhere. -I was, however, determined to see the thing through and, once in the -enemy country, my nervousness seemed to vanish. - -It must be remembered that no one could undertake such journeys as mine -in war-time without the assistance of prominent and influential men -abroad, and I desire to make what are very inadequate acknowledgments -to many distinguished diplomatists in neutral countries, without whose -invaluable help I could not have crossed the border into Austria, or, -what is far more important, have returned to England. - -I quite anticipated that my adventures would be challenged, for they -must seem so extraordinary when read in a country where the German -Secret Service is regarded as absolutely infallible. So far from this -being the case, I have received letters from all sorts of people -congratulating me on my return, and not a word of doubt has been raised -in any quarter. I was prepared to meet scepticism with documents that -no one could refute. - -It has also been a source of great gratification to me to know that -my discoveries and the information I have accumulated have been of -assistance to the Allies, with whom I am in entire sympathy. I have -also had the satisfaction of reading in neutral as well as English -newspapers that some of the Kaiser’s most trusted and efficient Secret -Service Agents have been dismissed and _aides-de-camp_ suspended. - -I have received at the hands of many distinguished and notable -Englishmen nothing but kindness. They have examined my proofs, not -with suspicion but with the keenest possible interest, and they have -embarrassed me with their congratulations. My invariable reply to these -touching tributes has been that I owe to England much; she has given to -me many friends and shown me great hospitality, and if anything that -I have done can help her in the least degree, I shall always regard -myself as a privileged person. - - - - -CHAPTER II - -VIENNA IN WAR TIME - - I Set Out for the Enemy Country--The German Official Mind--Turned - Back at the Frontier--Arrival at Vienna--The Kindly Hofrat--Hatred - of the English--A Subdued City--Hardships--The Hidden Scourge--The - Toll of War--Austria’s Terrible Casualties--The Tragic 28th - Regiment--“Mr. Wu” in Vienna--Interned Englishmen. - - -It was during the early days of November, 1915, that I conceived the -idea of making another journey to Turkey. From various sources I had -heard that the Germans, in conjunction with the Turks, were preparing -for their great and much-advertised attack upon Egypt. I determined to -find out if they were seriously planning this adventure, or if it were -merely “bluff” for political purposes. My arrangements were carefully -made, because the whole result of an expedition such as this depends -upon the precautions taken at the outset. I first went to a neutral -country where, some years previously, I had worked as a journalist. I -did not find much difficulty in obtaining from the newspaper with which -I had been connected papers and credentials in which it was set forth -that I was acting as the special correspondent of that journal. - -After careful consideration, I decided upon the shortest route to -Turkey, which would take me through Germany, Austria, Roumania, and -Bulgaria, and I made my plans accordingly. I failed, however, in my -object. At the town of Emmerich, on the German border, I was informed -by the officials that my papers were unsatisfactory. At first I -was somewhat puzzled, knowing the care that I had taken to procure -everything necessary, but I soon discovered what the trouble really -was. On my passport my name was spelt with an “i,” whereas on my -special correspondent’s card it was spelt with a “y.” I verily believe -that the meticulous mind of the German officials would refuse to admit -the bearer of a passport in which a comma appeared in place of a colon. - -I did my utmost to convince the officers that the mistake was -trifling, and that I was a _bona fide_ journalist. After much -discussion and excited expostulation on my part, I was permitted to -travel to Munich; but my papers were taken from me, and I was told that -I must apply for them in that city at the Kommandantur. - -Convinced that everything was now satisfactorily arranged, I resumed -my journey. When we reached Düsseldorf I became aware that my name was -being loudly called from the platform. For a moment I was thrilled -with a sudden fear that my association with an English newspaper -had been discovered and that trouble was brewing; but I quickly -recovered myself. When the station-master, a lieutenant, and two -soldiers--nothing less than this imposing display of force would -satisfy the German official mind--presented themselves at the door of -my compartment, I confessed to my identity, and was promptly told that -I must leave the train, and furthermore, that I should not be allowed -to proceed upon my journey until my papers were perfectly in order. -The upshot of this incident was that I was forced to return to the -frontier, all on account of a careless consulate clerk using an “i” for -a “y.” - -I considered it far too risky to have the correction made and start -again. I had acquired some knowledge of German official psychology. -Knowing that the Austrian authorities are less difficult than the -German, I decided to return to England and journey through France and -Switzerland into Austria. In Switzerland I obtained a new passport, and -was soon on my way to the Austrian frontier. - -On the journey I had some unpleasant meditations. The Austrian -authorities might have been informed of my unsuccessful endeavour to -cross the German border, and as some eight months previously I had -already entered Austria by that same route I now proposed to take, -I found myself hesitating as to the advisability of continuing the -adventure. “Perhaps,” I argued with myself, “it would be advisable to -return to safety.” I soon, however, overcame this trepidation by the -simple process of telling myself that hundreds of thousands of men in -the trenches were facing what I should soon be facing--death. I was a -soldier, I told myself, as indeed I am holding a commission in my own -country as a Reserve officer. Finally, by the time I reached Feldkirch, -I was prepared to face the Austrian officials with a stout heart and a -grim determination to get through at all costs. - -With my fellow travellers I was conducted to a large hall where -soldiers, with fixed bayonets, were on guard. To understand my feelings -as I stood there awaiting my turn to be taken before the officers for -interrogation, one must have been in a similar position oneself. - -One by one my companions were admitted to the adjoining room, and when -at last my own turn came, I found myself confronting five Austrian -officers, all of whom seemed to have developed that inquisitive state -of mind which seems to exist only in war-time. In Switzerland I had -obtained from the Austrian Ambassador, Baron Gayer, a _laissez -passer_, which was of the greatest possible value to me. After an -unpleasant ten minutes I found that I had passed with honours, having -not only satisfied the officers’ demands for information, but earned -their goodwill to the extent of being wished good luck and a pleasant -journey. An hour later the train left for Vienna, twenty-four hours -distant, through the beautiful Austrian Tyrol. I was, however, too -tired and travel-weary to be much concerned with the beauties of -nature. There was no sleeping accommodation upon the train, and what -rest I had was snatched sitting in an upright position. - -On the evening of December 8th, 1915, I arrived in Vienna, where I -decided to stay at the Park Hotel in preference to one of the more -fashionable hotels in the gayer part of the city. I did this with a -deliberate purpose, as the Park Hotel is situated close to the two -railway stations, Sud Bahnhof and Ost Bahnhof. From my point of vantage -I hoped to be able to watch the movements of troops marching to the -stations. - -I planned to stay only a short time in Vienna, my real objective being -Turkey, but I particularly wanted to see Belgrade, which possessed for -me a great interest on account of the recent desperate fighting that -had taken place there. I had secured an introduction to a distinguished -official in the Austrian Foreign Office (Ministerium des Aussern) upon -whom it was my first object to call. This important personage, a Hofrat -(the German equivalent, I believe, of the English Privy Councillor), -received me courteously, and without that suspicion that seems to be -the inevitable attribute of the German, listened to my explanation -as to the object of my journey, and very kindly promising me all the -facilities that he had it in his power to grant. - -He gave me an introduction to the War Office (K.U.K. Kriegsministerium) -Press Bureau. His letter stated that I was well known to the Foreign -Office, and that all possible facilities should be granted to me on my -journey to the Near East. This letter eventually produced a document -which was of the utmost assistance to me in my subsequent journeyings, -and which I still have in my possession. - -As he handed to me the introduction to the Kriegsministerium -Pressbureau, which was to prove for me my open sesame into Turkey, he -remarked: “I am always very careful of giving introductions to the War -Office; you yourself, for instance, might be the biggest spy (grosze -spion) in the world.” I smiled inwardly as I thanked him for his -kindness, and congratulated myself that I had been so fortunate as to -impress favourably a man who possessed so much authority. When I asked -him to furnish me with a passport, enabling me to travel through to -Belgrade, he replied that it was not in his power to do so, but that he -would do what he could to assist me, and that I should hear from him in -due course. - -In the meantime I determined to look about the city to discover what -changes had taken place during the eight months that had elapsed -since my previous visit. The first thing I noticed was the increased -hostility on the part of the Viennese towards the English. For this -there were two very obvious reasons: first, the pinch of hunger, -“stomach pressure” as it has been called, the work of the British Navy; -second, the intervention of Italy, the work of British diplomatists. -The Austrian is not so dramatic in his hatreds as the German; but there -is a bitter and burning feeling in his heart against a nation that has -robbed him of most of the luxuries and many of the necessaries of life, -and, in addition, has precipitated him into another war at a time when -his hands were already over full. - -Unlike London, Paris, and Constantinople, Vienna is brightly lit at -night; but the atmosphere of gaiety of this gayest of cities no longer -exists. Now it is dull; cafés, which in peace time remained open -all night, are forced to close at 11 p.m.; some, but very few, have -obtained permission to remain open until midnight. There in Vienna, as -everywhere else in the Teutonic war zone, the all-absorbing topic of -conversation was the question of food-supply. - -There is a humorous side to the situation; humorous, that is, to the -Allies. The people of Turkey confidently anticipate obtaining supplies -from the Central Powers; whereas the Central Powers are equally -optimistic about Turkey’s ability to supply them with foodstuffs. The -Berlin Press is responsible for the Teutonic error, on account of its -bombastic articles on the advantage of opening up Turkey and Asia Minor -with their vast resources. For one thing this was to produce butter for -Berlin. In Vienna they do not grumble so much as in Berlin about the -shortage of butter; but they bitterly resent the absence of cream. One -of the chief delights of the city is the famous Vienna coffee, with -its foaming crest of whipped cream extending half way down the glass. -During my previous visit this had been easily obtainable, but eight -months of war had resulted in the prohibition of the sale of milk and -cream save for infants, all the rest being used in the manufacture of -explosives. When I learned that I should be forced to drink black -coffee, I felt a momentary grievance against the Allies. - -Of the 1,600 taxis that in peace time whirled gay parties about Vienna, -only forty remained, and these are extremely shabby, their tyres having -a very decrepit appearance. With the exception of these forty taxis -all vehicular traffic stops at 11 p.m., and the Viennese ladies, famed -for embonpoint, will long remember the war if only for the amount of -walking that they have had to do. - -There is also a great scarcity of petrol, tyres, and glycerine, all -having been requisitioned by the Government. Lard and other fatty -substances used in the preparation of food are of a very inferior -quality. I have good cause to remember this as, for four days, I was -extremely ill on account of the odious stuff used in the cooking of -some food I had eaten. - -Curiously enough, I found the bread of a much better quality than -during my previous visit; but there was very little of it, for the -reign of the bread-ticket was not yet over. Meat was scarce and very -expensive. As a rule, I dined at the Restaurant Hartmann, in peace time -a well-known place for good dinners. I found, however, that it had -greatly deteriorated, that the food was far from good and ridiculously -expensive. For a meal consisting of soup, meat and vegetables, with -some fruit, I had to pay eight kronen (a kronen being 10d.), double the -peace price. Some idea of the scarcity of meat may be obtained from the -fact that a single portion of roast beef costs about four kronen (3s. -4d.). I should explain that Hartmann’s is not a place like the Ritz -Hotel, but a middle-class restaurant where in time of peace the prices -are extremely moderate. - -That terrible scourge, which seems to follow in the footsteps of -civilisation, has increased alarmingly in Vienna since the outbreak of -war. Soldiers go to the vilest part of the city deliberately inviting -contagion so that they may not be sent to the front. The eyes of -the military authorities have been opened to the seriousness of the -situation, and the men are very seriously punished. - - -[Illustration: - -Niederösterreich. - -Tages-Ausweis -über den Verbrauch von - -210g Brot - -Gültig nur am - ----- 1915. - -Verkauf nur nach Gewicht gegen -Vorlegung der Ausweiskarte -und Abtrennung eines entsprechenden -Abschnittes zulässig. - -Nicht übertragbar! -Sorgfältig aufbewahren! -Nachdruck verboten! - -Strafbestimmungen. - -Zuwiderhandlurigen werden an dem -Verkäufer wie an dem Käufer mit -Geldstrafen bis zu 5000 K oder mit -Arrest bis zu 6 Monaten geahndet. -Bei einer Verurteilung kann auf den -Verlust einer Gewerbeberechtigung -erkannt werden. Fälschung der Ausweiskarte -wird nach dem Strafgesetze -bestraft. - -70g Brot - -70g Brot - -70g Brot - -A VIENNA BREAD-TICKET] - - -Vienna is full of wounded; in fact, I have never seen a city in which -there were so many. I tried to find out as much as I could about the -number of Austrian wounded throughout the country, but it was extremely -difficult to glean information. In order that the public shall not -be unduly depressed, the wounded are carefully scattered about in -different towns and villages, particularly in Bohemia. Germans have -told me that they have heard the same thing in regard to England, where -hundreds of little Red Cross hospitals were to be found in provincial -towns and villages all over the country! - -The German method is also to keep the wounded away from the big -towns as much as possible. The smaller villages are used for Red -Cross stations. When in Frankfurt on one of my former trips I one -day remarked to an old woman, a farmer’s wife with whom I got into -conversation, that I could not understand why there were so few -wounded in a large town such as Frankfurt. “Come and have a look at our -village,” she answered, “we have them in our houses.” I accordingly -went to Andernach, which was the name of the village. She gave me -coffee and war bread, and treated me very kindly. There were six -wounded soldiers in her house, and I learned that there was hardly a -village on the slopes of the Rhine where wounded soldiers were not -billeted to benefit by the invigorating air of the Rhineland hills, -having first been treated in the hospitals. I was told by one of the -wounded soldiers that in a hospital about half-an-hour’s run from -Cologne 180 soldiers were lying disabled. - -The Austrian authorities have their own particular methods; they -arrange, for instance, that only a third of the convalescent soldiers -shall be allowed out at the same time. Thus, if there are three hundred -wounded in a hospital who are able to walk, only one hundred are -permitted out at the same time for fresh air and exercise. - -The number of blind soldiers is amazing. It was one of the most -terrible sights I saw. Before Italy participated in the war the total -number of Austrian soldiers who had lost their sight was 10,000, now it -is 80,000. I was informed of this by Dr. Robert Otto Steiner, the head -of the largest hospital in Vienna, probably the largest in the world, -the Wiener Allgemeines Krankenhaus, which has 8,000 beds, and 3,000 -being occupied by men who have lost their sight. - -The reason for this terrible number of blind soldiers is that in the -mountains the troops cannot dig adequate trenches, and the Italian -shells burst against the mountains and send showers of rock-fragments -in all directions. It was with a mournful expression that Dr. Steiner -told me of the 70,000 Austrians blinded within six months. I asked -him what was to happen to these poor fellows after the war, and he -confessed that they presented a problem which seemed beyond the power -of any Government to solve. Whether or not a monument be erected to the -Kaiser in the Sieges-Allée, there will be throughout Europe thousands -of living monuments to his “greatness” in the shape of the blind, the -mad, and the paralysed, who will breathe curses upon the name German -Militarism that has robbed them of nearly all save life itself. - -In the course of my wanderings about the city I heard an amusing story -about recruiting in England. It was told me by some Austrian officers, -who were convinced that recruiting in this country had been a success. -Their explanation was that the aristocracy had obtained from the -Government an assurance that they would be retained for home service, -whereas the poor would be sent to the front. Nothing that I heard -showed a greater ignorance of the sporting instinct of the English -gentleman than this grotesque statement, and that in spite of the -ubiquitous Wolff and his wireless war news. Speaking of Wolff reminds -me of a saying among the supporters of the Allies in Constantinople -which runs: “There are lies, there are damned lies, and there are -Wolff’s wireless messages.” - -One night I had an interesting conversation with a captain in the -Austrian Polish Legion, whose name is in my possession, but which -in his own interest I refrain from printing. He told me several -things which showed clearly the difficulties which the Germans are -experiencing in combining their vastly varied forces. “I am with -the Austrians now,” he said, “fighting the Russians because of the -comparatively good treatment we Poles received from Austria. After the -war we are promised a Polish Republic. If, however,” he added, “it -comes to fighting for Prussia against the Russians, I for one shall -desert and join Russia.” - -It has been known in this country for some months that something had -gone wrong with regard to the Austrian 28th Regiment of the line, the -Prague Regiment, which consists entirely of Bohemians principally drawn -from Prague, who being Slavs hate the Germans. From this officer I -heard the story of the tragic 28th. In the National Museum in Vienna -there are several flags draped in black--they are those of this -ill-fated regiment of Bohemians. - -It was the intention of the whole of the regiment to desert to the -Russians, the plot including officers as well as rank and file. One -day, seeing before them what they took to be Russian regiments, the -soldiers threw down their arms and held up their hands in token of -surrender. But the “Russians” were Prussians! The Bohemians were -unaware that the round cap of Russia is practically the same as -that worn in the Prussian armies. The Prussian officers immediately -grasped the situation, and turned machine-guns on the defenceless men, -massacring hundreds of them. The remainder were taken prisoners, and -eventually one out of every five was shot, and of the officers one in -every three was executed. The men who remained were sent to the most -dangerous part of the front, and there are now very few left to tell -the terrible story. The flags in the National Museum are a record of -the disgrace of a regiment whose name no longer appears in the Austrian -Army List. - -One thing that struck me in particular was that the most popular -play in Vienna should be the English success, “Mr. Wu.” It was -advertised all over the city, beneath the title in smaller letters -appearing the words “Der Mandarin.” The original title being in heavy -letters, whilst the German title is added in smaller type, it being -evidently considered that the words “Mr. Wu” required some explanation -for Austrian eyes. I was at a loss to account for this anomaly. I -remembered having seen the play several times in London, but this did -not supply any information as to its popularity in an enemy city. - -One evening I went to the Neues Wiener Stadtheater, a handsome building -erected since the outbreak of war. The audience was mostly composed of -women, less than a fourth being men. The play was admirably staged, -but I missed Matheson Lang. I soon discovered the reason for its -popularity. An English business man is shown to great disadvantage -beside a Chinaman, and this seemed greatly to please the audience. At -the end of every act the curtain was raised time after time and the -performers loudly applauded. - -To me the real tragedy of Vienna is that of the Englishmen of military -age who cannot leave the city. They are well-treated and allowed their -liberty so long as they do not leave the city, which shows how much -milder is the Austrian as compared with the German rule. They are, -however, expected to be within doors by 8 o’clock at night. Notices -have appeared in the papers to the effect that subjects of belligerent -countries are to be freely allowed to use their own language in public -places as long as they do so in a way that is not offensive. The poor -fellows are hungry for news. The last English paper they had seen was -_The Times_ of September 3rd. They speak feelingly of the hated war -bread, but they admit the great improvement in its quality during the -last two months. They spoke well of the Austrian treatment, but for all -this their position is far from enviable. They are in the midst of a -hostile population, knowing nothing of what is actually happening to -their country, and eager to be in the trenches beside their fellow -countrymen. - -There was much talk about the Baghdad and Egyptian campaigns, and -also about the depreciation in the value of the kroner, the Austrian -standard coin, which is now worth only half its original value. -Far-seeing men among the Viennese regard this as significant. - -Great precautions are taken with regard to people arriving in Vienna -from Hungary. For some time past cholera and the Plague have been -raging in some parts of that country, although very little information -leaks out on account of the severity of the censorship. Occasionally, -however, news comes through that proves the situation to be far from -favourable. For months previously Hungary was the scene of the great -concentration of the German and Austrian armies for the fighting in -the Balkans. The massing of these troops in a comparatively small area -inevitably results in the spread of disease. - - - - -CHAPTER III - -IN THE BALKANS - - I Leave Vienna--Gay Bucharest--The Bandmaster’s Indiscretion--“_À - bas les allemands!_”--Roumania Eager for War--German Devices--An - English Cigarette--A Terrible Journey--The Spoils of War--The Wily - German--Bulgarian Poverty Under the Germans--Austrian Satisfaction - over the Serbian Victories--Compulsion in England--Bulgarian - Anxiety about the Attitude of Greece--The German Language in - Bulgaria. - - -At the end of about a fortnight I left Vienna, having received my -passport. I had become convinced of the uselessness of endeavouring -to travel over Serbia to Turkey, and therefore decided to go round by -way of Roumania. As a matter of fact, this was the only course open -to me. By way of Buda Pesth, where the Austrian State Railway ends, -and that of Hungary begins, I went to Brasso, the last station on -Hungarian territory. On my previous journey the frontier station had -been Pre-deal, but this being on Roumanian territory the Austrians -found that they had no power to act in the event of catching spies, -consequently they removed to Brasso. I arrived at Brasso at 5 a.m., -after a thirty hours’ journey. As the train for Bucharest did not -leave until noon, I had time to look round the delightful little town, -nestling among the Carpathian mountains. - -Although small, Brasso is of considerable importance at the present -moment, owing to its being the headquarters of the Austrian army -destined to act against Roumania should difficulties arise. The place -was full of soldiers, foot, horse and artillery, with guns of every -kind and calibre. The civil population seemed to have disappeared -entirely. On the surrounding mountains military manœvres were -everywhere in operation. I was told that there were 80,000 troops -concentrated at Brasso. - -It was at Brasso railway station that I first discovered the great -value of the War Office passport I had obtained in Vienna. Without -looking at my luggage, and scarcely glancing at my papers, the -officials allowed me to pass, and I blessed my good friend the -Hofrat. A more miserable journey I have never experienced than that to -Bucharest. All the blinds in the carriages were lowered as a military -precaution, although Roumania is not at war. This circumstance, -however, testifies to the precautions being taken by the Roumanians -against the invasion of their territory. A Roumanian gentleman -travelling in the same carriage assured me that everywhere trenches and -field-works were in course of construction. - -The difference between Vienna and Bucharest, “Little Paris,” as it is -called, where I arrived at seven in the evening, is most striking. -The Roumanian capital, always noted for its gaiety, is the Mecca -of pleasure lovers, and so far from the war having diminished this -spirit it seems greatly to have increased it. The population has been -considerably augmented, money is spent and wasted everywhere, cafés -and theatres do a thriving trade, and the number of motor cars and -pair-horse carriages is astonishing considering the smallness of the -city. Now that the export of wheat from Russia to the Central Empires -is no longer possible, Roumania has become the wheat market of the -Balkans. I was told that the third crop of the year had just been -harvested, and every quarter of cereals that can be produced is readily -sold. The result is that money flows everywhere like water. - -I look back upon my stay in Bucharest as an oasis of peace in a desert -of danger. The Roumanians are a delightful people, and the Allies -should appreciate how much they owe to the strictly neutral attitude of -Roumania in regard to the war. The Roumanian Government prevented food, -coal, or other necessities from reaching either Austria or Turkey. -Owing to the new Balkan Express, the Roumanian preventive measures do -not now possess its former significance. - -The Bulgarian attitude towards the Entente Powers was always a little -difficult to determine; the mass of the Bulgarian people is by no means -cordial to either Germany or Turkey. The politicians most likely -became nervous, and German gold did the rest. Nevertheless, I failed to -find any evidence of Bulgarian affection for Great Britain. The people -in general know hardly anything about this country. There is a vague -remembrance of Gladstone in the minds of the better-educated. About -Germany, however, every Bulgarian knows, thanks to the indefatigable -newspaper work, the German schools, the ubiquitous German kinematograph -exhibition, and the “peaceful penetration” by German bagmen, German -music, and other elements of German Kultur propaganda. - -Little Roumania occupies an extraordinary position in the war. -Surrounded by the warring nations, she herself is at peace. There is no -doubt as to her friendly feelings towards the Quadruple Entente. - -In Bucharest I stayed at the Hotel Frascati, where I spent four -delightful days entirely free from all anxiety. It was on the second -day of my visit that I received the first evidence of Roumania’s -attitude. In the evening I went to the Casino de Paris, where the -audience formed quite a cosmopolitan crowd. When the band played the -_Marseillaise_ a party of Germans, who had evidently been dining well -rather than judiciously, expressed their feelings by whistling loudly -and making other noises. The audience, however, loudly applauded the -band, and the incident terminated. - -Shortly afterwards one of the thick-skinned Teutons offered the -bandmaster a 20 mark note (£1) to play _Die Wacht am Rhein_. The -bandmaster was willing to take the 20 marks, but expressed some doubt -as to whether the musicians would play the required air. Furthermore he -expressed himself as very doubtful as to the effect of the melody upon -the people assembled in the Casino. He eventually overcame alike the -compunction of his band and his own misgivings, but the orchestra had -hardly started before pandemonium broke out. “_À bas les Allemands!_” -and other cries were shouted on every side, with an occasional “_À bas -les bosches!_” and the band came to a sudden stop. The Germans left -the Casino in some haste, to the accompaniment of the hisses of the -audience. - -Roumania is all for the Entente Powers, and in particular she is -pro-French. Her especial hatred is for Austria, and in a superlative -degree for Hungary. One evening I went to a kinematograph exhibition -entitled “Under the Yoke of Austria-Hungary,” which depicted the -sufferings of Roumanians living under Austrian rule. At one particular -incident the audience rose to their feet and shrieked “Down with -Austria! Down with Hungary!” These demonstrations are by no means -rare, and they show very clearly the general trend of Roumanian public -opinion. - -The whole Roumanian army is eager for war. I reveal no secret in -stating this, for Roumania is overrun with German spies. During -my short stay I came in contact with many Roumanian officers, who -expressed themselves as very dissatisfied with the slowness of the -Entente operations. They are, however, firm believers in the eventual -victory of the Allies, and they assured me that no influence, no -pressure, political or otherwise, could induce them to join with -Germany. They do not appreciate quite all the difficulties with which -the Allies have to deal. Germany has been preparing for this war -for more than a generation; the Triple Entente Powers were taken by -surprise and have been greatly handicapped. This I strove to point out -to my Roumanian acquaintances, urging them to “wait and see.” - -I hesitate to offer advice to the British Government; but I wish in the -interests of itself and its Allies that it could be persuaded as to -the necessity--no milder word is suitable--of making known in Roumania -the magnificent work of the British Army and Navy. The instinctive -sympathy of the Roumanians is with the French and Italians; for it must -be remembered that they are a Latin people. Their newspapers publish a -great deal about the French and Italian armies. The Germans have their -own newspapers, printed in the Roumanian tongue. German propaganda and -German gold are to be encountered everywhere, the chief object being to -keep Roumania neutral. - -A favourite device with the Germans is to exaggerate every mishap to -the Allies, magnify every success of their own into a great victory, -and above all to point out to Roumania the magnitude of the task that -the Entente Powers have undertaken. When I was in Bucharest the chief -theme of the German newspapers was the Dardanelles. Long accounts of -English defeats appeared in their journals, all lavishly illustrated. -The Roumanian is not devoid of intelligence, and he can fairly well -appraise Prussian character, and he would rather fight to the last man -than share the fate of Belgium, Serbia, or Montenegro; still he cannot -be entirely indifferent to the clever German propaganda. - -From the plenty, the music, and the white bread of Bucharest I set out -for Sofia. At Giugiu, the Roumanian frontier-station on the Danube, I -took the ferry across to Rustchouk, in Bulgarian territory. Here I had -to spend a day and night waiting for the train. Rustchouk is a terrible -little place, ankle-deep in mud, and I looked forward with dismay to -the dreary hours I should have to spend in this awful hole. But all -things have their compensations, and I was able to glean some very -interesting information. - -On the Danube I noticed four Austrian monitors, which were there, I was -told, to protect the Austrian and Bulgarian cities on the river bank -against Russian attack. I also noticed with the keenest interest huge -quantities of light railway material, mostly rails and sleepers, which -were being brought down by boat and landed at the Bulgarian port on -their way to Turkey. All this material, I was told, is destined for the -campaign against Egypt. - -I found the Bulgarian authorities much more difficult than the -Austrian; this I remembered from my previous trip, and I had taken the -precaution of obtaining a special passport at the Bulgarian Legation -in Vienna. Even with this invaluable document in my possession -I experienced considerable difficulty, and was subjected to much -questioning before I was allowed to pass. These unpleasant and -nerve-racking interrogations were dreadful ordeals, to which I never -seemed to be able to accustom myself. Perhaps I was too imaginative, -but the consequences of a possible slip were always before me. - -During my first visit to Vienna in war time I had a very unpleasant -experience, showing the necessity for constant care. One day I -encountered in the streets of Vienna a young Englishman I had known -in London, who had not been interned. He gave me a cigarette, and -subsequently came to my hotel. I was promptly challenged for smoking -an English cigarette, which, coupled with the fact that I had some -acquaintance with an Englishman, resulted in my arrest, and I spent -an unpleasant day in an Austrian prison. This little incident, which -involved endless mental strain, shows how necessary it was for me to be -for ever watchful. It must be remembered that my journey occupied some -seven weeks. - -As I slopped through the abominably muddy streets of Rustchouk, I -noticed German soldiers and non-commissioned officers everywhere; they -seemed to be in charge of everything, including the port works and all -the military buildings. I discovered that there was a serious shortage -of sugar, and I had to drink my tea and coffee without it. Milk -likewise was unobtainable, and if there is one thing in life above all -others that is necessary to me it is milk and cream. Some one once told -me that I must have been intended for a kitten. - -I was obliged to stay in a very dirty hotel that rejoiced in the name -of the Hotel Bristol, where the available accommodation was of the -most primitive description. The bed was so dirty that I gave it up as -a bad job, and slept in two arm-chairs. The next day I left for Sofia, -a journey which occupied twenty hours, largely owing to the shortage -of coal. I have never had a more monotonous train journey. The windows -were painted white, as the suspicious Bulgars are determined that -no one shall learn any military secrets by looking out of the train. -Imagine the monotony of sitting for twenty hours in a small compartment -without a chance of glancing out at the countryside. I had no -newspapers, no cigarettes, and no food. Nothing but the opposite side -of the carriage at which to gaze, or the whited panes of glass with -which to occupy myself, for nearly a day and a night. I passed most of -the time by sleeping in fitful snatches. - -At every little station where the train stopped I got out and -endeavoured to purchase food. At one place, to my great joy, I -succeeded in obtaining some stale bread and a piece of chocolate of -obviously pre-war manufacture. I did not dare to drink water for fear -of cholera, and when I eventually arrived in Sofia I was in a state of -collapse and was thankful to get to the “Splendid” Hotel, which lies in -the heart of the city. - -There was none of the gaiety of Bucharest about Sofia. For four days -I had forgotten war, but here it was brought once more vividly to -my mind. Swaggering German officers were everywhere; for the German -occupation is firmly established, and nearly as complete as at -Constantinople. There seemed to be no social life, dulness reigning -supreme, and I longed for the brightness and plenty of Bucharest. -Curiously enough, the most striking thing about Sofia is the Turkish -Baths, which have their place in a wonderful new building; they are -considered the finest Turkish Baths in the world. - -It was in Sofia that I heard another instance of German thoroughness -and subtilty. When, through the medium of Turkey the Germans were -bribing Arab chiefs to fight against the British, the gifts consisted -not only of money, jewellery and horses, but of Circassian beauties -from the Turkish harems. I had not the pleasure of seeing these ladies -who had the honour of cementing international alliances. In dealing -with the Bulgar the German is equally wily, and magnanimously hands -over to him all the tragic booty dragged from the poor Serbian homes. -Guns, munitions, rifles, household furniture and jewellery, and loot -of every possible description, from little Serbia, was to be found -everywhere in Sofia. - -Nor has this system of bribery been without its marked effect, for I -saw everywhere German and Bulgarian officers mixing together and having -a good time, and a good deal of sweethearting was going on between -German soldiers and Bulgarian girls. - -In Sofia only black bread is obtainable. Sugar was absolutely -unprocurable, coal was short, but prices were not so high as in -Constantinople. The Bulgarian people, however, are suffering the lot -which seems to follow inevitably in the wake of the German wherever he -goes--shortage of food and other supplies. - -I wish that I could have had with me one or two British Cabinet -Ministers; not that they might suffer any harm, or endanger their -valuable lives, but that they might have learned to appreciate the -value of the weapon which they have not yet learned how to use--the -British Navy. One of the most certain ways of shortening the war is to -bring about dissensions, not only in Germany, but among the population -of her subjugated allies--Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey--and -this can best be done by what the Germans call “Stomach Pressure.” - -There seems to be still a small amount of silver in circulation in -Sofia, but the Bulgars, who have always been poor, are now realising an -unprecedented degree of poverty under their German masters. If properly -emphasised this must, in my opinion, bring about eventual trouble with -the Prussian Bully, who is at present cajoling them with gifts, but -principally with promises. - -The conquest of Serbia has unquestionably greatly heartened the -Austrians, who are more anti-Serbian than anti-Russian. Since the war -broke out there have been periods when the Berlin taskmasters found -themselves in some difficulty as to how to maintain the enthusiasm of -their Austrian allies. Upon this I am absolutely convinced, there is -no such difficulty now. It is so many years since unhappy Austria has -had cause to celebrate a victory that the novelty of the sensation -has had a remarkably stimulating effect upon the whole country. Their -history has been a story of retreat and defeat. Prussia crushed them in -a few weeks in 1866, now they begin to regard themselves as the equals -of their overlords. In addition to their new port of Antivari on the -Adriatic, they confidently anticipate securing Venice and Northern -Serbia. For the moment they are intoxicated with victory which they -fondly imagine to be their own, but underneath there is the same hatred -of the Prussian that existed before the war. - -The compulsion campaign in England has aroused great interest in -Austria, and has been the cause of innumerable heated arguments in -the thousands of cafés throughout the land. The popular idea that -Englishmen fight only when they are paid to do so, with extra for -battles, has been so assiduously fostered by Berlin propagandists that -it has become almost an article of Austrian faith. It is practically -impossible for them to understand the spirit of the new British -armies, to which men have flocked from all parts of the Empire. In -Vienna, as in other places, I was solemnly assured that the rich would -stay at home and play football, or live in their castles, hunting and -enjoying themselves. Not even eighteen months of war have dispelled the -Austrian belief in English “sportkrankheit” (sport disease). - -The day after I arrived in Sofia, I had an interesting talk with two -Bulgarian officers who were staying in the same hotel. They told me of -the retreat of the Franco-British forces from Serbian territory into -Greece. The Bulgarian soldiers liked very much to fight the English, -for the reason that when they defeated them the booty they find is so -considerable. For instance, many of those Bulgarian farmers had never -seen or eaten chocolate in their lives, and were delighted to find, -when the English had to evacuate the camp, that they left behind them -considerable quantities of chocolate and marmalade. - -In particular, these Bulgarian officers were keen to know something of -the situation in Greece. As I came from a foreign country they thought -I should be able to tell them much about what Greece was going to do. -After talking with them for a little while I got the impression that -they seemed to fear the participation of Greece in the war. They do -not like the Greeks; in fact, they hate them. There have always been -quarrels between these two countries; but, at the same time, these -Bulgarians were not particularly keen to fight the Greeks just then. -When I asked the reason why, they told me that a great part of the army -had to be ready for eventualities against Roumania and Russia, and that -the rest would not be sufficient to meet the Grecian army with any -chance of success, reinforced as it could be by a large Franco-British -army. I thought to myself, if only the leading Greek statesmen with -their pro-German king could hear this, what a fine opportunity it would -be for Greece to settle her old quarrels with Bulgaria. - -One thing struck me very much, that wherever the Germans go a shortage -of food and other things seems to follow on their heels. When I had -visited Bulgaria eight months previously, there was not what one would -call an abundance of food, but there was enough to keep people going. -As soon as the Germans got the Bulgarians to march with them the -scarcity of food began. The first Sugar Ticket had just been issued -when I entered Bulgaria, and I dare say other tickets will soon follow. -People, particularly women, were worrying the officials as to where -these tickets were available, and shouts of all kinds showed abundantly -that the people were very little pleased with the new regulations. -The financial situation as well seems to be hopeless. There is paper -money everywhere. Of silver there is very little, and gold of course is -unknown. - -It is a remarkable thing that of all the Balkan countries Bulgaria -is the only one where the German language is known to any extent. -They call themselves proudly “Little Germany,” but to the honour of -the Bulgarians I must say there is a marked difference between the -Bulgarian and the German. He is not brutal, very simple, and extremely -polite, three things of which no German can be accused. The officers go -about with the soldiers in the same way as the French. They are very -simple and unassuming. I saw in the train a Bulgarian captain produce -from his pocket a piece of sausage and start eating it sitting before -us, a thing a German officer would never do. - -In most schools previous to the war French was the first language -taught; now they all start with German. All the same, fifty per cent. -of the Bulgarian officers I saw and spoke with completely ignored the -German language, and the only language in which we could make each -other understood was French. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -CONSTANTINOPLE - - I Leave Sofia--A Valuable Document--The Change in Adrianople--The - Bulgars in Possession--The Turk Determined to Fight--I Adopt the - Fez--War Pressure--The Fate of Enemy Subjects--A Way They Have in - Turkey--The Financial Situation--Enver Goes to Berlin--A Turkish - Girl Clerk--A Quick Change--A City of Darkness. - - -I stayed only a few days in Sofia, and soon continued my journey to -Constantinople. The train left about two in the morning, but as we -were told on the afternoon previous that the train would leave at 11 -p.m. that night, we, my fellow passengers and I, were all there at the -railway station at 10 o’clock, and had to wait four hours in a nasty, -dirty-looking waiting room, filled with German soldiers and Bulgarian -soldiers and officers. It was uncomfortably warm in the room. Most of -the Germans were playing cards, and I was longing to get out into the -fresh air, but no one was allowed on to the platform. - -My _laissez passer_ from the Bulgarian Minister at Vienna again proved -invaluable, and I found out to my great satisfaction that this paper -would serve me in many ways. As soon as I showed it to the Bulgarian -Commandant I was allowed on the platform. There I found myself, the -special correspondent of an English newspaper, allowed more privileges -than even German civil travellers--a thing that made me smile. Most of -the German soldiers were on the way to Constantinople and Asia Minor, -and some of them told me that they had not seen their homes since the -beginning of the war. They were not complaining, however, as they -seemed to be convinced that the victory would be theirs. They were -well-clothed, and looked well-fed also, and I did not notice any old -Landsturm men. We in this country are too often inclined to believe -that the German man supply is exhausted. The men they send to the -Balkans, however, have by no means the appearance of being the last of -the bunch; in fact, no one could wish for better soldiers, every one -of them being of excellent physique. - -When I eventually left Sofia I was faced with a journey of twenty-four -hours, once more with carriage windows painted white; but this time -I had the good fortune to secure sleeping-car accommodation, and I -promptly turned in; there was nothing else to do. We were four in a -sleeping-car compartment. The man opposite to me was a German merchant -on his way to Asia Minor to buy wool, which, as is well known, is one -of the great products of Turkey. He seemed very tired, and did not -respond at all well to my efforts to engage him in conversation. Soon -he was snoring with such earnestness that I had considerable difficulty -in getting to sleep myself. - -The next morning we arrived at Adrianople. What a change from the -Adrianople I had seen eight months before! There were no Turkish -soldiers, no Turkish flags, no Turkish lettering at the station. -Bulgarian soldiers were guarding the line, Bulgarian flags were flying -from the railway station, and Bulgarian letters indicated the name of -the place. - -During the last few years the Holy City of the Turks has experienced -many vicissitudes. In the first Balkan War it was captured by the -Bulgars, aided by the Serbs. When difficulties arose between the -various members of the Balkan League, owing to the treacherous conduct -of Bulgaria, the Turks retook the town, but their reign was short, and -now they have surrendered it once more to the Bulgars. There was not a -single Turkish soldier to be seen at the railway station, and, to add -to the irony of the situation, the Turks have almost completed a fine -new railway station, which I suppose the Bulgars will presently take -over, allowing a minimum sum as compensation. - -As soon as my train drew up at Adrianople, German soldiers rushed into -the different carriages to ask for German newspapers. While I was in -Constantinople I found that the only paper printed in English that was -allowed to be sold was _The Continental Times_, a German propagandist -journal with a very obvious purpose. - -It should interest English readers to know that everywhere the Turks -regard themselves as fighting for their very existence. Such being -the case, the Allies must not deceive themselves as to the desperate -character of the resistance which the Turks will continue to offer. All -are convinced that war with the Allies was inevitable, for the reason -that Constantinople had been promised to Russia. A Turkish deputy -“friend” of mine was never tired of harping on this note. - -At Lule Burgas there were further interrogations, and once more I -had to go through the ordeal of cross-examination, but thanks to the -personal letter I carried from the Turkish Ambassador in Vienna to -Halil Bey, the Turkish Minister for Foreign Affairs, my difficulties -were soon over. In fact, the officials were very polite, and wished me -a good journey. - -Not only has Adrianople become merged in Bulgarian territory, but Lule -Burgas, the station beyond, has also passed into the possession of the -Bulgars. It was not until I was past Lule Burgas that I met the first -Turkish soldiers. - -The impression I got of Turkey in Europe was that of a poor and -monotonous country; nowhere did I discover anyone cultivating the -soil, and, with the exception of the miserable little villages that -we passed, it was quite possible to imagine oneself in an uninhabited -country. - -It was one o’clock in the morning when I reached Stamboul, the Turkish -part of Constantinople. I went direct to the Pera Palace Hotel, being -conveyed in an old carriage, the only one I found available. Not a -light of any description was to be seen, the town being in utter -darkness. The Pera Palace Hotel is well known to many Englishmen -as being the only good hotel in the place. It is now more than -ever expensive, prices having been greatly increased. I could live -cheaper at the Ritz Hotel in London than in the Pera Palace Hotel in -Constantinople. After a few hours’ sleep, I set out upon an exploration -of the city, which I knew from my previous visit. What a change! - -My first precaution was to adopt the fez as a head covering. When in -Rome do as Rome does, is an excellent maxim, more particularly so in -war time. Over and over again I had noticed that some sort of uniform -is the best means of facilitating travel in a country occupied by -soldiery. In Constantinople the fez is almost an introduction. But of -the changes I noticed: bad food, bread-tickets, or rather bread-books, -the bread itself practically uneatable, the hotel swarming with German -officers grumbling bitterly at the fare, and all talking bombastically -of Egypt. - -In Constantinople one realises the war pressure better than in any -other of the great capitals in the war zone that I have visited. The -dearth of the necessaries of life has become alarming. None the less -the Germans who swarm the streets, the Government offices, and the -railway trains see to it that they themselves are well fed and well -provided with every requisite. The more I saw of the German side of -the war, the more I realised that the care and attention of the entire -German people is being concentrated on the Army, that, while all the -other Government offices in Constantinople were shabby, as they have -always been, while electric light and gas light exist no longer, the -German-controlled War Office had been entirely redecorated inside and -out, and looks as spick and span as if it were in reality Prussian. - -The defenceless subjects of the nations at present fighting the Turks -who are still in Constantinople have to suffer many indignities. It is -disheartening to describe. To my great satisfaction I found that nearly -all the English colony had left before hostilities broke out, but many -French and Belgians remained, also a number of Russians, who for some -reason or other stayed behind. They are in a deplorable condition. -Many of these people before the war belonged to the wealthy classes, -but at present they are poor and dependent. One Belgian with whom I -had become acquainted on my first visit, a very reliable and honest -business man, told me many interesting things. - -When war broke out he was living with his wife and three children on -the Asia Minor coast, the other side of the Bosphorus, which must be -considered a suburb of Constantinople. Nearly every business man has -only his office in Constantinople, ninety per cent. of them living on -the Asia Minor coast, which is far more healthy, clean, and agreeable. -This Belgian possessed, besides the house in which he was living, four -other houses, and a farm some 20 miles inland. He was the owner of -a motor car, three carriages, two motor boats, and a number of cows -and horses. The houses he owned were requisitioned by the Turkish -Government for hospital purposes, and they used them for the worst -cases, such as cholera, the Plague, and other dreadful diseases. - -My Belgian friend was compelled to leave the house in which he was -living, and seek refuge in a hotel in Constantinople. His own house -was stripped, everything being taken away; his beautiful collection of -rifles, pistols, pictures and furniture was stolen by the soldiers. His -horses, cows, and in fact everything he had was taken away, and not -even a requisition-bond handed to him. The Turks even appropriated his -balance at the bank. - -In stripping a man of his possessions, the Turk shows a thoroughness -that would make a German green with envy. The Belgian has become a poor -man who can hardly find food for his children. If it were not for some -subjects of neutral countries, who had known him before the war, he and -his family would be actually starving. The American Ambassador, Mr. -Morgenthau, to whom was entrusted the care of these people, does not -seem to be able to render them much assistance. Not only the Belgian -of whom I have just spoken, but many others, complained to me that -whenever they went to the American Embassy when something had been -stolen from them by the Turks, they were put off with the assurance -that nothing could possibly be done for them. - -In all probability the French and British warship commanders -were unaware of the Turkish method of dealing with the question -of compensating the Faithful whose property had been damaged by -bombardment. Whenever a house belonging to a Turk had been demolished -by the French or British shells the property of one of the subjects -of the enemy countries then living in Turkey was confiscated, and the -owner with his family sent to the interior of Asia Minor. All his -belongings were handed over to the Turk whose property had suffered -through the bombardment. - -The financial situation in Turkey is of an alarming nature, I found to -my great delight. I myself had never been a real enemy of the Turks. I -considered them a simple, good-hearted race, and in many ways superior -to the inhabitants of the surrounding countries. What I found out -during my last visit has, however, entirely changed my opinion. In -many desirable ways they can claim the honour of equalling their German -masters, but in cruelty, barbarism, and utter unscrupulousness they -now excel even the Germans. No! I am no longer a friend of the Turks. -Especially am I no friend of their Government. - -When eight months previously I was in Turkey, I was astonished at the -amount of gold that was in circulation. I had always heard that Turkey -was such a poor country, and I was greatly surprised, when I entered -a bank for the purpose of changing Austrian bank-notes, to find that -I could get as much gold in exchange as I wanted, and I was puzzled, -especially as that gold looked suspiciously new. I afterwards found -that it was part of the gold that Germany had lent, or given, to her -Turkish friend to get her to participate in the war. Gold had also been -given for the purpose of paying requisitions, which were many, for the -Turks as a result of the Balkan War had exhausted nearly all their war -material. I found out that many of those requisitions had, however, -not been paid. In fact, of the new war requisitions not one had been -paid, most of the gold having been peculated by the Turkish officials -in high places. The result was a bitter quarrel with the Germans, -which, however, had been kept secret. - -For obvious reasons the Germans refused to send any more gold--they had -none themselves. Some months ago Enver Pasha went to Berlin to try and -settle the affair, and his mission seems to have been successful. - -On this visit to Constantinople I found the financial situation -was critical. All the gold had disappeared, and, what is even more -significant, silver was hardly to be obtained either. This is due to -the fact that the new Treasury bonds recently issued by the Turkish -Government are refused in the interior of Turkey, which is where the -farms are situated. The Anatolian farmers promptly refused to accept -paper money in exchange for their products, and the Turkish merchants, -in order to purchase the harvest, etc., were compelled to pay the -farmers in silver money. The result is that there is hardly any silver -left in Constantinople, but there is any amount of it circulating in -the interior of Asia Minor. - -The shortage of currency has paralysed the Turkish trade, and therefore -the Government had to think of something. Just a few days before I left -Constantinople I witnessed the appearance of the funniest paper money -I have ever seen. Just imagine the situation. In Turkey, on £1 notes -(the original value of a £1 note is about 17s. or 18s.), even at the -Government offices or State Railways, one has to lose about ten per -cent. in exchange. To meet the shortage of currency the Turks decided -it would be legal to cut a £1 note in half, so when I took my meal one -day in the Tokatlian Restaurant, in the Pera Street, I received my -change in this new fashion. It was a very odd sight to see a man get -his knife out of his pocket and cut the bank-note in half. - -It has always been my desire to see a Turkish woman face to face, -unveiled, of course. They seem so mysterious with their covered -faces, and one imagines them much nicer than they really are, on -account of the mysterious way in which they go about. On my previous -visit I had not succeeded in seeing one; this time I was more lucky. -One day I entered the post-office in Stamboul, where no Europeans -live, and went to the Poste Restante box to find if there were any -letters for me. A young girl was answering my questions, and she -was a pretty Oriental-looking creature. At first I took her for one -of the innumerable Jewish or Grecian girls who are to be found in -Constantinople. She spoke the French language very well, and after -I had spoken for a few minutes I asked her if she were Grecian or -Armenian. She answered me at once, “No, I am a Mussulman girl.” “What!” -I exclaimed, “are you Turkish, _real_ Turkish?” “Yes, I am,” she said, -and then went on to tell me that during the last fortnight a few -Mahommedan young girls had entered the Government service, and she told -me that others were to follow. If all Turkish women are as charming as -she was, then a harem must be far more interesting than I thought it -could be. - -Several times I had noticed black Turkish troops passing me in the -streets, men of the typical African negro type, and I could not -understand from what part of Turkey they had come. I soon found out, -however, that they were not Turks at all, but French native soldiers -who had been taken prisoners during the Gallipoli campaign. These -soldiers, being Mahommedans, were soon turned into Turkish soldiers. -The Turks treated them well, put them into Turkish uniforms, and now -they fight against the French! - -Tall and well-dressed German soldiers were on duty everywhere. A -lot has been written about old men, belonging to the Landsturm, and -boys, being taken prisoners on the Western front, but the Germans -are not sending this class of men to the Near East. Their army in -Constantinople consists of really first-class troops. It has been -stated by the Salonika correspondent of _The Times_ that there are -50,000 troops in Constantinople. That number may have passed through -the city. In my opinion, arrived at after careful calculation, the -number of German soldiers actually in Constantinople may be put down at -about 10,000. - -When I was in Constantinople eight months previously there was -comparative gaiety in the city. It is extraordinary to see the -difference that has been made by the absence of electricity and gas. -It has at once closed theatres, cafés, kinemas, and all other places -of amusement. Nearly all the shops are closed. With the cutting off of -the coal supply the whole life of the city has thus been destroyed. In -London there is at least some light, but in Constantinople the only -means of getting about at night is by the aid of electric torches, the -very smallest of which cost me 8s. - -The condition of affairs in the city approached famine; the electric -tramway service, as far as the public is concerned, has practically -come to a standstill. I took careful note of the prices of necessaries; -sugar is 5s. a pound, coffee 6s. a pound, and cigarettes have been -advanced by 40 per cent. Anyone who knows Turkey will understand -what this means for a people that smokes practically all day long. -Matches are 3d. a box. The stock of paraffin oil has been exhausted, -likewise that of chocolate, and all cheese, save the horrible Turkish -variety, is no longer procurable. Mutton has advanced 40 per cent. in -price and beef is not to be had. The small Turkish eggs, which used -to cost one farthing each eight months ago, are now twopence each. -Soap is ridiculously expensive, but the Turk does not suffer much in -consequence! There is very little rice, but fish, of course, is as -plentiful as ever, thanks to the unique situation of Constantinople. - -Despite all these difficulties and inconveniences, the German -War-Machine seems to move with its customary precision. If the Turkish -citizen goes short of food the German private soldier gets his full -ration every day. This is as it should be, according to the German view. - - - - -CHAPTER V - -I INTERVIEW ENVER PASHA - - Germanising the Turkish War Office--Halil Bey--Wireless - Disguised as a Circus--Enver Pasha Receives Me--The Turkish - Napoleon--Something of a Dandy--“If the English Had Only Had the - Courage”--“To Egypt!”--Turkey’s Debt to Great Britain--Affairs - Before Manners--A German Tribute to British Troops--Their Designs - in the Suez Canal--German War Plans--Where to Kill Germans--The - Baghdad Expedition--German Officers in Mufti. - - -The principal object of my visit to Constantinople was to find out from -the Turks what were the German plans. I determined to take the bull -by the horns, and accordingly called at the Turkish Foreign office -to see Halil Bey, the Foreign Minister. It must be remembered that I -was in possession of a personal introduction to him from the Turkish -Ambassador in Vienna. After four unsuccessful attempts, I succeeded -in seeing him by reason of my credentials, which have enabled me to -gather so much valuable information. The Foreign Office, like every -other Government department, is infested with Germans. Halil Bey, who -received me courteously, is a prosperous-looking Turk, who might be -described as fat. He was frankly pro-German. - -“What we Turks need,” he remarked, “is German business initiative. We -do not possess it yet. Look what Germany did for Roumania; she has -reorganised her and set her on her feet. Roumania is now rich and -prosperous, and full of enterprise. The Germans are with us only for -the duration of the war,” he added, “and they will help Turkey to -become a wealthy nation. See what they are doing for us in Anatolia. -There we have 200 German non-commissioned officers teaching the people -modern farming.” - -I decided that Halil Bey was an optimist, and a very poor student of -history. Also an equally bad judge of German character. - -My object in seeking out Halil Bey, however, was not so much to obtain -his own opinions, as to get an introduction to Enver Pasha. I pressed -the Foreign Minister very hard. - -“It is my desire,” I said, “to have a few words with the Napoleon of -the Balkans.” - -“That,” he replied, “is very difficult. Twenty or thirty Austrian and -German journalists have been here, but the Minister of War has been so -occupied that he has been unable to see any of them; but I will try,” -he added, and taking up the telephone he called up the War Minister, -and had some laughing conversation with him in Turkish, the nature of -which I did not understand. So far as I was concerned, it was obviously -satisfactory, and I was told to go to the War Office on the following -morning, when Enver Pasha would grant me an audience. - -The Turkish War Office stands on the top of a hill in the very heart of -Stamboul, the native quarter of the city. It is a huge squat building -surrounded by a railing some five yards high. The hill commands a -magnificent view of Stamboul and the Sea of Marmora; but to a poor -and over-tired journalist, unable to procure a carriage, who has for -half-an-hour toiled laboriously up the hill to reach his goal, the -glories of nature are somewhat discounted. - -During my previous visit to Constantinople I had made the acquaintance -of the War Office, then sadly dirty and neglected and typically -Turkish in appearance. Now everything was so changed as to be scarcely -recognisable. Inside and out it had been redecorated. It was obviously -the intention of the Germans that, however neglected the other Turkish -Government buildings might be, the War Office was to be a place that -would impress itself upon the imagination. - -Again I was struck by the number of German officers to be seen, albeit -in Turkish uniforms for the most part. They were to be seen everywhere, -and clearly the entire direction of affairs was in their hands. - -On my arrival I was ushered into an anteroom, where I spent a few -minutes in conversation with Enver’s German _aide-de-camp_. - -As we sat chatting together I recalled an incident that occurred -during my previous visit to the Turkish War Office in May, 1915. -Through one of the windows I had noticed a huge mast belonging to the -great wireless station of Osmanli. - -“What do you think of it?” inquired a German lieutenant with whom I had -been conversing. “With that wireless station we can communicate with -Berlin.” - -I doubted this at the time, but I have since discovered that the -statement was quite correct. I inquired if it were the wireless from -the _Goeben_, deliberately assuming innocence in order to stimulate the -German to further disclosure. - -“Oh, no,” was the reply, “ships do not carry masts of that size. This -one came from Germany.” - -“From Germany!” I exclaimed. “But surely Roumania would not allow to -pass a wireless apparatus. That would be a violation of neutrality.” - -The officer smiled, a German smile, a smile of superior knowledge. -“Well,” he replied, “as a matter of fact it was not passed as a -wireless apparatus, but I will explain to you the little device that we -used to get it there. We had to think out some plan, as we badly needed -a strong apparatus, so we got it here as a circus!” - -I laughed outright, but my companion did not appear to see anything -funny in the incident. It seemed to strike him as clever rather than -humorous--he was a typical German. Humour does not exist where the -needs of the Fatherland are concerned. - -Presently an electric bell rang, summoning the _aide-de-camp_, who -conducted me into the War Minister’s presence. My first impression of -Enver Pasha was that he was on very good terms with himself. He is a -small man, standing perhaps some five feet five inches, with coal-black -eyes, black moustache, and generally rather handsome features. He is -about thirty-five years of age, but looks younger, and has obviously -taken great care of himself. On his face was a pleased, contented -expression that never for one moment left it. I could not say whether -this was habitual or whether it was assumed for my special benefit. He -was well-dressed and well-groomed, with something of the dandy about -him; low down on the left breast he wore the Iron Cross of the First -Class. He spoke German perfectly, Halil speaks only French. - -Enver smiled as he shook hands with me, not only at my fez, but at -my card which was printed in Turkish characters. There was a merry -twinkle in his eye, and he had an extremely easy manner. It is said -that he models himself, not upon the Great War Lord but upon Napoleon, -even to the extent of riding a white charger. The general impression -in Constantinople was that he has no little conceit of himself. Never -for one moment did he allow me to forget that he was graciously giving -me some of his valuable time. His first act was to produce a big gold -cigarette case, from which he invited me to take a cigarette, having -first carefully selected one himself. He then leaned back comfortably -in his arm-chair and awaited my questions. - -To make him talk I asked whether it was true that Great Britain was -prepared to make a separate peace with Turkey, and, if so, what would -be the result of such overtures. - -“It is too late,” he replied, smiling. “They may have had that design, -and it might have succeeded; but we learn that the Entente”--or as he -called them jocularly the mal-Entente--“Powers have designs to hand -over Constantinople to Russia, and that compelled us to remain with the -Central Powers.” - -Referring to the Gallipoli campaign, he said: “If the English had only -had the courage to rush more ships through the Dardanelles they would -have got to Constantinople, but their delay enabled us thoroughly to -fortify the Peninsula, and in six weeks’ time we had taken down there -over two hundred Austrian Skoda guns. - -“But,” he continued, “even had the British ships got to Constantinople -it would not have availed them very much. Our plan was to retire our -army to the surrounding hills and to Asia Minor and leave the city at -their mercy. They would not have destroyed it, and the result would -have been simply an _impasse_. With the Germans we can strike at the -British Empire through the Suez Canal. Our motto is, ‘To Egypt!’” - -I told him that in my country we found it extremely difficult to -realise that Turkey was actually at war with England and France, seeing -that but for the efforts of these two countries Turkey would long since -have ceased to exist as a separate kingdom in Europe. - -“That is quite correct (sie haben recht),” he replied without pausing -to think. But in the same breath he murmured, “Whatever England did -for Turkey was not dictated out of love, but rather from consideration -for her own interests. England feared the competition of Russia in the -Mediterranean.” - -I was a little suspicious of Enver’s complacent attitude, but I believe -he was sincere in what he said to me. I watched him very carefully when -he told me that the sacrifice of a few more ships would have got the -English to Constantinople, and I am convinced that this is his firm -opinion. I could not help thinking of the pity of it all, and that -200,000 casualties might have been saved by a little more enterprise. I -learned that this opinion was general in Constantinople, even in high -diplomatic quarters. - -At the end of ten minutes Enver rose and remarked: “You must excuse -me now, I am busy.” He shook hands with me and abruptly left the -room. I was a little surprised at this, but concluded that in his -many responsibilities he had never had the leisure in which to study -manners, and the courtesy due even to a journalist. Had I been English -I could better have understood his attitude; for, some years ago, he -visited England, where he did not receive the attention he expected. -The result was that he returned to Constantinople strongly anti-British. - -Enver’s view as to the possibility of Great Britain forcing the -Dardanelles, had they shown a little more vigour and indifference to -the loss of a few ships, I found echoed by the German officers whom I -met both at the Pera Palace and the Continental Hotel, where I stayed -on my return from Asia Minor, only in their case it was more vehemently -expressed. The Turks have no real dislike for the English and none -for the French, although all French words have been removed from the -shop-signs in Constantinople. - -German officers, however, were very free in expressing their loathing -of the British, though full of admiration for the fighting capacity -of their soldiers. On every hand I heard the remark that they wished -they had British, Australian and Canadian Tommies to command. The -general view expressed in Constantinople is to the effect that the -united German-Turkish army will destroy the Suez Canal from one end to -the other, if necessary, filling it up with its ancient sand and thus -render it impassable. - -“But if you do that,” I remarked to more than one of them, “the British -will merely return to their old route to India _via_ the Cape of Good -Hope.” - -Never once did they vouchsafe an answer to this. The German has an -extraordinary capacity for seeing no further than his particular goal. -He is a creature of cries “To Paris!” “To Calais!” “To Warsaw!” “To -Egypt!”; and when he finds himself baulked he forgets his object, just -as a child forgets a toy when something more interesting presents -itself. - -One and all, however, admitted that there was no chance of the Germans -getting to Paris. Their contention was--and it must be remembered that -many of them had been fighting in the West--that they had effectually -walled off the English and French armies and rendered them to all -intents and purposes impotent, thus enabling themselves together with -their allies--Austrian, Turkish, Bulgarian, and Arabian--to operate -freely on the Eastern front. - -As I have said, my instructions were to find out what were the German -plans in the East. With this object I mingled freely with as many -Germans and Turks as possible. I lost no opportunity of entering into -conversation with anyone who showed the least inclination to converse. -Fortunately I speak French perfectly, and German almost as well. French -enabled me to talk to the Turks, and my German permitted me to “get -close,” as the Americans say, not only to the German soldiers, but to -officers and civilians, who are stationed at, or are passing through, -Constantinople on their way to Asia Minor. - -It appears to be part of the German economic plan to turn Turkey into a -great German dependency, and to force the Turk to cultivate the soil, -which in some places is the richest in the world. The true humour of -the situation will develop when the Turk discovers what he has let -himself in for. As to the German military plans, they are, so far as I -could gather, three in number. My own view is that they will attempt -the whole three simultaneously, and then allow them to develop as -fortune may decide. These plans are (1) the Baghdad-Persia-India plan; -(2) the Caucasus plan, with which to tackle the Russians; (3) Egypt -and the Suez Canal plan. - -One afternoon a German said to me, “If the English and French only -knew, the proper place to kill Germans is between Nieuport in Belgium -and Mülhausen in Alsace; but owing to their inferior staff work, lack -of munitions, fear of our guns, gas, mines, and machine-guns, they -leave us comparatively quiet in the Western theatre, and enable us to -menace the line of communication to India and the ridiculous Townshend -Expedition, which will never get to Baghdad.” - -There is among the German officers a general contempt for the English -and French, particularly the English, staff work. At the Sachim Pasha -Hotel in Stamboul I encountered a pleasant old Turk who spoke French -extremely well. He was the Vali of Baghdad (a sort of Justice of the -Peace, I believe), who had come to report to the Germans the condition -of the English and Turkish forces. What he said was practically a -repetition of what Enver had said to me a few days previously about -Gallipoli: “We were very alarmed when we heard they were coming,” he -remarked, “for our defences were in a bad condition, and we had nothing -but a few old guns. Our spies, however told us that General Townshend’s -force was a small one, and we therefore took courage and held the -English in check until we could get our reinforcements; now, thanks to -Allah, they will never reach our holy city, their relief force is too -late.” - -It is not for me to offer advice to the British Government. As I have -said, I love the country just as I hate the Germans, but I wish the -British Ministers could appreciate how often the term “too late,” in -connection with the operations of the Allies, has cropped up during -this journey of mine. - -The German authorities in Constantinople were urged by the people at -Baghdad to send every available man there, whereas the immediate wish -of the Turks is to get to the Suez Canal and so regain their fair -province of Egypt and the Nile. Turkish sentiment combined with German -hatred of England may probably precipitate the immediate advance on -the Canal. I have been told frequently since my return to England that -this is impossible, that it is only “bluff.” I remember the same things -being said when Enver Pasha announced, months ago, that the Germans -were coming to relieve Constantinople. My own opinion--which, of -course, may be worth nothing, but it is formed as the result of talking -to scores of Turks and Germans in Constantinople and Asia Minor--is -that unless there be great combined efforts in France by the British -and French, and in the Caucasus by the Russians, the Germans and Turks -may achieve one--at least one--of their three objects, possibly two, -perhaps all three even. The determining factors are the pressure by the -hated British Navy and greater activity in France, Belgium, and Russia. - -At four o’clock every afternoon the German officers, who are constantly -arriving from Berlin at the Pera Palace Hotel to receive their -instructions, remove their military clothes and appear in mufti. Here -again we have evidence of German subtlety. No man in the world loves -his uniform as does the German officer, but, as one waggish Bavarian -lieutenant said to me, “We must not give the Turks the impression that -we are a flight of German locusts. We do not want the Galata Bridge to -look like Unter den Linden all the time, so as soon as we have finished -our duty we go about as civilians.” They are wise. Constantinople -already looks quite German enough; that is, to Turkish eyes. There -are German newspapers printed in the city, there are the crews of the -_Goeben_ and _Breslau_ wearing the Turkish fez, and of the submarines, -and swarms of miscellaneous Germans, all with their particular object -in view. These facts in themselves are enough to cause misgiving in the -heart of the most pronouncedly pro-German Turk. My own impression is -that whatever may be the result of the war the Germans are getting such -a hold on the Near East that it will be next to impossible to drive -them out. Money is scarce in Germany, but the Germans seem to have -plenty to spend in Turkey and Asia Minor. - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -I VISIT ASIA MINOR - - A Remarkable Railway Station--I Leave for Konia--The Anatolian - Railway--How to Get to Baghdad--Elaborate Instructions--Necessity - for Caution--English and French Prisoners--Instructing the Turk - in the Arts of Peace--A Noisy Sleeper--Hamburg’s Hatred of Great - Britain--Sops to Austria and Turkey--Field-Marshal Von der - Goltz--I Return to Constantinople. - - -After I had been nine days in Constantinople I determined to undertake -what I clearly saw would be the most dangerous portion of my journey. -At that time I did not anticipate encountering the Kaiser and his -detective bodyguard at Nish. - -I knew that for ordinary civil travellers the Anatolian Railway is -closed, because the whole of Asia Minor is what we call here in “the -War Zone.” After my interview with Enver Pasha, however, I thought -it would not be so difficult to get permission to travel into the -interior of Turkey, and in fact, after two days’ ceaseless effort -and many hours spent in ante-rooms, I was lucky enough to secure the -so much-desired permission. It was stated on my passport in Turkish -characters, under the stamp of the Turkish War Office, that I was to be -allowed to travel in the military zone--in other words, that I could go -into Asia Minor. - -I took the ferry boat across the Bosphorus to the Haidar Pasha railway -station, a palatial edifice, the starting place for all the great -German ventures in the East. It has been built quite recently by a -German company, and stands there as a monument of the enterprise and -ability of that astonishing nation. Haidar Pasha itself is a mere -village on the Sea of Marmora, and the station stands out in one of the -most beautiful positions of its kind in the world. The heart of every -patriotic Teuton thrills as he struts about the great hall, and reads -the various notices in his native tongue. - -The rest of the world has a good deal to learn from the German -railway station, and this one at Haidar Pasha is an object-lesson in -cleanliness to the Turks. The surrounding country looks poor, all the -houses are small and ill-kept, and the more one looks at the beautiful -station the more obvious is its contrast with its surroundings. It -must be remembered that every Turkish or German soldier going to the -Caucasus, Mesopotamian, or Egyptian front will have to pass through the -station of Haidar Pasha, the terminus of the Anatolian, and in fact all -the Turkish railways in Asia. - -My dark complexion, coupled with my habitual wearing of the fez, caused -me to attract less attention than would otherwise have been the case. -I had fortunately struck up a slight acquaintance with Enver Pasha’s -German _aide-de-camp_, and he most kindly obliged me with official -directions of how to get to Baghdad, where to stop, what to pay at the -so-called hotels, and so forth. I can only hope, for his own peace of -mind, that he never reads this book. - -This list of instructions is a typical example of German thoroughness, -and is printed in French because, although Germans now swarm in Turkey -and Asia Minor, the only language possible for a visiting traveller in -out of the way places is French--that is, provided he does not know -Turkish. - -I regard the document as of such interest that I reproduce it below, -together with a translation. - - - BULLETIN DES RENSEIGNEMENTS - - sur le voyage de Haidar-Pacha à Rees-el-Ain. - - 1. Départ de Haidar-Pacha, arrivée le soir à Eski-Chehir; Hôtel - Tadia (Mme. Tadia). - - 2. Départ d’Eski-Chehir, arrivée à Konia; Hôtel de la Gare - construit par la Société (Mme. Soulié). - - 3. Départ de Konia, arrivée à Bozanti. Il n’y a à Bozanti qu’un - simple han. - - 4. Trajet en voiture de Bozanti à Tarsus, 70 kilom. en 10 à 12 - heures sur bonne chaussée. Les voitures doivent être commandées - d’avance au Handji de Bozanti ou à Tarsus, si l’on veut poursuivre - le voyage sans arrêt à Bozanti. Prix des voitures, de Ltqs 2 - à 5 suivant les circonstances. Entre Bozanti et Tarsus il y a - plusieurs Khans où l’on peut à la rigueur passer la nuit: Sary - Cheih, Mezarolouk, Yéni-Han. Il se recommande d’emmener son lit - de camp et de se pourvoir d’approvisionnements et de boissons - suffisants. - - 5. Tarsus, environ ¾ d’heure avant d’y arriver on traverse la - ligne du M.T.A. à la Halte de Kulek-Bognaz; à Tarsus 3 hôtels: - Sérai Hotelli, Osmanli, et Stamboul (10 p. par lit), en outre - restaurant “Bélédie.” - - 6. Départ de Tarsus, arrivée à Mamouré. Mamouré n’est qu’une - station d’étape militaire. Aucun hôtel ni han. Les voyageurs qui - n’ont pas de tente à leur disposition peuvent passer la nuit - chez de simples cafedjis, où ils trouvent quelques vivres, mais - où ils ne peuvent obtenir de lits. Il est donc préférable pour - les voyageurs non munis de tente et de lit de camp de s’arrêter - à Osmanié pour y passer la nuit. Hôtels: Ismyr et Ahmed (5 p. - par lit). Les tenanciers de ces hôtels procurent les voitures - nécessaires pour le voyage à Radjou. Prix des voitures 2 à 5 Ltqs. - suivant les circonstances. - - 7. Trajet en voiture d’Osmanié à Radjou. Environ 110 kil. en 2 - jours sur route carrossable, qui est une pendant la bonne saison: - ler jour; par Hassan bey et le col de l’Amanus à Entilli (environ - 50 kil.); à Entilli point d’hôtels, rien que de simples cafedjis. - Les voyageurs peuvent aussi passer la première nuit à Islahié à - environ 12 kilom. d’Entilli; à Entilli, siège d’un caza, bureau - d’étape militaire, plusieurs Hans avec des lits (10 p. per lit.) - 2ème jour: de Entilli resp. Islahié à Radjou (6O resp. 48 kil.); à - Radjoué ni hôtel ni hans; rien que des cafedjis. - - 8. De Radjou à Halep: le même jour (différents hôtels). - - 9. De Halep à Rees-el-Ain (le même jour). Siège d’un caza. - Quelques Hans sans lits; rien que des cafedjis. - - 10. De Rees-el-Ain à Bagdad. Trajet qui s’offectue en 10 à 12 - jours. - - Recommandations spéciales: Lit de camp ou matelas indispensable. - Il se recommande d’emmener aussi une tente. Malles doivent être - de construction très solide et ne doivent pas excéder le poids - de 60 kilogrs. par pièce. Au lieu de malles on peut prendre des - valises ou des sacs de voyage. Le transport usuel se fait par - voiture “Yaili,” qui est toujours préférable au voyage par cheval. - Se munir de vêtements chauds pour la nuit et d’approvisionnements - et de boissons suffisants. Ne pas oublier une petite pharmacie - de campagne. L’eau qu’on trouve en cours de route est souvent - nuisible à la santé. - - -[_Translation._] - - - DIRECTIONS - - For the journey from Haidar Pasha to Ras-el-Ain. - - 1. Leave Haidar Pasha, arrive in evening at Eskishehr; Hotel - Tadia, Mme. Tadia. - - 2. Leave Eskishehr, arrive Konia; Station Hotel built by the - company, Mme. Sulieh. - - 3. Leave Konia, arrive Bozanti; only a simple inn. - - 4. By carriage or car, Bozanti to Tarsus, 44 miles in ten or - twelve hours on good road. Vehicles should be ordered beforehand - from Handji of Bozanti or at Tarsus if you wish to avoid delay - at Bozanti. Fare £T2 to £T5 (£T1 nominally 17s. 6d. to 18s.), - according to circumstances. Between Bozanti and Tarsus several - inns to sleep at in emergency; Sary Cheih, Mezarolukl, Yeni-Han. - Better take a camp bed and enough food and drink. - - 5. Tarsus, about three-quarters of an hour before arrival, cross - the Tarsus-Aleppo line at the Halt Kulek-Boghaz. Three hotels at - Tarsus: Serai, Osmanli, and Stambul, 10 piastres (1s. 8d.) a bed. - Also a restaurant Beledieh. - - 6. Leave Tarsus, arrive Mamureh. This only a military post. No - hotel or inn. Travellers without a tent may pass the night in the - cafés, where they can get food, but no beds. Better if you have no - tent or bed to stop at Osmanieh. Hotels Ismyr, Ahmed, 5 piastres - (10d.) a bed. The hotel proprietors can get vehicles for the - journey to Radju. Fares, £T2 to £T5, according to circumstances. - - 7. Journey by car or carriage, Osmanieh to Radju, about 70 miles - in two days on a drivable road, which is good in the good season. - - 1st day: Hassan Bey and Pass of Amanus to Entilli, about 32 - miles. At Entilli no hotels, only simple cafés. You can pass the - first night at Islahieh, about 7½ miles from Entilli. Entilli - district headquarters, military post, several inns with beds; 10 - piastres a bed. - - 2nd day: Entilli (or Islahieh) to Radju, 38 (or 31½) miles. - Radju, no hotels or inns, only cafés. - - 8. Radju to Aleppo same day. Various hotels. - - 9. Aleppo to Ras-el-Ain same day. District headquarters. Several - inns without beds, only cafés. - - 10. Ras-el-Ain to Baghdad. Journey can be done in 10 to 12 days. - - Special advice: Camp bed or mattress indispensable. Advisable - to take a tent. Trunks ought to be strongly made and weigh not - over 120 lbs. each. Instead of trunks you may take bags or suit - cases. The usual way is by the vehicle Yaili, always preferable to - horseback. Get warm clothes for night and enough food and drink. - Don’t forget a little medicine chest. It is often risky to drink - the water found on the way. - - -There is naturally far less danger of Secret Service officers in a -crowded city than in small towns. In Constantinople I was but one of -thousands of strangers passing to and fro, and that at a time of great -change in the history of the Turkish capital. The arrival, however, -of a stranger in a village sets every local busybody talking and -speculating as to where he has come from and why he has come. And this -brings him into conflict with, or at least under the suspicion of, -some blundering minor official. Quite possibly this person, zealous in -his desire to show his authority and his patriotism, may, by virtue -of his blundering, stumble across something that his superiors have -quite overlooked. Such a thing had happened to me already on a previous -occasion. - -I therefore determined to be more than ever careful, and to leave -nothing whatever to chance. I was desirous of getting as far as -possible along the Baghdad Railway, not only to examine the line -itself, but to talk to the passengers _en route_. People of strange -countries become companionable, and I have often found that there is -more to be learned in a railway carriage during a comparatively short -journey, than from a long stay in a city. There is a bond of sympathy -between travellers, just as there is between smokers, that causes them -after a few hours, sometimes even after only a few minutes, to become -communicative. I wanted to get to Aleppo, but I came to the conclusion -that I should probably never return if I penetrated too far on the road -to Baghdad. - -The train for Eski-Shehr, which is the junction for the Caucasian -Railway, _via_ Angora, left at four in the afternoon. Turkish soldiers -on their way to the Caucasian front to fight the Russians go by rail -only as far as Angora, the rest of the journey being made on foot. -The roads are terribly bad, but the Turkish soldier philosophically -overcomes all the difficulties he encounters, for he is justly famous -for his stout heart and his capacity to endure hardships of every -description. - -In Angora, I believe, the English prisoners are confined. I have no -evidence of this beyond a chance remark I heard whilst waiting for the -train at Eski-Shehr. I know for a fact that French prisoners are in -Angora. Later, at Konia, I saw some 300 French prisoners, deplorably -neglected, I regret to say, with little food, and dying like flies. -The insanitary condition of that camp was beyond description. The -Turks are perhaps not naturally cruel, or, at least, they confine -their atrocities to Armenia. They have their own particular views as -regards prisoners in general. Turkish prisoners in Turkish prisons -are not well treated. After all, a prisoner is not a very important -factor in the Turkish mind, and it should be remembered that the food -shortage extends throughout the whole area of German operations, always -excepting the German soldier himself. Even at the beautiful station of -Haidar Pasha I could not get a mouthful of bread or even a biscuit. The -only refreshment obtainable was unlimited German beer, produced by a -local German brewery. - -The journey to Eski-Shehr was pleasant, although the trains were slow -and stopped for a considerable time at each station. There are no -express trains on the Baghdad Railway. There was, however, no paint on -the windows of the carriages, for which I was devoutly thankful, and -the carriages themselves were quite comfortable. As we sped along I -was much struck by the number of German non-commissioned officers that -I saw working and cultivating the land, which between Constantinople -and Konia is for the most part fertile, in co-operation with the -Turkish farmers. It was explained to me that more than 200 of these -non-commissioned officers had been sent to Turkey with the sole purpose -of teaching the Turkish farmers how to cultivate their ground. This, -again, is typical of German methods, but it has another significance. -If Berlin did not believe in the good faith of the Turks, and were not -convinced that Germany will remain the unofficial masters of Turkey, -all this trouble would certainly not be taken to instruct the people of -Asia Minor in the art of agriculture. There is nothing philanthropic -about the Germans. - -All along the route until Konia was reached I saw these German -non-commissioned officers, and whenever the train stopped some of them -rushed up to the carriages asking for German newspapers, believing that -all the passengers came from the Fatherland, as, indeed, some of them -had. - -My fellow-passengers were typical of the German invasion of the East. -There were among them two merchants from Hamburg, going to bring back -Persian products. They talked particularly about copper. At the hotel -in Konia I had to sleep in the same room with one of them, and I was -desperately afraid lest I might talk in my sleep, and, indeed, when a -Turk came to awaken me in the morning I inadvertently called out, “Come -in.” The good Hamburger was lying flat on his back, sleeping noisily, -and I thanked the good luck that seemed to protect me for sending me as -a companion one who was so hearty a sleeper. That Hamburger impressed -upon me in no uncertain manner the meaning of sea power. The British -are not actually popular in Berlin, as is well known; but the feelings -of Berliners are mild and gentle in comparison with those of the -inhabitants of the desolated port of Hamburg. - -I have seen it stated in the English newspapers that supplies are -getting into Germany in spite of the British Fleet, and there are many -evidences of this fact in Germany. On the other hand, however, these -supplies have to meet the consumptive power of some seventy millions -of people. A little, too, is doled out now and then to the Austrians, -as if to keep them quiet, but it is very little, and I suppose that -even the Turkish officials get a small percentage for the same purpose. -The balance goes to the German Army, for that must never be short of -anything. It is obvious that if you must be a German, the wisest thing -is to be a German soldier. - -I have seen it stated that von Mackensen will take charge of the -Turkish-German forces at Aleppo, the place from which the expedition to -the Suez Canal will start. At present Djamil Pasha, formerly Turkish -Minister of Marine, is in command. Travellers who had come from Aleppo -told me that the combined German and Turkish forces there numbered -80,000, but I am not in a position to guarantee the accuracy of these -figures. What I do know is that there is everywhere an air of general -activity and preparation. Long trains full of new railway and telegraph -material, rails, small bridges, and numbers of locomotives are to be -encountered everywhere. The plodding, persistent Prussian is prodding -his Turkish slaves into such action as has never before been known -to them. It is incredible that those in high places among the Turks -can conceive it possible that they will ever be able to shake off the -German yoke. There is to be seen _en route_ a great amount of light -railway rolling stock, and I was assured that it was intended for the -construction of the railway that will cross the desert to bring the -Turkish-German armies face to face with the British on the Canal. - -Field-Marshal von der Goltz is at Baghdad. He is one of the -oldest German generals with one of the youngest German staffs. At -Constantinople they say that the old man is merely a figure head, but -he is extremely popular with the young men about him. - -At Konia, for reasons that I cannot explain, I thought it advisable to -run no further risk, and so I returned to Constantinople. It was very -fortunate for me that I did so, otherwise I might have missed the -Banquet at Nish, and I should not have earned the name of “The Man who -Dined With the Kaiser.” - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -CONSTANTINOPLE FROM WITHIN - - A City of Maimed and Wounded--I See the Sultan--Enver’s - Popularity--Talaat Bey the Real Administrator--Gallipoli - Day--Constantinople “Mafficks”--The Return of the Ten - Thousand--How the _Goeben_ and _Breslau_ Escaped--Their Fateful - Arrival at Constantinople--German Privileges--Mendacities of the - Turkish Press--The Egyptian Situation--A German Camel Corps--The - Turks a Formidable Factor. - - -To me Constantinople seemed to be a city of maimed and wounded. One -morning I strolled out of my hotel, intending to take a carriage to -Stamboul, one of those strange vehicles drawn by two lean but vigorous -horses that still remain on the streets for hire. From twenty-five to -thirty carriages passed me as I stood vainly endeavouring to persuade -one of the drivers to pull up. They took not the slightest notice of my -gesticulations, but continued precipitately on their way. I was curious -to know the reason for this, and on my return to the hotel I inquired -of the porter. He informed me that the carriages were going to the -Bosphorus to take up the wounded arriving from different battlefields. -“After what you have told me,” I remarked, “I shall be afraid of using -a carriage in Constantinople.” But shaking his head, the porter replied -dispassionately, “Do not be afraid. By order of the Germans, every one -of these carriages must be disinfected after use.” “The East is the -East and the West is the West,” I meditated as I passed into the hotel. -It would be interesting to have the frank opinion of the highly-placed -Turk upon the “thoroughness” of their German allies. - -I very soon discovered that every big building in the city had been -turned into a hospital, one of the biggest being the Lyceum. All the -beautiful houses belonging to the wealthy English and French residents, -which overlook the Bosphorus, have been commandeered for the Red -Crescent, the occupants being obliged under Turkish war regulations to -live in hotels. - -The Sultan is a mere figure-head, as is well known. One Friday I saw -him walking from his palace to a mosque a little distance away--he -has given up taking the longer journey to the Aya Sofia for fear of -assassination--and his fat, heavy appearance suggested to me that -the Turks knew their business when they removed all power from his -hands. In the old days a Sultan could not make his appearance in the -streets without its being the occasion for a great demonstration. -That was yesterday; now popular enthusiasm was for Enver Pasha when -he accompanied the Commander of the Faithful. The potentate himself -might be persuaded that the acclamations were for his holy person, but -everyone else knew better. I was told that the Sultan leaves everything -to Talaat Bey and to Enver Pasha. To me the Sultan looked like an -unidealised copy of one of Rembrandt’s Rabbis. - -Enver may claim to be the power behind the throne, but the real ruler -of Turkey is that shrewd statesman Talaat Bey, who, although a great -Germanophile, is credited with the belief in the ultimate victory of -the Entente Powers. This conviction on the part of Talaat may account -for some of the rumours circulated in the Balkans to the effect that he -would be not unwilling to conclude a separate peace. - -I was in Constantinople when the evacuation of Gallipoli was announced. -The town was gay with flags, mobs passed up and down the streets -shouting. Notices in Turkish and German were exhibited everywhere. -Special newspaper bulletins were being rushed hither and thither by -ragged boys. The Turks, who are never over-prodigal of truth, announced -the evacuation as a great victory for their soldiers, which had -resulted in the English being driven into the sea. Although I had no -other news than that supplied by the official proclamation, I was not -in the least disturbed, knowing full well the Turkish character. Had -there been a great victory there would have been prisoners, and the -German knows too well the advantages of clever stage management not to -produce these for the edification of the cheering crowd. - -Three days later, when Constantinople had to some extent recovered from -its mafficking, there passed through the streets about 10,000 of the -weariest soldiers it has ever been my lot to see, a long bedraggled -line, most of them stumbling along as if scarcely able to stand for -fatigue. The people did not know where they had come from. Had they -been aware that these poor wretches were some of the stout defenders of -Gallipoli they might have given them a warmer cheer. As it was, I saw -little or no enthusiasm, although here and there people ran out to give -the men cigarettes. - -The sight of these utterly worn-out soldiers lingered with me all day. -Some of them were so exhausted that they could proceed no further, and -had to be lifted up and half carried, half dragged along by their more -stalwart comrades. They carried neither rifles nor knapsacks, these -following behind in carts. It was interesting to note to what an -extent the German officering of the Turkish forces has been carried. -For every Turkish officer that passed by in that brown and miserable -procession that smacked so little of victory, there were two German -officers. The Turks may be entitled to all the satisfaction that the -British evacuation of Gallipoli has given them, but I am sure that if -the Anzac heroes, for instance, had been present with me the morning I -stood watching the long war-worn line, they would have been comforted -by the knowledge that however great the hardships and privations they -themselves had suffered, those of the foe had been as bad, if not -worse. It was obvious that some time would elapse before these men were -sufficiently rested to be fit for active service once more, and this in -spite of the fact that the Turkish soldier is famous for his remarkable -recuperative powers. - -I have seen it stated in the newspapers (February 13th, 1916), that -large reinforcements of Turkish troops are being sent to Mesopotamia. -This seems to confirm my view that several weeks’ rest would be -necessary before the men who fought so well at Gallipoli would be ready -for active service again. Even these must be picked men, for it is a -long and tedious march from Aleppo to Baghdad over roads that the word -“wretched” utterly fails to describe. - -At Stenia, in the Bosphorus, I saw both of those mystery ships, the -_Goeben_ and the _Breslau_, lying at anchor; probably there were never -two ships in all the world about which so much that is inaccurate has -been written. The _Goeben_ was in a bad state, and kept afloat only -by means of the crudest contrivances, shell-holes being filled in -with cement. It is obvious that the authorities, be they Turkish or -German, do not regard her as likely to be of much further assistance to -them, for several of her big guns have been removed for use on land. -The _Breslau_, on the other hand, is in good condition, and as I saw -her riding at anchor she looked very spick and span, having recently -received a new coat of grey paint. She is a finely-built ship, and -looks capable of rendering a very good account of herself. - -The stories of how the _Goeben_ and _Breslau_ evaded the Allied fleets -are legion. A Turkish deputy gave me one account which I relate for -what it is worth. According to him it would appear that the two ships -had taken refuge in Messina, and that outside the three-mile limit -there waited 24 Allied ships of war, like hounds ready to pounce upon -their prey. The prospect of escape seemed hopeless, so hopeless in -fact that the commander of the _Breslau_ proposed exceeding his time -allowance in a neutral port so that his ship might be interned. The -commander of the _Goeben_, however, was determined to make an effort -to get away, and being the senior officer his less courageous comrade -had no choice but to acquiesce. They waited until night, and then -steamed away, keeping as near to the coast as possible, and were never -overhauled. It was their arrival in the Dardanelles, the Turkish deputy -assured me, that finally induced Turkey to join the Central Powers, -the Turks believing that with the addition of these two fine ships to -their navy they would be more than a match for the Russian Fleet in the -Black Sea. - -One day I made a curious discovery, not without its significance. In -crossing the Galata Bridge a toll of one penny is demanded, which -all the Faithful must pay, and likewise the Infidels. An exception, -however, was made in the case of the Germans, who are exempt, and -for this very interesting reason. When the bridge was damaged by the -torpedo of a British submarine some time ago, the Turks were in a -quandary to know how to repair it, having no engineers of their own -capable of undertaking such work. In their difficulties they turned, -as usual, to their German friends, who readily agreed to undertake -the work, and the damage was accordingly made good. When the bill was -presented from Berlin, however, the Turks wrung their hands, and with -tears in their eyes expostulated that, although they had the best -intentions in the world, they had no money. - -The result was that the Germans had to allow the bill to remain owing, -but by way of getting some acknowledgment for their trouble and the -expense that they had incurred, they made it a condition that all -German subjects should be allowed to cross the bridge free of charge. -This I was able to prove by a very simple test, for on presenting -myself to the tollkeepers and speaking German, I was immediately -allowed to pass without any demand of the customary penny. It amused me -to think that the real inhabitants of Constantinople should have to pay -for the privilege that was accorded free to those who had usurped their -authority. - -The attitude of the Turks in regard to truth is too well known to -require comment, but the lying qualities with which their press seems -to be inspired are worthy of the word inspiration. To believe anything -seen in a Turkish newspaper postulates a simplicity and credulity -which, charming enough in themselves, are scarcely calculated to help -its possessor in the struggle for existence. For instance, in Has -Keiul, on the Golden Horn, a big powder factory was destroyed by a -tremendous explosion; the Turkish newspapers charmingly described how -three persons had been killed and six wounded, and that only two houses -in addition to the factory had been destroyed. I determined to test -this statement, and I found on visiting what is the Jewish quarter, -that the whole neighbourhood was in ruins. Two thousand people at least -had been killed, and, although my visit was not made until a fortnight -after the explosion, search-parties were still digging dead bodies out -of the ruins. The Turk himself is not entirely devoid of thoroughness. - -Just as I was preparing to leave Constantinople rumours of the big -Russian offensive in the Caucasus were coming through. Almost the last -thing I saw were five battalions of Turks, splendidly equipped and with -1916 rifles, leaving for the Caucasus front. - -I wish I were able to persuade the British public of the seriousness -of the Egyptian situation. What most surprised me on my return to -this country was the incredulity of the general public with regard -to the German threat against Egypt and India. I am a neutral with -no axe to grind, but I have a great respect and affection for a -country where I have received nothing but kindness, and I view with -alarm this dangerous and apathetic frame of mind. All that I saw in -Constantinople, as in Asia Minor, convinces me that the Turks are -serious in their intended invasions, and as the whole affair will be -under German management it will, after the manner of the Germans, be -done thoroughly. I feel that I shall have achieved something if any -words of mine can dispel the illusion on the subject which seems to -prevail everywhere. - -Nothing is to be left to chance, and the Germans have taken the -precaution, as a preparation for the Egyptian Expedition, of training -4,000 German soldiers to ride camels, the instruction being given -at Hagenbeck’s Menagerie at Hamburg. All those who know Egypt will -appreciate the value of a body of 4,000 camelry. Aleppo is to be -the starting point, and a glance at the map of Syria will show its -importance. I shall be greatly surprised if within the next few months -something is not heard of Djemal Pasha, who is in command there. When -I was in Constantinople the name of the redoubtable von Mackensen was -freely mentioned in connection with the leadership of this expedition, -but other work will most likely be found for him. - -The Turks are still a very formidable factor in the situation, and have -to be seriously reckoned with. Their losses may be, and undoubtedly -have been, very great, but there are plenty of men still available. As -a matter of fact, all able-bodied men are being called to the colours. -That alone should give Great Britain an indication of the magnitude -of the task that lies before the Allies. Turkey may be one of the -weaker members against the combination of the Entente Powers, but she -is nevertheless very strong, and hourly growing stronger under the -masterful domination of the German military mind. - -The language difficulty in Turkey is rather amusing. Germany has done -its best to implant its own tongue upon its unfortunate allies, but -with very poor success. It was a constant source of amusement to me to -hear German officers ordering their dinners in French. Everywhere in -Constantinople French is spoken; even the tramway tickets are printed -in French and Turkish. Waiters, shopkeepers, officers, sometimes even -the man in the street speaks French as well as his own language. -Frequently I would go to the rescue of German soldiers and sailors in -shops who could not make themselves understood. - -The German opinion of the Turks is very well shown by the following -little episode. I was in conversation one day with two A.B.’s of the -famous cruiser _Emden_. As a souvenir one of them gave me the ribbon -from his cap with the _Emden_ scroll upon it. He informed me that -it was his original intention to give it to his mother, but he was -now convinced that he would never return to the Fatherland alive, -consequently I received it as a compliment in return for the beer and -cigars I had given him. This sailor was communicative to the extent of -saying, “We have lost nearly all our Colonies, and I am sure that we -shall lose the last one, but we are going to make Turkey our newest and -best colony.” I heard similar remarks from other Germans. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -THE “UNTERSEE” GERMAN - - My Kiel Acquaintance--Submarines by Rail--German Submarines - at Constantinople--My Voyage of Discovery--The Exploit of - U51--Captain von Hersing--German Hero-worship--A Daring - Feat--A Modest German!--Von Hersing in England--The German - Naval Officer--His Opinion of the British Navy--A Regrettable - Incident--Dr. Ledera Imprisoned--I Encounter an Austrian Spy--He - Confides to me his Methods--The Carelessness of British Consuls. - - -An axiom, and a very valuable one, for a man employed in secret service -work for a newspaper should be to stay always at the best hotel in any -city at which he is making investigations. For one thing, big fish swim -in large lakes; for another, the visitors at large hotels are less -noticed and less likely to be suspected than those at smaller places. - -At the Pera Palace Hotel I had many interesting conversations with -German officers, for whom I had to swallow my dislike for reasons of -policy. They complained to me bitterly of the absence of amusement, -for all the theatres and picture palaces were closed, and there was no -distraction whatever for the apostles of “Frightfulness.” I was always -ready with sympathy, and we got on very well together. - -The officer of the Polish Legion at Vienna who told me about the -terrible fate of the 28th Regiment, had introduced me to a German -foreman-constructor of submarines, who had come from the famous -Germania Shipyard at Kiel. He was a typical German of the boasting -type, and as the result of a little judicious handling, some beer, and -a great deal of flattery, of which any traveller in Germany has to take -with him an unlimited supply, I soon discovered a great deal as to the -mystery of the German submarines in the Sea of Marmora. Of the small -type there are, I believe, not more than four; very likely the number -has been increased since I left Turkey, as I will explain. - -A little more than a year ago the English newspapers were engaged in -discussing the possibility of Germans carrying submarines by rail. -Whilst this was in progress the Germans had already solved the problem, -and had conclusively proved that submarines of the smaller type can -easily be manufactured in one place in sections and carried hundreds -of miles by rail to another, where, with the aid of experts, they can -be fitted together. As my new acquaintance informed me, Germany had -already done this most successfully. - -I proved the accuracy of the man’s statement when I was at -Constantinople, as I saw no less than four German U boats, Nos. U4, -U18, and U25. I could not detect the number of the fourth craft. They -were of a uniform size and U18 had painted on the conning-tower a huge -Iron Cross, showing that it had achieved some great distinction--great, -at least, to the German mind. - -Hiring a rowing boat, and wearing my fez, I discovered the base of the -submarines on the afternoon of January 15th. It was cleverly hidden -behind two big German liners in the Golden Horn, between the Marine -Arsenal and Has Keiul, the little village that had been entirely -destroyed by the powder explosion. By this time, if my informant were -correct--and I have no reason to doubt the accuracy of his statements, -for, like so many Germans, he told me a good deal more than he -ought--the number of submarines has been increased to six; he himself -had been concerned in putting them together at Trieste. As a matter -of fact, soon after my arrival in England I read in different neutral -as well as English newspapers that two more German submarines of -small size had arrived in Constantinople from an Austrian port in the -Adriatic. - -The German submarine officers and crews to be met with in -Constantinople are not at all of the swaggering Prussian type. -They wear the usual German uniform, whereas their fellows of the -_Goeben_ and _Breslau_, which fly the Turkish flag, wear the fez. The -so-called Turkish submarines do not exist save in the imagination of -certain people whose interest it is to write about them. They are -in reality German submarines flying the German naval flag. I have -reason to believe also that there are very few Turkish aeroplanes or -flying-men. An American newspaper suggested that it was possibly a -Turkish submarine that sunk the _Persia_; but as there are no Turkish -submarines, one of them could not possibly have been guilty of this -crime against civilisation. - -These smaller submarines must not be confused with U51, which, as the -German newspapers have proudly described, made the great voyage from -Kiel to Constantinople, either through the English Channel or by the -northern passage round Scotland. This took place in the spring of 1915. - -The U51 is a huge craft, painted a dark grey, its appearance being very -suggestive of its sinister purpose. It has a big gun mounted on the -forepart. The size of the craft astonished me when I saw it some days -after its arrival at Constantinople, on my first visit, and I think it -must be one of the largest afloat. Unfortunately, I was not allowed on -board: there were limitations to the privileges that my papers were -able to secure for me. Beside this leviathan the U4 and her sisters -would look mere pigmies; but they are vicious little craft, hornets -with sharp and painful stings. - -Now that Weddigen has been killed, Captain von Hersing is the popular -hero of the German submarine navy. He is the type of man that possesses -a strong appeal for the English sportsman. He is of the Max Horton -order, and it was he who sank the _Triumph_ and the _Majestic_. - -In Germany heroes are made on the slightest possible provocation and -for very indifferent achievements; but Captain von Hersing certainly -deserves his fame. He is modest, a rather rare quality in the -present-day German. - -The story of his feat, which he narrated to me during my first visit -to Constantinople, has already been told time after time. As quietly -as any Englishman would have done he described to me that wonderful -voyage; how he picked up petrol in the Bay of Biscay at an exactly -appointed time and place; how he passed by Gibraltar in broad daylight -on the surface of the water; the agonies he suffered during the -imprisonment of his boat for two hours in a British submarine net off -Lemnos; how he eventually escaped with a damaged propeller, and arrived -at Constantinople in the early days of May. - -During the whole recital of his achievements the nearest thing to -self-glorification that I was able to detect in his manner was a -momentary flashing of the eye, which no one would deny even to Admiral -Beatty himself. He was disinclined to discuss the war, and I remember -that at the time I thought how correct this attitude was in an officer, -and how different from many of his fellows of the land service, who -will discuss nothing else. - -He told me that he had spent a considerable time in England, and that -he liked the English. The promptness with which he denied that it was -his boat that had sunk the _Lusitania_ left me in no doubt as to his -view of that colossal outrage. In fact, I have heard from many sources -that the German Navy regards this discreditable exploit as a blot upon -its name. I talked to him many times at the Pera Club, where there were -comparatively few Germans and plenty of food, the one fact probably -explaining the other. - -If all Germans were of the same type as the German naval officers -and men, the word “Hun” would probably never have been applied; it -certainly would not so aptly fit. In their franker moments these naval -officers and men confess that they hate the horrible work they are -obliged to do; but that they have no alternative but to carry out the -orders received from Berlin. There are brutes among them, no doubt, but -such German naval officers as I have met compare very favourably with -their swaggering colleagues of the land service. German sailors are -under no misapprehension as to the might and efficiency of the British -Navy. It is not they who spread the tale of the British Fleet hiding -in ports while German ships proudly sail the North Sea. It is not they -who ask plaintively, “Will the British Fleet never come out?” They are -practical men, and for the most part honest men, and they know that -Germany has it in her own hands to bring out the British Fleet in no -uncertain manner. - -The Germans are annoyed because the valuable ships of the British -Navy do not parade up and down in the neighbourhood of Heligoland -and Wilhelmshaven and allow themselves to be torpedoed by German -submarines. The German idea of naval warfare is sometimes childish, but -it belongs to the layman and not to the expert. “Our people started the -war ten years too soon,” was the remark that one German officer made to -me. - -It is not difficult to see that there is very little love lost between -the German Army and the German Navy, which is scarcely to be wondered -at. A very casual observer has only to contrast the characters of the -two classes of men, as I saw them at the Pera Palace Hotel; the one -swaggering and strutting about, grumbling at the lack of amusement, -growling if the _Liebesgabe_ (parcel) from Berlin, with its sausage -(_leberwurst_) and the like, cigars, and _pâté de fois gras_, is a day -late; the other quiet, well-mannered, accustomed to great hardship -and danger from childhood, self-respecting and respecting others--the -nearest approach to an English gentleman that the Germans are capable -of producing. Not many naval officers hail from the Hun country of -Prussia. - -It is beyond question true that the sinking of the _Lusitania_ is -terribly unpopular in the German Navy, although the German people went -hysterical with joy about it, and still regard it as one of the great -German feats of the war. - -The presence of German submarines at Constantinople is not altogether -relished by the Turks. Each of the four submarines I saw had a gun on -the forepart of the vessel; not a powerful weapon, it is true, but -quite sufficient to instil terror into the inhabitants of the city, -should they not behave themselves according to German ideas. - -There is still some antagonism shown in Turkey towards the Germans, -but, unfortunately, very little. The German sway is almost supreme, -but for all that they take no risks. They are conscious of an -undercurrent of distrust, and they never allow the Turk too much -ammunition, lest it may be used against themselves. It is notorious -that the shortage of ammunition in Gallipoli was due not entirely to -German inability to convey it there, but rather to the fact that the -master did not trust the servant. A well-munitioned Turkey would be a -danger, and ill-munitioned Turkey is a safeguard. - -A little incident which came to my knowledge shows that even now -the Germans have to exercise tact in dealing with the Turks. At the -Hotel Tokatlian, in Pera, there was a daily foregathering of all the -German and Austrian newspaper representatives in the city. One day I -heard them discussing the fate of one of their number, Dr. Ledera, of -the _Berliner Tageblatt_. I gathered that he had offended the Turks -by describing how, owing to the state of the _Goeben_ and their own -shortage of big guns, they had removed two of the largest from that -vessel and taken them down for use against the English at Gallipoli. -This information, which I brought to this country as early as last -June, officially stated in so important a newspaper, intimated to -the Russians and the British that the _Goeben_ was practically out -of action. The Turks were greatly incensed, and promptly arrested -Dr. Ledera. He was sent to an internment-camp in a distant part of -Anatolia, where the conditions were far from luxurious. The German -Ambassador, the late Baron von Wangenheim, had to exert the utmost -possible pressure to secure the release of his indiscreet compatriot. -After six weeks’ imprisonment the erring correspondent was brought -back to Constantinople, escorted over the frontier, and ordered never -to return to Turkey. In spite of this, each day leaves the Turk more -hopelessly under the yoke of his German master. - -I have always had my own views about the German spy system in -England. Of one thing I am certain, that it is thorough; but, as I -have previously pointed out, it is not so perfect as so many people -in this country are inclined to believe. The first essential for a -travelling German or Austrian spy is to obtain by fair means or by -foul a passport from a neutral country. Only with this can he hope to -enter England, and return in safety. I encountered one of these spies, -and the conversation I had with him is of considerable interest as -throwing light on German methods. He was an Austrian, and we got into -conversation during my journey from Vienna to the Swiss border. As we -approached the frontier he made obvious efforts to discover my views -and sympathies. I allowed him first to express his own, which were -violently pro-German. Nevertheless, he said, “I have been among those -_Schweinhunden_ twice in the last six months.” (The “Schweinhunden,” -by the way, were the English.) “Fortunately, I did not allow the grass -to grow under my feet during my seven years’ residence there, and I -flatter myself I can speak English as an Englishman. Do you know any -English?” he asked. - -“A little,” I replied, in order to draw him out. He then began to -converse with me in that tongue, and he undoubtedly was justified in -his boast that he could speak English perfectly. Furthermore, he looked -a very excellent and presentable specimen of the Anglo-Saxon race, such -as one sees any morning during the London season, before the war, of -course, in Bond Street, Pall Mall or Piccadilly. - -In order to obtain a false passport the travelling spy must get first a -false birth certificate. This, of course, involves forgery, but it can -be obtained with no very great difficulty and at a reasonable price by -those who know where to seek it. In the early days of the war there was -a regular trade in passports in several neutral countries, where they -could be purchased for between £10 and £12. Those days are now passed, -for the English Government has awakened to the grave danger arising -from this commerce. - -With a birth certificate, in conjunction with a letter from some -commercial firm to the effect that the bearer or person referred to -wishes to proceed to England on certain business, the obtaining of a -passport is not so difficult as it might appear. The documents are -presented at the Passport Office of a neutral country and the necessary -passport obtained. The next step is to get it _visé’d_ by the British -Consul, who is not as often English as he should be. When he is of -English nationality he is frequently too old to be alert and on the -lookout for spies. Once the passport is _visé’d_ the travelling spy of -German or Austrian birth or interests arrives at Folkestone, Tilbury, -Southampton, or some other port where there is no lack of strict -scrutiny. Lately the investigations have been especially severe, but of -what avail is this if the passports and business letters that accompany -it are based upon a forged birth certificate? - -Arrived in England, the travelling spy communicates with the resident -spy, cautiously lest the resident spy is being watched. In all -probability they meet at a large hotel, or at a railway station, -nothing is written. If an appointment has to be made it is done over -the telephone or by a message through a third party. - -In the early days of the war spies were inclined to be careless, being -so convinced of the obtuseness of the English officials. The result was -that a number of them attended an exclusive little party which gathered -at dawn in the Tower of London. The censorship of letters has doubtless -checked written communication to a very great extent. - -To check spying the greatest care should be exercised by the British -consuls abroad; they should never, unless absolutely confident of the -_bona fides_ of the bearer, _visé_ a passport, and, of course, unless -they do so the passport is absolutely worthless. If necessary, the -British Consul should have the assistance of a shrewd international -detective from England with a knowledge of foreign languages, a man who -is accustomed to appraising character and ferreting out information; it -would be difficult for the applicant to smooth away his suspicion, a -thing which is very easy with most consuls. - -The statement of my Austrian acquaintance that he had been twice to -England within a period of six months (and I have no reason to doubt -his word) shows that even now there are very obvious imperfections -in the system for keeping spies out of England. In offering my views -it is not with any idea of teaching the authorities their business, -but rather the hint of one who has come into touch with the spies -themselves, and in the hope that my words may be of assistance. It must -be remembered that the authorities at the ports of entry can judge only -on the actual papers produced. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -“OUR KAISER IS HERE!” - - Getting Out of Constantinople--I Become Suspicious--I Appeal - to Halil Bey--A Gloomy Apartment--I Visit the Prefecture of - Police--I Join a Military Train--Marvellous Engineering--A Subtle - Device--The Kaiser at Nish--I See the Two Monarchs--A Remarkable - Stroke of Luck--I am Invited to the Banquet--Fokker Aeroplanes. - - -Secret service work in German-governed countries demands astuteness, -resource, and constant watchfulness over words and actions alike, and -a good deal of “Damn the consequences.” To be known within the German -war zone as one connected with an English newspaper would naturally be -fatal. - -Getting into an enemy country in war time is always difficult; but -getting out of it is frequently precarious. I began to fear that I -was being watched in Constantinople. The German system of watching is -simple and effective. If the suspect be of sufficient importance three -or four detectives are told off to follow his movements continuously, -but one at a time. He is, therefore, not likely to recognise his -watcher as would be the case if one man only were detailed for the duty. - -Intuitively I felt that the few very innocent and harmless, but to -me very important, papers I had with me were being subjected to -examination in my room at the hotel. As a precaution I rearranged them, -carefully noting the order in which they lay. When next I returned to -the hotel in the evening my suspicions were confirmed--my papers had -obviously been disturbed. It might, of course, have been mere curiosity -on the part of the Greek servants, but I remembered that these same -servants work hand and glove with the police or military authorities. -Accordingly, I determined to get away with all possible expedition. - -At that time it was announced in the very attenuated Constantinople -newspapers that the Kaiser was going to Belgrade. The movements of -the German Emperor on the Continent are as much of a puzzle to his -own people and his allies as they are to the subjects of the Entente -Powers. There were in Constantinople, too, the same rumours as to his -ill-health which had been spread throughout Europe. On the other hand, -there was the definite statement that he was coming East. The desire -to see him face to face, if possible, and also the wish to get out of -Constantinople, set me to work planning how most speedily to effect my -purpose. - -I bethought myself of Halil Bey, the Foreign Minister, who had so -kindly secured for me an interview with Enver Pasha. To my surprise the -old man saw me at once. His is a very different reception-room from -that of his colleague, Enver. Gloomy, miserable, without electric light -or even an oil lamp, and lit only by candles, it was far from the sort -of room that one would expect to be occupied by a Minister of Foreign -Affairs. It was, however, another evidence of the good work of the -Roumanians in cutting off the coal supply of Constantinople. - -I explained to Halil that it was my great desire to do myself the -honour of seeing, if possible, the All-Highest War Lord, and that I -wished to leave Constantinople for Belgrade. Halil Bey, in common with -every other Turk, was in high spirits over the Gallipoli evacuation, -and after a little judicious flattery as to his enormous powers, I -succeeded in obtaining a letter to the Prefect of Police at Stamboul, -and in order that he should see me instantly Halil gave me his card, -which is reproduced below. - -[Illustration: HALIL BEY’S CARD] - -I lost no time in securing one of the few public carriages that are to -be had in the city, and made my way behind the thinnest pair of horses -imaginable to the Prefecture of Police. It was rather like entering the -lion’s den, but it had to be done. If the police were really suspicious -of me I should not be very long left in doubt. - -I was a little disturbed to hear from the Prefect that the only way -of getting out of Constantinople to Belgrade was by a German military -train. The first Balkan Express which was to link up Constantinople -with Berlin and Vienna, was not due to start for a day or two, and as -I felt disinclined to wait for it, I determined to push on to Belgrade -and join the Balkan Express there. This would give me a short time in -which to examine that town, which, as I have said, I was most anxious -to see. I mentioned to the Prefect that I had been honoured by Enver -Pasha with an interview, and that I felt sure His Excellency would do -anything in his power to facilitate my movements. - -“I will see what can be done,” said the Prefect. “Please leave with me -your passport and call again in the morning.” - -With considerable trepidation I returned to the Prefecture next -morning, and to my delight found my passport marked in Turkish not only -with permission to leave, but with actual permission to travel by the -military train to Belgrade. The “visieat” (a written permission from -the police to leave), which usually takes a few days to obtain, was -handed to me at the same time, so I was more favoured than any other -traveller. I felt that the stars were indeed fighting for me in their -courses. At 11.30 a.m. I arrived at the Railway Station at Stamboul, -and soon found myself in a queerly assorted company consisting of men -of the German Red Cross Service, German officers, non-commissioned -officers and soldiers. - -During my journey I made some curious and interesting discoveries, all -tending to emphasise German thoroughness and cunning. Probably no one -in England realises the wonderful work done by the Germans in repairing -the broken railway bridges in Serbia. It is the rapid and substantial -rebuilding of these bridges, destroyed by the Serbians in their -retreat, that enables the Germans to get to Constantinople in a little -over two days. These reconstructions are most likely the greatest -engineering feats that the world has ever seen. Tunnels that were blown -up have been restored to their original state with marvellous celerity, -and as I travelled across the bridges, and at a high rate of speed, -the evidences of the Serbians’ tragic retreat were to be seen on every -side. Beside the new bridges lay those which the Serbians destroyed. -Beside the line were the remains of dead horses, broken-down carts, and -the hundred and one things that mark the retreat of an army pursued -by its foes. The ever-careful German had removed the hides from the -horses, obviously with the object of making up the leather shortage. - -In the course of my journey I received another instance of German -forethought. I was told that in the event of Greece being invaded -by the Bulgars, and the Greeks loathe the Bulgars as the Prussians -loathe the English, the invaders were to be dressed in German uniforms -in order to deceive the Greeks. Immense quantities of these uniforms, -I later discovered, were lying at Nish.[1] Is there anything against -which the extraordinary German mind does not provide? This, however, -does not convince me that the Germans will attack Salonica. From what -I heard, it would appear that they have a very wholesome respect for -General Sarrail, whose acquaintance they had already made at Verdun, -which they had failed to take owing to his able and stout defence of -that stronghold. - -The adaptability of the German is nowhere better emphasised than in -Turkey and the Balkans. Instinctively he knows that a German in a -familiar uniform is not likely to be so obnoxious as a German in a -strange uniform; consequently his method is to disguise himself by -adopting the military uniform of the country in which he is detailed -for duty. This is one of the most important traits in his character. -For instance, as I have already said, German flying-men in Turkey are -to be seen in Turkish uniforms, and scores of German officers are to be -found at the Turkish War Office also wearing the familiar uniform of -the Moslem. - -The Turks are by no means optimistic about the Salonica Expedition. -Frankly they are afraid of it, and for that reason have heavily -entrenched themselves to the south of Adrianople. Their fear is that -the Allied troops may make an attack on Constantinople from the -north-west or may attempt to cut the railway. - -It has been suggested that my fortunate meeting with the Kaiser was -a matter of luck. In a way it was; but it was more particularly due -to my persistent desire to see Belgrade. I had failed to get there -during my outward journey to Constantinople, but I was determined -not to be baulked. I had no thought of staying at Nish, and it was -not until we were approaching the station of that town that a fellow -traveller, a German non-commissioned officer, looked out of the window -and shouted out so loudly and excitedly that all the travellers in the -corridor carriage could hear, “_Unser Kaiser ist hier_” (our Kaiser is -here). I jumped up and looked out of the window and saw the flags and -decorations, and felt that indeed Fate had been kind to me. - -The magic name of the Kaiser was too much for me. I could not think -of letting pass such a magnificent opportunity of seeing the Great -War Lord, and I therefore determined to leave the military train at -the Serbian town so recently the capital, but now in the hands of the -Germans. Nish was under snow. The day of my arrival, January 18th, -1916, was brilliantly clear, just such a day as one finds at Montreal -or St. Moritz. I had hoped to get at least a glimpse of the Kaiser, -but I was far more fortunate than that, encountering him on several -occasions during this to me fateful day. I never for one moment -anticipated being present at that curious and historical Royal Banquet -at which were made the vain-glorious Latin and German speeches that -were telegraphed all over the world. - -Just as our train steamed into the station the Kaiser was making -his state entry into the Serbian capital, which has now become the -headquarters of the German, not as many people think the Austrian, Army -in the Balkans. It is a vast arsenal, choked with munitions of war, -in particular shells for big guns and also the guns themselves. The -town is crammed with Serbian military prisoners, who are allowed their -liberty, and roam about freely. They seem comparatively contented with -their lot. - -My feelings when I ascertained the presence of the Kaiser can only be -appreciated or understood by a journalist. I soon gathered together my -belongings with the aid of a German soldier I called to help me. I then -decided to look around and endeavour to approach as near as possible to -the Kaiser himself. As a matter of fact I was not far away from him. -King Ferdinand had only a few minutes previously received him on his -arrival from the West, and the Royal pair were walking up and down the -platform arm in arm, and without ceremony. I noticed a handkerchief in -the Kaiser’s hand which he was constantly lifting to his mouth, but the -distance was too great for me to hear him coughing. - -I had never seen Ferdinand before, and it was fully eight years since -I had seen the German Emperor, and what a change those eight years -had wrought! The Kaiser is not a tall man, as he is represented to -be in photographs, and by the side of the great massive figure of -the hawk-nosed Ferdinand--who has a duck-like waddle--the Great War -Lord seemed almost diminutive. The Kaiser wore a long grey coat, with -greyish fur collar, and a spiked helmet covered with some khaki-like -material. The place where the monarchs promenaded was held by German -guards. The people, among whom were a great many Austrian and a -few Dutch nurses, did not evince a great amount of either interest -or curiosity. This struck me as strange as, if the Kaiser were to -appear in any other town in Europe, he would create a sensation. I -particularly noticed that the Bulgarian Ministers obsequiously removed -their hats at the sight of the Kaiser, and approached him in an -attitude of great deference and with bared heads. Towards their own -monarch they did not seem to show the same deference. Later I learned -that the relations between Ferdinand and his Court are of a very -informal nature. - -What most struck me about the Kaiser was his obvious look of fatigue. -It might have been due to the war, to the effect of his two-day -journey, or to ill-health. I cannot say. But he looked a tired and -broken man. His hair was white, although his moustache was still -suspiciously dark, and his face was drawn and lined. There was also -an entire absence of the old activity of gesture, the quick, nervous -wheeling about, and the unstable manner of the man. All of which I -remembered distinctly from my previous encounter with him in 1908. - -In spite, however, of his fatigues the Kaiser was obviously intent upon -making himself agreeable. He examined with apparent interest the medals -of the Bulgarian soldiers, chatting with Royal affability, and smiled -right and left. None the less he was a greatly aged man, and, as I have -said, there was the constant use of the handkerchief, a large Turkish -affair of red, embroidered with the white Turkish star and crescent in -the corner. - -As I was standing watching the Royal pair, I was approached by two -Bulgarian officials in civil clothes followed by a handful of soldiers. -Their mission was to inquire my reason for coming to Nish. The one who -addressed me spoke German execrably. At first he took me for a Teuton, -but when I explained my nationality he asked eagerly if I were able to -speak French, and seemed much delighted when he found he could continue -his interrogations in that tongue, which he spoke much better than -German. I told him the object of my journey, flattered his patriotic -feelings by complimenting the Bulgarian Army and nation as a whole, -and was invited to accompany him to one of the rooms of the station, -where he introduced me to the Chief of the Bulgarian Press Bureau, M. -Romakoff. I seemed to have made a good impression on the two Bulgarian -officials. They babbled away in their native tongue to M. Romakoff, -but, of course, I could not understand what they were saying, but the -upshot of the conversation was that I was addressed by the Chief of the -Press Bureau, and asked if I would like on behalf of the neutral press -to attend the Royal Banquet, which was to be given that evening. It -would be simple but historic. I trembled with excitement and joy when -I thought of the sensation that my account of the banquet would make -when it reached England. If M. Romakoff could have read my thoughts it -would not have been the banquet alone about which I trembled, but my -own execution; fortunately he was not psychic. - -The Director walked with me up and down the platform and showed himself -extremely friendly. I gathered that I should be one of four journalists -in the room, and I hugged myself at the thought of the surprise of -the august company when they realised that in their midst was the -representative of a hated English newspaper. - -I spent the intervening time between my arrival at Nish and the hour of -the banquet in walking about the town with two members of the Bulgarian -Press Bureau, who spoke excellent French. I had no idea what impression -they gleaned as to my personality. I must be a clever actor to have -disguised my excitement into even reasonable coherence. - -But a few weeks previously Nish had been gaily decorated with the flags -of the Entente Allies, who were expected to come to the help of poor, -suffering Serbia; yet the town seemed already to have settled down to a -comparatively contented existence. Very little damage had been done to -any of the buildings, as far as I could discover. I was assured that -business had not been so brisk during the whole of the history of the -town. German soldiers were spending their money freely, and nearly all -the larger houses of the town had been turned into hospitals, whose -supplies were being gathered from the surrounding country. - -As we strolled about I noticed the departure of the Royal train and the -arrival of a munition train, including several trucks laden with Fokker -monoplanes. I do not claim to any special knowledge of aeroplanes, -but these new Fokkers struck me as having a very great wing expanse. -For the purpose of railway transport the wings were fastened back and -the engines carefully covered. A Fokker monoplane is so long that it -occupies practically the whole of two large trucks. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[1] As I correct the proofs, February 15th, I read on the authority of -the _Morning Post’s_ Athens correspondent, that some time ago three -of the best Bulgarian divisions on the Doiran front were withdrawn to -Sofia, where they were clothed as Germans, afterwards returning to -their stations! - - - - -CHAPTER X - -THE BANQUET AT NISH - - The Banqueting Hall--A Small Gathering--The Menu--The Kaiser and - King Ferdinand--Von Falkenhayn--An Impressive Figure--The Kaiser’s - Health--His Poor Appetite--Constant Coughing--King Ferdinand’s - Triumph--The Bulgarian Princes--German Journalism--A Bombastic - Oration--“Hail, Cæsar!”--The Kaiser’s Unspoken Reply--The Hour of - “The Fox”--The End of an Historic Function--The Post Office Closed. - - -The Banquet was held in the Town Hall of Nish. The banqueting-room was -profusely decorated with the flags and the colours of the Germanic -Powers, although Austria is not in great evidence at Nish, having -apparently made Belgrade her headquarters. When I entered the room I -was surprised to find that the function was to be a comparatively small -one. There were not more than fifty covers, and several of the places -were empty, the actual attendance being about forty. The band of the -Life Guards, numbering about twenty, was ensconced behind palms, and -played a programme of music which is here reproduced. - - -[Illustration: - -Leib-Garde-Regiment - - -Musik-Programm - -für die Königliche Mittagstafel am 18. Januar 1916 - - 1. Polonaise Bubeck - 2. Ruy Blas--Ouverture Mendelsohn - 3. “Hussarenwalzer” Ziehrer - 4. “Tannhäuser” Fantasie Wagner - 5. “Die Zauber-Quelle” Atanassow - 6. “Zigeunerfest” Lehar - 7. “Meistersinger” Potpourri Wagner - 8. “Valse brillante” Chopain - 9. “Der fliegende Hollander” Wagner -10. Balkanmarsch Skordew - -PROGRAMME OF MUSIC AT THE NISH BANQUET] - - -There were three tables, forming three sides of a square; or perhaps -it would be more accurate to say, parallelogram. They were simply -decorated with roses and early spring flowers, yellow being the -predominating colour. The Banquet, of which simplicity was the -predominating feature, was served by Bulgarian soldier servants. The -menu card is reproduced here, and I append a translation. - - -THE KAISER’S MENU. - -BALKAN DISHES. - -[_Translation._] - -NISH, JANUARY 18, 1916. - -ROYAL DINNER. - -The coat of arms at the top is the Bulgarian Royal Arms of King -Ferdinand. It is embossed in the original in black, red, and gold. One -of the chains round the crest is probably that of the Golden Fleece. - - -[Illustration: NISCH, DEN 18. JANUAR 1916. - -KÖNIGLICHE MITTAGSTAFEL. - -Hühner-Kraftbrühe - -Forellen vom Ochrida See - -Lamms-Pilaw - -Rehrücken nach Cumberland - -Gansleberpastete - -Varnaer Fenchel und Endiven - -Bulgarisches Gefrorenes - -Käsestangen - -Nachtisch - -MENU AT THE NISH BANQUET] - - -The dishes are as follow: - -Chicken broth. -Trout from Lake Ochrida (west of Monastir). -Pilaff of lamb. -(Pilaff is a Balkan stew, with rice.) -Venison à la Cumberland. -(The Duke now with the enemy.) -Pâté de foie gras. -Fennel from Varna (Bulgaria) and endive. -(Fennel is a reedy vegetable used in salad -or cooked with butter.) -Bulgarian ice. -Cheese straws. -Dessert. - -As might be expected from the German military authorities, their -arrangements for the Press were excellent. Our seats were close to the -Royal party, and we had no difficulty in hearing the speeches. - -The Nish banquet was of the usual Royal stiffness. I should probably -have remarked many more things, but for my excitement and nervousness. -The Kaiser sat on King Ferdinand’s right, and on King Ferdinand’s left -sat General von Falkenhayn, the chief of the German General Staff, -whilst M. Radoslavoff, the Bulgarian premier, was placed on the right -of the Kaiser. Interested as I was in the Kaiser, I was hardly less -interested in the personality of von Falkenhayn, who is the brain of -the great German War Machine. Although a man well into the fifties, -he looks as if he had not yet crossed the half-century mark. It -would be difficult to find a man with more refined and good-looking -features. There is nothing markedly German about him, except perhaps -his thoroughness, and I obtained the impression that the Germans have -in him a war director of remarkable ability. He is trim and alert of -movement, has close-cropped grey hair, and seems the personification -of vigour, virility, and vivacity. He appears to be bearing the strain -of war and its tremendous responsibilities in a remarkable manner. -Seldom have I met a man who has struck me as being so well-fitted for -the work before him as von Falkenhayn. Whenever I looked across at him -as he sat chatting quite freely with the Kaiser and Ferdinand, I had -the impression that here was a man with far-reaching vision and great -executive power. - -I sat less than fifteen yards away from the Royal pair, and I had every -chance of observing closely each change in expression or smile that -flitted across their countenances. Now as I look back on the scene I -see the Kaiser, not only perpetually coughing, but also looking so -tired that I wonder afresh what great purpose it was that brought -him from a sick-bed in Berlin to a little Serbian town with its dim -petroleum lamps. It must have been something unusually important that -caused him to accept the Little Czar’s invitation to travel for two -days to be a guest at a dinner of forty covers. Whatever the Kaiser’s -sufferings he was obviously endeavouring to be as pleasant as possible. - -Everything I remember in connection with the Banquet confirms me in -my impression that the War Lord was deliberately intent, not only on -impressing King Ferdinand, but the members of his entourage as well, -otherwise he could never have tolerated the air of equality which the -Coburger adopted towards him. The Kaiser is by nature intolerant of -patronage or condescension on the part even of his equals, much less -would he view unmoved that of an inferior unless he had some deliberate -purpose in view. He looked a pathetic figure as he sat coughing, as -though his throat were choked with some virulent, irritating substance, -and it must have cost him a great effort to smile repeatedly as -Ferdinand leaned across and whispered something in his ear. - -I found myself speculating as to what was passing through the -Kaiser’s brain as he saw the yellow face, with its cunning little -slits of eyes--eyes that reminded me of a typical money-lender--of -his vain-glorious neighbour bent upon him. Try as he will, Ferdinand -of Bulgaria can never disguise the suggestion of craftiness that is -stamped upon his features. Those little eyes of his seem to be the -windows of a very dark soul, and behind that pepper and salt-bearded -face, with the great hawk-like nose, there is a very cunning brain at -work. From the fact that the Kaiser ate and drank practically nothing -at the Banquet I was led to believe the story that he always eats -before attending these State functions. Of course, it might have been -that he was afraid of his throat. Certainly monarch never did less -justice to an admirably-cooked meal. He did not even take wine. On -the other hand, Ferdinand ate of each and all the dishes with great -appetite, sipping his special brand of white wine with evident relish. -Of all the company he seemed best pleased with himself, and when I -noticed him studying the menu, it occurred to me that his vanity was -flattered by seeing at the top his own Royal Cypher; it was his, -Ferdinand of Bulgaria’s Banquet, and the All-Highest had journeyed for -two long days and nights in order to be present. - -I was glad that the Bulgar King was in a good humour, because when he -smiles the grossness of his features is less obvious. The contrast -between the Emperor and King was most marked, however, when they stood -up. - -By the side of the big, clumsy-looking Ferdinand the Kaiser appeared -almost insignificant, but it was not his size that so engrossed my -attention. All through the meal I could scarcely take my eyes from -the haggard face of the author of the world-war who, on this January -afternoon, looked so little like a war lord, as he sat apparently -coughing away his life into the Turkish woven handkerchief which he -held firmly in his right hand. His hair was terribly white, darkening -a little at the parting where the roots showed. His cheeks were -scored with many lines, and when I conjured up the vision of the -healthy-looking Kaiser I had seen eight years previously in Amsterdam, -I could not help marvelling at the change that those eight years had -wrought in him. The only thing about him that was not changed was his -upright deportment. He stood up firm and erect, just as one had seen -him taking the salute at manœuvres or when reviewing his Prussian -Guard. His pose was that of an Emperor, and contrasted strangely with -the heavy awkwardness of his brother monarch. - -Among the other guests present were the two young Bulgarian princes. -The Crown Prince Boris must have been a terrible disappointment to -his father. He is round-shouldered and thin, and might, were he not -a prince, have been aptly described as a lout. I do not think I am -prejudiced in saying that but for his clothes he might as well have -been a menial employed in his own father’s household. His expression -entirely lacked intelligence, and he looked much older than his years. -Perhaps the failings of his father, which he has possibly inherited, -may account for this worn-out appearance. He gave me the impression -of one greatly fatigued. He is far from handsome, with the big Coburg -nose, but fortunately not constructed on so large a scale as that of -his father. Prince Cyril, the younger brother, unlike Prince Boris, is -of a much better appearance, and seems more intelligent, but of neither -has their father any reason to be excessively proud. Both the young -princes sat between German officers, and having once been acknowledged -by the Kaiser, seemed to relapse into the insignificance for which they -were so pre-eminently fitted by nature. - -Perhaps one of the most amusing things in connection with the Banquet -at Nish was the report of a German paper that the Kaiser, who was in -joyous and playful mood, picked up Prince Cyril, tossed him up into the -air, and placed him on his Royal knee and kissed him. In the enthusiasm -of the moment the German journalist must have forgotten the Kaiser’s -withered arm, which would have rendered it impossible for him, however -playful his mood, to “toss” an infant of a week old. Furthermore, as -I have explained, Prince Cyril is a young man fully-grown, and of far -too loutish and uninteresting an appearance to invite the kisses even -of the diplomatic Kaiser. However much that august monarch might have -desired to propitiate the Bulgarian King, he would certainly have -stopped short of kissing Prince Cyril. Sometimes German journalists -over-reach themselves. - -The speeches, which were political and bombastic in character, were -fully reported everywhere a few days after the Banquet. They were -not, as has been stated in some quarters, delivered in English. King -Ferdinand’s grandiloquent address to the Kaiser was, with the exception -of the Latin phrases, delivered exclusively in German, excellent German -by the way. The Bulgarian monarch spoke easily and without notes. He -seemed to experience no difficulty in finding words. I did not take -down the speeches, I confess that I was far too excited for that, -besides I knew that they would be distributed throughout the civilized -world through the agency of the German Press Bureau. I have referred to -the columns of _The Times_ in order to refresh my memory. - -We were engaged with Bismarck cigars and coffee when there was a sudden -hush in the hum of conversation. The hour of the speeches had arrived. -There was a tense excitement as King Ferdinand rose. He did so with -the air of a man who was conscious that he had reached the one great -moment of his life. His voice was clearly heard in all parts of the -room, and his delivery was extremely good. He began by pointing out -that two hundred and fifteen years ago that day Frederick the First was -crowned King, and forty-five years ago the New Germany was founded. -To-day the Kaiser, after the glorious victory which had attended his -arms, could with safety enter the former Roman fortress of Nish. King -Ferdinand tendered his thanks to the Kaiser for his visit to the -ancient town, a visit which cemented the alliance between the two -countries. - -“The world,” he contended, “has learnt to appreciate with surprise and -admiration the strength of Germany and her allies, and believes in the -invincibility of the German Army under the guidance and leadership of -its Kaiser.” - -The King expressed the hope that 1916 might bring “lasting peace, the -sacred fruits of our victories, a peace which will allow my people to -co-operate in future in the work of Kultur, but, if fate should impose -upon us a continuation of the war, then my people in arms will be ready -to do its duty to the last.” - -At this point King Ferdinand apparently found German entirely -inadequate to the proper expression of his feelings, and that nothing -short of a classical tongue would suffice. - -“Ave! Imperator, Cæsar et Rex,” he burst forth, “Victor et gloriosus -es. Nissa antiqua omnes Orientis populi te salutant redemptorem, -ferentem oppressis prosperitatem atque salutem. Long live Kaiser -Wilhelm!” - -[_Translation._] - -“Hail! Emperor, Cæsar and King. Thou art victor and glorious. In -ancient Nish all the peoples of the East salute thee, the redeemer, -bringing to the oppressed prosperity and salvation.” - -All this to a man who was bearing the strain of the occasion with -obvious effort. Even whilst listening to the sonorous periods that -proclaimed him Cæsar and a number of other things, he coughed into that -handkerchief with its stars and crescent. - -The Kaiser’s official reply, which by the way was never spoken, but was -disseminated by order of the authorities, ran as follows:-- - -“Your Majesty has especially dwelt to-day on the three important epochs -which coincide with this day. Very often as a young man, at the side of -my grandfather, and later as ruler, I have celebrated this memorable -day, always of the same importance, surrounded by the Knights of the -Order. - -“Now for the second time, by God’s decision, I celebrate it in the -field, on old historic ground, a beautiful piece of country conquered -by Bulgarian bravery, received by the King amidst his brave troops and -their illustrious leaders and honoured by your Majesty with a high -order, but above all with the appointment of Colonel of the 12th Balkan -Infantry Regiment. Thus your Majesty has done me an honour than which -I could expect no better. - -“To-day you have given me the fulfilment of a long cherished wish, -and your words prove that we, in valuing this hour, are filled with -the same feelings. We have been challenged by our enemies, who envied -Germany and Austria-Hungary their peaceful and flourishing prosperity, -and in most light-hearted manner endangered the development of the -Kultur of the whole of Europe, in order to strike us and our loyal -allies at the root of our strength. - -“We have had a hard fight, which will soon spread further. - -“When Turkey was threatened by the same enemies, she joined us and in -stubborn fighting secured her world position. - -“Your Majesty’s prudence recognised that the hour had come for -Bulgaria, for you, to bring forward your old and good claims and -smooth the way for your brave country to a glorious future. In true -comradeship the glorious triumphal march of your Majesty’s nation in -arms began, which, under the guidance of its illustrious War Lord, has -added one sublime leaf of glory to another in the history of Bulgaria. - -“In order to give visible expression to my feelings for such deeds, and -to the feelings of all Germany, I have begged your Majesty to accept -the dignity of Prussian Field-Marshal, and I am, with my Army, happy -that you, by accepting it, also in this sense, have become one of us. - -“With God’s gracious help great deeds have been accomplished here and -on all other fronts. - -“I experience feelings of the deepest gratitude to the Almighty that -it has to-day been granted me, on this historic spot, once more -consecrated with brave blood, amidst our victorious troops, to press -your Majesty’s hands and listen to your Majesty’s words, in which is -manifest the firm determination to fight for a successful and lasting -peace, and to continue the loyalty and friendship sealed in the storm -of war, in true common labour for the high task imposed upon us by -care for the welfare of our peoples. - -“With the firmest confidence I also pursue this aim, and raise my glass -to the welfare of your Majesty and your House, to the victory of the -glorious Bulgarian army and to Bulgaria’s future.”[2] - -The dinner was held on the two hundred and fifteenth anniversary of the -coronation of Frederick the First, and the founding by him of the order -of the Black Eagle. It is this fact that the Kaiser refers to in the -first paragraph of his reply. - -As a matter of fact, the only other speaker at the Banquet in addition -to King Ferdinand was Von Falkenhayn. He rose to respond briefly to -a few compliments that Ferdinand had bestowed upon him. One thing is -certain, that the Kaiser could not, had he wished, have delivered -his oration on account of the incessant cough which troubled him -throughout the evening. - -At the close of the Banquet, which was as excellently served as it -had been well-cooked, the German and Bulgarian National Anthems were -played, and the historic function, which throughout had been of an -extreme simplicity, broke up with an informality that in itself was -distinctive. Here were some of the great actors in the greatest drama -of the world’s history performing, not for the benefit of the worthy -citizens of the equally worthy little Serbian town of Nish, but for -the people of the whole civilised world. My last impression of the two -chief characters was that of Ferdinand, with a cunning gleam in his -little slits of eyes, clasping the Kaiser’s right hand in both of his -own. Was it to cement some important pledge, or was it merely warmth -of feeling on the part of him who had earned the name of “The Fox” I -wonder! - -Immediately I left the Town Hall I dashed off in company with the other -journalists to the post office, in the hope of being able to get my -narrative off to London _via_ the neutral country to which I belong; -but I had reckoned without the German press censors, who no doubt -inspired their Bulgarian brethren to close the telegraph office so that -nothing should leave Nish without first having been submitted to the -Bureau. But I felt that my news would wait, and I determined to catch -the Balkan Express to Vienna. - -Since my return to England I have received many messages full of the -kindest congratulations upon my account of the Banquet at Nish. I do -not wish to pose as a hero who does not understand the meaning of fear. -Not even the Kaiser himself was more uncomfortable than I. What I ate -I do not know. I suppose I did eat. I was fully conscious that were I -recognised by one of the numerous Secret Service officers about the -Kaiser, or by any other person who had happened to see me during one -of my previous visits, either to Germany or the Near East, there would -have been a short and simple ceremony by the wall of the Town Hall, in -which a firing party and myself would have been the protagonists. - -As I left the Banqueting Hall I felt as Alexander must have felt -at the thought of there being no more countries to conquer. I had -achieved, by a wonderful combination of circumstances, what I had -never dreamed of achieving, and now all I desired was to get back to -England to tell the whole story. I began to be in terror of discovery; -such a trick on the part of Fate would be a supreme effort of irony. -Only one thing remained for me to do, and that was to get back with -the utmost possible expedition, but as it turned out I had yet other -experiences. I was to travel to Vienna by the famous Balkan Express, -the “Balkan-Zug,” as it is known to the Germans, which connects Berlin -and Vienna with Constantinople. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[2] The author’s acknowledgments are due to the editor of _The Times_, -from which the speeches are quoted, and to Reuter’s Agency for -permission to quote the Kaiser’s reply. - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -THE BALKAN EXPRESS - - Existence of the Balkan-Zug Denied--A Great Strategical - Factor--The Publicity Train--German Economy--I Join the - Balkan-Zug at Nish--King Ferdinand a Fellow-Passenger--His - Condescension--Excellent Food--Ruined Belgrade--Arrival at Buda - Pesth--A Tremendous Ovation--Russian Prisoners at Work--Arrival at - Vienna--Another Tremendous Reception--Remarkable Punctuality. - - -I have seen it stated in _Le Temps_ that the Balkan Express does not -exist, that it is a bluff on the part of the Germans. I really cannot -understand how a responsible editor of an influential paper can make -such an assertion without first ascertaining whether or no he be -writing the truth. Does he realise that he is misleading the people, -which is calculated to do very serious harm to the cause of the Allies? -The importance of the existence of this Balkan Express cannot be -exaggerated, and its usefulness should not be under-estimated. - -First of all, the Balkan Express _does_ exist, as I have travelled -by it myself. It is one of the most perfectly-organised railway -services I have ever seen, and I have seen many. This service -enables the Germans to transfer all sorts of _matériel_ to and from -Berlin to Constantinople, and is therefore one of a series of great -factors in the present war. By its aid German troops can be rushed to -Constantinople within 56 hours, and from there transferred to whatever -front most needs them. - -It took me five days to travel from Vienna to Constantinople, along a -miserable route, changing trains frequently. On my return journey I -entered my compartment in the train at Nish and never left it until I -reached my destination, Vienna, and that within 40 hours. - -The Germans themselves are by no means eager that their foes should -appreciate the great value, to them, of the Balkan Express. If the -Allies can be made to believe that it does not exist they will in -consequence become re-assured as to German plans in the Near East, -and thus unconsciously aid those same plans by not being in a position -to upset them. The Germans have great ambitions as regards, not only -the Near East but the Far East also, and much of their energy is at -present concentrated upon the realisation of those ambitions in Turkey, -the Balkans, and Asia Minor. “To Egypt!” is something more than a mere -political cry. - -The Germans have strength, resources, and a grim determination to -materialise those ambitions which shall strike at the power of the -hated English in what they conceive to be its most vulnerable point, -the Suez Canal. Nothing would please them better than, by virtue -of misrepresentation of the true situation in the countries of the -Entente Powers, that they should be enabled to spring a great and -dramatic surprise upon their enemies. That is why I write feelingly -about the statement to which I refer above. The Balkan Express will -in all probability become one of the great factors in the situation -in the Near East. It must be remembered that it is something more -than a train for the conveyance of passengers. It will become in all -probability of great strategical importance. I had seen it suggested in -British as well as foreign newspapers that the Balkan-Constantinople -Railway is not working properly; the following account, I think, will -be something of a revelation to many of the doubters. - -The Balkan Express is the show train of the world. Never has there been -a train with such grave responsibilities. It might well be called “the -Publicity Train,” for its object at present is to advertise German -victory and German thoroughness. Later it has sterner work to do. It -is probably the handsomest train in Europe, and beyond doubt has been -designed by the Germans with the object of impressing the thousands -of people of various nationalities who gaze on it in wonder twice a -week on its way from Berlin to Constantinople and twice a week from -Constantinople to Berlin. The admiration of the Turks is tempered with -alarm, for the Turk is no fool, and he sees that the efficiency which -has enabled the Germans to reach Turkey may be the very barrier that -hinders them from ever leaving it. - -The Balkan-Zug, as it is called in the Central Empires, is, however, -a source of unqualified delight to Germans, Austrians, Hungarians, -Bulgarians, and the rest of the people who see it on its journey. -Its name is blazoned in three-foot letters on each wagon. Engine and -carriages are decorated with flags and flowers, and every passenger -wears in his buttonhole a German flag on which appear the words -“Balkan-Zug” and the date. - -I had originally intended to join the Balkan Express at Constantinople, -but as it would not be starting for two or three days I had booked my -place upon it, securing my ticket at Constantinople, with the intention -of boarding it at Belgrade, but circumstances had decided otherwise. -When purchasing my ticket I had an illustration of the seriousness of -the money question in Constantinople. Eight months previously when I -was there gold was given at the banks in return for cheques, that, -however, had developed into a shortage not only of gold but of silver, -as I have explained, and for my ticket which really cost 870 piastres -(£8), I had to pay the equivalent of £12 about, owing to the decrease -in value of the Turkish £. - -[Illustration: MY TICKET FOR THE FIRST BALKAN EXPRESS TO RUN FROM -CONSTANTINOPLE TO BERLIN AND VIENNA] - -My ticket for the Balkan Express, the outside of which is reproduced -here, is an illustration of German economy and also of German -fallibility. Surely a nation that is spending millions of money -each day to achieve its object could have afforded the few hundred -marks required for printing a special ticket for the Balkan-Zug. The -tickets are the old sleeping-car tickets in German, with the words -“Balkan-Express” printed across in English. Possibly this is due to a -breakdown on the part of the printer entrusted with the preparation of -the new ticket, but it would certainly have been more in keeping with -German methods had there been prepared not only an elaborate ticket -but a souvenir of the journey. It must be remembered that this was the -first journey of the Balkan Express west, that is, from Constantinople -to Berlin, and consequently it was historic. - -After the Banquet I strolled about the town, then going to the railway -station gathered together my possessions and waited. The Balkan-Zug was -late. Night was upon us before it drew into Nish station, an impressive -affair consisting of four sleeping cars, one dining-car, and one -ordinary first and second class car. As it steamed into the station the -German, Bulgarian, and Austrian National Anthems were played, and King -Ferdinand and his two unprepossessing sons entered before the rest of -the passengers. This was an interesting event also for the passengers -from Constantinople, who leaned out of the windows, keenly interested. - -The Kaiser had disappeared immediately after the Banquet, just as the -Kaiser always does disappear, suddenly and mysteriously, no one knowing -why or whither. Unceremoniously his Bulgarian Majesty climbed into the -train, and we, the smaller fry, followed after him, I feeling rather -like the camel of whom it is said that his supercilious air is the -outcome of knowing the hundredth great secret of the Universe, whereas -man knows only ninety-nine. - -In the course of the evening King Ferdinand, without ceremony, entered -all the compartments in the train and made a few general remarks to -each person separately. He seemed desirous of displaying his Royal -person. He was a king and a factor in the great political situation, -and he seemed equally determined that no one on the Balkan-Zug should -be allowed to remain in ignorance of that very important fact. - -In the carriage next to mine there was traveling the Baroness von -Wangenheim, the widow of the late German Ambassador at Constantinople, -and with her were her three little daughters, whom Ferdinand took on -his knees and fondled. It was obvious that he was mightily pleased -with himself. When he waddled into my compartment we rose, clicked -heels, and bowed. He graciously gave us the Royal consent to be seated, -and spoke a few words to a Hungarian, who was one of the party, in -his own tongue. This man afterwards told me that the King spoke the -Hungarian language like a native. It is well known that Ferdinand is -an excellent linguist. The other passengers in my compartment were two -German flying-men in Turkish uniforms, who with ten others that were in -the train had been suddenly recalled from Constantinople to take part, -it was said, in forthcoming air raids on England. These raids, by the -way, duly took place, and according to German official accounts reduced -industrial England to a pile of ruins! - -King Ferdinand adopts quite the Kaiser’s method of speech. He accepts -the Almighty as an ally. “Thanks to God,” he said, “Who greatly helped -us we can travel from West to East through conquered territory in a -few days. We are going further. Give my Royal salute to all the people -of your home country.” He then withdrew, and we permitted ourselves to -relax our spines. - -On the Balkan Express the food is infinitely better than can be -obtained in Constantinople, Vienna, or Berlin. It may almost be said -of the Germans that they have one eye on God and the other eye on -advertisement in case of accidents. I felt convinced that the food -on the Balkan Express was superior merely for advertising purposes. -Bread-tickets are unknown, and for a mark I had an early breakfast of -coffee, rolls, butter and marmalade without stint. - -It was about ten o’clock at night when we reached Belgrade, which, as I -have said, I was particularly anxious to see. On inquiry I found that -the Balkan Express was to remain there for an hour and a half, and, -determined not to be disappointed, I left the station to stroll around -the town, or rather the ruins of the town. - -Some idea of the accuracy of modern artillery fire may be gleaned from -the fact that the besieging Austrian gunners were able to aim with -such precision that not one shell had fallen on the railway station. -It must be remembered that they were firing from the other side of the -Danube at its widest part. The Austrian Staff had obviously realised -that their advancing army would have need of the railway as soon as the -Serbians had been forced back, and doubtless the artillery had been -instructed at all costs to spare this important point. The remarkable -thing, however, is that houses within a few yards of the station itself -have been absolutely destroyed, yet there was not so much as a mark -that I was able to see upon any of the station buildings themselves. - -The Kaiser had already been in Belgrade, and the German Wireless Agency -took occasion to inform the world at large that “Since the days of -Barbarossa, who on a crusade to the Holy Land held a review of over -100,000 German Knights in Belgrade, no German Emperor has set foot on -Belgrade’s citadel until that day, when the German Emperor arrived in -splendid weather and was greeted by an Austro-Hungarian guard of honour -and military music, shouting, and the roar of cannon. - -“The Emperor visited the new railway bridge, and then went amongst the -festively-clad population, who freely moved about, and afterwards -rode to Kalimegdan, the excursion resort. The Emperor afterwards held -a review of the German troops, which crossed the Danube, and addressed -them with a speech thanking them, and felicitating them on their -extraordinary exploits. The Kaiser personally delivered Iron Crosses to -the soldiers.” - -To me it seemed only a few days before that Belgrade had fallen into -the hands of the Huns, yet already the river was spanned by a wonderful -new wooden bridge, such as could not be constructed in a few weeks, or -months, for that matter. In all probability this and many other bridges -had been built years back in preparation for the great struggle that -Germany and Austria alone knew was impending. This was no temporary -makeshift, but as good as the fine American trestle-bridges in use on -the best American railways. - -The Germans seemed to be prepared for everything; in particular are -they prepared against England, their most hated foe. I wish that I -could get Englishmen to ponder over this, to them, vital fact. Had -there been an invasion of England, a thing which now fortunately seems -impossible, the truth would have been brought home to that country with -tragic suddenness. Germans were not only ready for war, but as the war -progresses they are ceaselessly improving their _matériel_. Everywhere -I went I saw evidences of this. - -As I returned to the station, having just seen the terrible fate that -had overtaken the Serbian capital, I could not help wondering why it is -that England seems incapable of appreciating her danger. I refer, of -course, to the population in general, for many of those in high places, -I am convinced, have no illusions as to the political and strategical -situation. - -I had been somewhat surprised to find that the Balkan-Zug had not -received its usual enthusiastic reception at Belgrade. Possibly this -may have been because of the late hour of its arrival, but more likely -because the civil population of the town has practically ceased to -exist. Belgrade is now the Austrian main headquarters on that front, -and is essentially a military town. - -We drew out of the station shortly before midnight, and arrived at Buda -Pesth between nine and ten o’clock the next morning. In the Hungarian -capital the Publicity Train received a tremendous reception--ovation -would be a better word. At the Nord Bahnhof there was an enormous -crowd, the greatest I have ever seen at a railway station. The -excitable Hungarians tumbled over each other in their anxiety to get -near the Zug. Wine was brought for the engine driver and fireman, -and the passengers, with their little Balkan-Zug flags in their coat -buttonholes, were promptly lionised, and--for once in their lives at -least--experienced the sensation of being popular heroes. The crowd -patted them on the back, insisted on shaking hands with them, cooed -over them, crowed over them, and laughed with hysterical joy. What -pleasure can possibly accrue to a man leaning out of a railway-carriage -window from shaking hands with entire strangers, I cannot possibly -conceive; yet it seemed to give intense satisfaction alike to the -passengers and the populace. - -At Buda Pesth the Balkan-Zug was tidied and made presentable. Windows -were cleaned by men having little ladders, and the compartments and -corridors swept. To my great surprise I found that this work was being -done by big, bearded men in Russian uniforms. I spoke to one or two of -them, but they had very few words of German. They explained that they -were Russian prisoners. I was surprised that they had with them no -guards of any description, and appeared to be without supervision. I -commented on the fact to a fellow passenger, the Hungarian I mentioned -before, who told me that the men were left entirely to themselves, and -that they were too content with their lot to wish to make any endeavour -to escape. He said they were kindly treated, and always expressed -their satisfaction at being where they were, and much preferred it to -returning to Russia to fight. I was under no illusion on this score, -however. A Russian private soldier is not such a fool as to imagine -that he stands the least possible chance of escape from an enemy -country when he has at his command only a few words of the language in -use in that country. Probably the Russians found that the best way to -ensure good treatment was to simulate entire content. - -Advertising by train is nothing particularly new. I have seen it -done in Canada and the United States of America; but advertising -victory by train is about the most convincing method of spreading the -splendid news that I have ever encountered. Everybody who has seen the -Balkan-Zug will tell everybody else that they have done so, not once, -but many times. These persons in turn will tell others, embroidering -the story somewhat, and so the ball will go on for ever rolling. The -Balkan-Zug is photographed and described in countless journals, and it -appears on myriads of post-cards. I have never seen such enthusiasm -in England except in connection with some famous football player, the -idol of a crowd numbering fifty or sixty thousand persons. It would be -invidious to draw a comparison between German and English methods in -this respect. - -At Buda Pesth the Publicity Train divided itself into two parts. -Another beflagged locomotive appeared, like a bridegroom seeking his -bride: in this case it was only half a bride. One half of the train -goes to Berlin and the other half to Vienna. As it was my object to -get to England as speedily as possible, in order to give my account of -the Kaiser’s health and King Ferdinand’s famous Banquet to _The Daily -Mail_, I determined to go to Vienna. I was one of the very few of the -passengers going to the Austrian capital. The officers and the flying -men proceeded to Berlin. Those of us who had come from Constantinople -were looking forward to somewhat improved food, which we hoped to -obtain in Vienna. As yet the newly-opened line to Constantinople has -had time merely to take the Balkan-Zug and the military trains carrying -army supplies, men, and munitions for the Baghdad, the Caucasus, or -the Egyptian ventures, possibly for all. My last glimpse of the Berlin -half of the Balkan-Zug was of the still hysterical mass of people -endeavouring to buy the little flags worn by the passengers. Later, in -Vienna, I was offered 20 kronen (about 16s.) for mine, but I refused -it. Subsequently I was offered a much larger sum. - -During the journey to Vienna I talked with a Turkish gentleman and his -wife and daughter. I was greatly amused to hear that, although the -women had left Constantinople veiled and dressed in Eastern costume, -as soon as they crossed the border both put on European clothes and -dropped the veil. They expressed the opinion that now the Germans had -opened up Turkey with the famous railway, the state of semi-starvation -in Constantinople would cease. Personally, I had doubts, which I -tactfully refrained from expressing. - -I had seen Germany in war time and been in several of its principal -towns, and I knew that, whatever the German newspapers may tell to -the world, there is no surplus food in any part of the country that -I had visited. The old Turkish gentleman was shrewd and kindly, and -he expressed his regret at the closing of all the French schools in -Constantinople. He volunteered the information that, in order that his -son should not absorb the principles of German militarism, he had sent -him to be educated at a school in French Switzerland. - -Vienna gave the train what the newspapers call a rousing reception. -Even the official mind gave way before it, and the Custom House -officers and other functionaries spared us the usual examination and -interrogation. Not even our passports were examined. I came to the -conclusion that there was great virtue in being a traveller by the -first Balkan-Zug running from Constantinople to Vienna. Knowing, -however, the ways of the military authorities in the war zone, and that -later on I should be obliged to prove my arrival in Vienna, I insisted -on having my papers stamped by the military authorities at the railway -station. - -At Vienna tickets were collected from the passengers as they left the -station. I had determined to make a great effort to retain mine, of -all my papers the most important next to my passport. As I was about -to pass through the barrier, an official held out his hand for my -ticket. I explained to him that as I had been a passenger on the Balkan -Express I was anxious for sentimental reasons to retain it. I gilded -my remarks with a tip of five kronen, which seemed to satisfy him, as -he very kindly tore off a portion of the ticket and returned to me the -remainder. But for this official venality I should not have been able -to reproduce this valuable evidence in this volume. - -My journey from Vienna to Constantinople by way of Bucharest had -occupied five days. The opening of the direct Vienna-Constantinople -line reduces this to two nights and two days--50 hours, to be exact. -Even now the train arrives at the various stations with remarkable -punctuality, always within five minutes of the scheduled time, which in -itself is a triumph for German organisation. - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -FRENCH THOROUGHNESS - - I Leave Vienna--I am Ordered Back--I Risk Proceeding on My - Journey--A Friendly Hungarian Officer--Over the Swiss Frontier--My - Frankness My Undoing--The French Super-Official--I am Detained - Somewhere in France--My Protests Unavailing--I am Suspected of - the Plague--Left Behind--_The Daily Mail_ to the Rescue--Profuse - Apologies--I Proceed to Paris--“You Will Never Convince - England”--London at Last--Rest. - - -I had only four hours in Vienna, and in that time there was a great -deal to do, which I had better not detail here lest I get someone into -trouble. The train for Feldkirch, the station on the Austrian-Swiss -frontier from which I had set out a few weeks previously, was just on -the point of starting when I climbed into the carriage, my hand luggage -being bundled in behind me. - -I was beginning to breathe more freely now that I was on my way to -a neutral country. At the end of about an hour, when I really felt -justified in congratulating myself upon being practically safe, an -official came through to my compartment of the train, asking to see -the passport of each passenger. He examined mine with that slow and -irritating deliberation peculiar to these officials, and, looking up -suddenly, said: - -“This has not been signed by the police.” - -“What police?” I inquired. - -“The police of Vienna,” he responded. - -“Surely that is not necessary,” I remarked. “I only arrived by the -Balkan Express at three o’clock, and had my passport stamped at the -station.” It will be remembered that I had insisted upon this being -done, foreseeing possible difficulties. - -“I am afraid,” he said, “that you will have to get out at the next -station and go back.” He was extremely polite, but very firm. - -I said that I was just returning from a most important visit, and -showed him the document which I had obtained at the War Office (the -Kriegsministerium Pressbureau) in Vienna, and which had already many -times saved the situation. - -“Well, if you can satisfy the frontier authorities,” he replied, “I -have nothing to say.” - -I became very uneasy, but I decided to proceed. It would indeed be -an irony if I were to be discovered within hail of safety. I slept -very little that night, and when we arrived at Feldkirch, on the -following afternoon, I braced myself up for a final struggle with the -authorities. I looked about me anxiously to see if the official whom -I had encountered in the train had come on to Feldkirch, and I was -greatly relieved that he was nowhere to be seen. - -We were all ushered into a large waiting-room, the same waiting-room -that I had entered a few weeks previously when setting out on my -journey. One by one the other passengers were admitted to the adjoining -room, just as they had been admitted previously, and at the same -table were to be seen five military officers, smoking, and sitting in -judgment. As I entered the room I felt like a prisoner going up the -steps to the dock at the Old Bailey to receive sentence. - -However, the good fortune that has attended me throughout my journey -did not desert me at the last moment, for my examining officer was a -very nice young Hungarian, who was so interested in the narrative of -my journey, and what I had seen in Constantinople, that he subjected -my papers to a very cursory examination. The papers themselves were, -thanks to my careful precautions, in perfect order save for the absence -of the ridiculous and unnecessary superscription by the police at -Vienna. This young officer then accompanied me to the train, gave me -his card, and asked me to look him up next time I was in Buda Pesth. -Needless to say I shall not do so, but he was not in the least to blame -for passing me through. The worst he could have done would have been to -send me back to Vienna that my passport might be signed by the police, -and my friend the Hofrat would have seen that no difficulty would be -allowed to arise in that direction. - -Once over the frontier at Buchs in Switzerland, I breathed as a -prisoner might be expected to breathe on regaining his freedom. For -seven weeks I had been in constant danger of discovery, and during -that time I had been forced to act and dissimulate, and for ever -watch myself and others lest some chance remark of mine might arouse -suspicion in the minds of those about me. The mental strain had been -tremendous, and this had reacted upon the body, for during those seven -weeks I lost more than a stone in weight. - -I do not think that I am a coward, at least not a greater coward than -the average man, but I was greatly delighted to find myself safe once -more. No one who has not been through such an experience as mine can -understand the feeling of elation and delight that comes with the -knowledge that at last he is absolutely a free man. - -My journey from Constantinople to Switzerland had probably established -a record, at least since the beginning of the war; but, alas! my -future progress was not to be so rapid. The officials at the French -frontier were far more exacting than those of the enemy country through -which I had passed, and I cheerfully tender this tribute as to their -efficiency, although at the same time I should like them to know that -they caused me considerable inconvenience. At Berne I had to wait -four hours for the train, which no longer goes direct to Paris, the -passengers having to change at Pontarlier. On the previous occasion -when I had travelled by that route the train had travelled direct from -Berne to Paris. The reason for this change I discovered was that it had -been found that spies secreted documents in the carriages before being -personally examined, and when they were “passed” they recovered their -missing papers and continued the journey with the documents upon them. -Accordingly the authorities very wisely so arranged it that passengers -had to change trains at Pontarlier on the Swiss-French frontier. It -will be seen that cleverness and subtlety are not the monopoly of the -Germans. - -At one time Pontarlier looked like being the Waterloo of my little -trip. By certain means--which it is not my intention to disclose--I -had placed myself in a position that I could verify every stage of -my journey by documents, which I intended to produce should the -Germans deny the veracity of my statements, or should my truthfulness -be questioned in other quarters. Knowing the Germans as I do, I am -convinced that Dr. Hammann, the head of the German Press Bureau, would -adopt one of two courses. He would either forbid the publication in the -German newspapers of a single word of my story, or he would frankly -challenge its accuracy. Apparently he has chosen the former course, as -not a word about it has appeared in any German paper, or Austrian, for -that matter, most of which I see. The German accounts of the Banquet at -Nish represent the Kaiser as in a merry mood. What a travesty of truth! - -As I was now in France, and conscious of my own sympathies with the -Allies, I thought that there would be no harm in disclosing the whole -of my documents. Accordingly when my turn came to be examined by the -_commissaire_, I said straight out that I had come from Constantinople. -Instead of being hailed as a hero, I was given to understand, albeit -politely, that in all probability I had adopted this course of showing -all my papers because I was not merely a spy, but a super-spy, who -had conceived the brilliant idea that the best plan of getting past -the French authorities was to affect an attitude of colossal candour. -In vain I protested and expostulated. In vain I pointed out that it -was essential that I should arrive in London with the utmost possible -expedition. I suggested that if they distrusted me they could send -with me an official, every official they possessed for that matter, -whose expenses I would pay to Paris, where they could easily satisfy -themselves at the Paris office of _The Daily Mail_ that I was what I -represented myself to be. Talk of German thoroughness, German caution, -and German patriotism! The Germans have much to learn from those -excessively courteous but severe French officials, who cannot be won -over by the flattery which goes so far in Germany. If the official I -had encountered thought that I was a super-spy, I am convinced that he -was a super-official. Now that it is all over I have for him nothing -but admiration, but at the time his persistent courtesy made me feel -that I should like to hit him. - -Nothing would satisfy him but that I should be stripped, and this -fact he conveyed to me in the most courteous phraseology, at which I -suggested with some acerbity that he would still be courteous even were -he leading me to the guillotine! None the less, stripped I had to be. - -My collection of papers, which has proved a source of such interest to -so many distinguished and highly placed people in this country, was -minutely examined, and certain maps and other important documents, -whose interest is rather military than journalistic, were temporarily -taken from me. I was in a panic of anxiety. The minutes were passing, -and the time for the Paris train to start was drawing near. I implored -the authorities to telephone to Paris, and then it was that they -played their trump card. They intimated that seeing I had come through -Austria, and understanding that the Plague was prevalent in Hungary, -they felt obliged to detain me for medical examination next morning. It -was then midnight. Neither my expostulations nor my entreaties produced -the least effect upon the impassively polite Frenchman. I verily -believe that had there been no Plague in Hungary as an excuse for my -detention, that they would have had me examined for foot-and-mouth -disease, glanders, or rinderpest. One of the most anguishing moments -of my life was when I heard the Paris express slowly moving out of the -station. I, of all the passengers, being the only one left behind, and -I of all the passengers the one in the greatest hurry to get to Paris. - -Soon philosophy came to my aid, and I argued that how like life it -was. After the many risks that I had run in enemy countries, where I -had never been even detained by the officials, here was I, immediately -on getting to what should have been friendly soil, being examined and -cross-examined and re-examined again and again by officials whose every -word spoke suspicion. I had been equal to every previous examination -to which I had been subjected, and here was I stranded at the very -moment of success in the country of one of the Allies for whom I had so -great an admiration. “_Gott im Himmel!_” I muttered, “spare me from my -friends.” - -Within a few minutes of the departure of the train there came a reply -by telephone from Paris guaranteeing my integrity, accompanied by -a request that every possible facility should be given to me. This -produced an official _volte face_. The courtesy remained the same, but -there were full and adequate apologies. The French authorities seemed -genuinely distressed at the inconvenience they had caused me. Indeed, -nothing could be more kindly and courteous than the treatment I -received at Pontarlier. In spite of the delay that these men had caused -me, I respected them for their thoroughness. It is better in war time -to err, if error there must be, on the side of caution. - -I doubt if I could have written these friendly words at the time. I -was feeling too irritated to recognise virtue in anyone, least of all -in a French official. There was no train until five o’clock the next -afternoon, and that, I was informed, was an omnibus train, stopping at -every station between Pontarlier and Dijon. - -By taking it rather than wait for the later express, I was informed, -I should save two hours on the road to Paris. The Hotel de la Poste, -at Pontarlier, had long since been asleep, but I aroused it, delighted -at the opportunity of myself being able to inconvenience somebody -else, and I spent a wretched night of chagrin and worry. Would there -be further difficulties? Should I ever get to London? Should I for any -possible reason be detained in Paris? It must be remembered that I had -a great story burning in my brain. None but a journalist can understand -that instinct which prompts a man who has obtained “good copy” to dash -for the nearest point where that copy can be turned into print. - -Only those who have moved about in war time with documents and maps in -their possession have the least conception of the difficulties that -arise with the authorities, who naturally have every reason to be -suspicious. - -It was at three o’clock in the afternoon on January 25th, exactly a -week after the historic Banquet at Nish, that I reached London, and -without a pause proceeded to the offices of _The Daily Mail_, where I -had scarcely sufficient strength to write the account of my meeting -with the Kaiser at Nish. I then made for my hotel, enjoyed a luxurious -bath, and a long, long sleep. I was utterly exhausted. - -It must be remembered that I had been travelling continuously for a -week, that is, from the evening of the Banquet at Nish, January 18th, -until three o’clock on the afternoon of the 25th. In Serbia and Austria -all the sleeping-cars had been requisitioned by the authorities, which -added greatly to the fatigues of travel; but I had the satisfaction of -knowing that I had carried out my instructions, and had brought back -what I had been told to bring back--a living story. - -I have had the satisfaction of opening the eyes of the British public -to the strange migration of Germans to the Near East. I can tell them -with a conviction, that with me is almost passionate, that unless the -Allies obtain a smashing victory, the German occupation of Asia Minor -will threaten England’s hold on India, England’s hold on Egypt, the -Russian security in the Caucasus, and will open up to Germany a vast -granary that will completely destroy the effect of the British Blockade -and alter the whole history of the world. I am not an alarmist, I am a -journalist who has seen many strange things, things which no other man -of either a neutral or Entente Power has seen, and being a journalist -I understand to some extent the relation of cause and effect. “You will -never convince England of her danger,” someone recently remarked to me. -“But why?” I asked; “what possible object can I have in exaggerating -or lying? I am not a politician, I am not even an Englishman, and -certainly I feel very deeply the danger the Entente cause is running, -owing to the spell of apathy that seems to have fallen upon certain -sections of the public.” My friend’s reply was a smile. - -It has been a great pleasure to me, too, to be the instrument of -showing how a highly organised newspaper can act as an effective means -of obtaining information for a nation at war. The police of this -country have long since recognised the value of the Press in detecting -crime, and I think the Government will now have an equal respect for -the journalist as a secret service agent, albeit an honorary one. I -know of at least one newspaper that has a most wonderful organisation -in the enemy countries for securing information, and that organisation -is not excelled by any Government of the Entente Powers. - -One word of warning to British officials at present occupying posts -as Consuls and Ministers. They must appreciate the fact that this -war concerns their country’s very existence, and they must not allow -themselves to be lulled to a false security by mendacious statements -that appear in the press. One distinguished English diplomatist in -a neutral country, a man whose name is well known in the diplomatic -world, said to me only a few weeks ago, “And do those silly Germans -really think they are going to win?” and his remark was accompanied by -a superior and incredulous smile. - -“Why, of course, they do,” I replied, “and unless England wakes up -perhaps they will.” I felt annoyed with the man. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - -THE GERMAN MENACE - - After Thoughts--The Great Factor--National Service--False Ideals - as to the German Soldier--The Danger of Under-estimating Germany’s - Resources--Great Britain’s Helpers--Crush the German--“Wait Till - We Get to England.” - - -Now that I am back in London quietly meditating on my recent -experiences, I cannot help feeling ill at ease. I see in my mind’s eye -once more, just as if I were sitting at a kinematograph show, those -thousands of young, sturdy-looking Germans on their way to the Near -East. I see the magnificent new bridges and the reconstructed tunnels -in Serbia. I hear the crowds at different stations cheer the Balkan -Express on its way back to Berlin. “Are people in this country,” I ask -myself, “fully aware of the seriousness of the present situation? Does -the Government of this country fully realise that unless the British -Fleet be left to show its might in cutting off what is the food of the -German War-Machine, the war itself cannot be brought to a successful -issue?” - -Great changes have taken place since I left London at the beginning of -November. On my return I find that National Service has been adopted by -the Government and accepted by the people. To me this was the best news -I had heard for many months. A step nearer victory, I told myself. - -At last the British people have realised that compulsion to defend -the country of their birth is no disgrace, and they have learned that -it in no way threatens their personal liberty. The French and Dutch, -to mention two countries famed for their love of independence and -liberty, never have and never will consider it against their freedom -to be compelled to learn how to defend themselves in the hour of need. -An Englishman does not consider it a disgrace to be compelled to pay -his rates and taxes; why should it be regarded as anything but an -honour, and a very great honour, to be compelled to defend the greatest -freedom that subjects of any country have ever known--to give up his -life for his Motherland? - -The adoption of the National Service Scheme has caused me the liveliest -possible satisfaction, but there is still another danger to be met -by, not only the British people, but the British Government itself; -that is, the under-estimation of the power and resources of the German -menace. The misleading statements which for the past year have figured -in many English journals, to the effect that men of fifty and boys of -fifteen are sent to the front on account of the exhaustion of German -man power, have done incalculable harm in convincing thousands of -people that the end of the war is at hand, and that the end will be -victory for the Entente Powers. The Germans have now been fighting for -eighteen months, and they are very far from being beaten. - -A man may, to his own entire satisfaction, come to the conclusion that -given the Spring and sufficient munitions that the German resistance -will crumble. The German resistance will never crumble; it will fight -as fine a defensive campaign as it has fought a series of offensive -campaigns. To under-rate an enemy is to undermine your own chances of -victory. - -Shortly after my return to England I was talking with a Frenchman who -for some time has lived in this country. He seemed to be convinced that -the Germans had only old men and boys in the trenches in France, and -that they were a mere army of cowards. - -“If that be the case,” I replied, “if they really are an army of -cowards who throw down their arms and hold up their hands as soon as -they are attacked, then why does not the glorious French Army hurl them -back across the Rhine?” - -To this my friend made no reply. I relate the incident merely to show -how many excellent people hypnotise themselves into the belief that -the Germans are cowards. Any British “Tommy” who has participated in -an attack on the German trenches, or who has helped to hold the lines -against a German onslaught, will confirm me in my opinion that the -Germans are very far indeed from being cowards. - -It will aid the Allies nothing to underestimate German cunning and -German efficiency. I firmly believe that in the long run Great Britain -can hold out far better than her foes; but Great Britain is not -fighting alone, she has to consider France, Russia and Italy, and -finish this fight with the utmost possible expedition. - -It is incumbent upon this country to put forth its entire manhood, -as well as to husband all its resources for the great struggle that -is looming in the very near distance. In short, all must wake up to -the great German danger. Away with kid gloves! Away with all thought -of the Hague Convention! Fight the reckless, ferocious, wild animal -which has broken loose over Europe, fight it with every weapon at your -disposal! If Great Britain allows this animal to conquer it, there will -be no pity, and the glorious British Empire will be a thing of the -past. Those thousands and thousands of young men of the Empire from -every corner of the globe who have died on the battlefields of France -and Gallipoli shall then not have died in vain, and the most glorious -monument to the memory of those fallen heroes will be the complete -defeat of the brutal Hun. - -This is not the hour for seeking personal glory, but it is the moment -for searching for efficiency, be it in the field of battle or on the -Government benches in the House of Commons. - -Britons, as well as neutrals, who love this, to me, dear old country -and all that it stands for should give their all to crush Germany. The -blunders that have been made are for the most part almost excusable -blunders. No one can expect that in a short time a country that has -always been anti-militarist can turn into a highly organised military -power. The Germans themselves have taken some forty years to achieve -this. I repeat, Germany is still very far from being beaten. Personally -I firmly believe in the eventual victory of the Allies, but only if -every man according to his ability throws the weight of his influence, -his money, or his life into the scale. Then, and then only, shall we -see the German War Machine break down, one part after another, and once -more peace shall be restored to a Europe torn with strife and soaked -with blood. - -France, Russia and Italy are merely Great Britain’s helpers. Great -Britain is the real opponent to German Militarism. She is the great -store-house from which supplies and munitions pour, and without which -her Allies cannot continue the struggle. It is she who is fated to be -the great factor in the crushing of German ambition, and its mad lust -for world-wide domination. Germany is to this century what Napoleon was -to the last, a menace to individual and national independence. It has -been seen what German Kultur did for Belgium and Serbia. “Wait till we -get to England!” is a remark I have heard from German lips, uttered in -a tone so significant, so sinister, that I have involuntarily shuddered. - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MY SECRET SERVICE *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online -at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you -are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this eBook. -</div> -</div> - -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: <span lang='' xml:lang=''>My Secret Service</span></p> -<p style='display:block; margin-left:2em; text-indent:0; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:1em;'><span lang='' xml:lang=''>Vienna, Sophia, Constantinople, Nish, Belgrade, Asia Minor, etc.</span></p> -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: The Man Who Dined With The Kaiser</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: April 29, 2022 [eBook #67951]<br /> -[Last updated: August 18, 2022]</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</p> - <p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em; text-align:left'>Produced by: Martin Pettit and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)</p> -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK <span lang='' xml:lang=''>MY SECRET SERVICE</span> ***</div> - -<div class="center"><img src="images/front.jpg" alt="front" /></div> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_i" id="Page_i">[Pg i]</a></span></p> - -<h1><span class="uline">MY SECRET SERVICE</span></h1> - -<p class="bold2">BY THE MAN WHO DINED<br />WITH THE KAISER</p> - -<hr /> - -<div class="center"><img src="images/title.jpg" alt="title page" /></div> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_iii" id="Page_iii">[Pg iii]</a></span></p> - -<p class="bold2">MY SECRET<br />SERVICE</p> - -<p class="bold">VIENNA, SOPHIA, CONSTANTINOPLE,<br />NISH, BELGRADE, ASIA MINOR, Etc.</p> - -<p class="bold">BY</p> - -<p class="bold2">THE MAN WHO DINED<br />WITH THE KAISER</p> - -<div class="center space-above"><img src="images/logo.jpg" alt="logo" /></div> - -<p class="bold space-above">NEW YORK<br />GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_iv" id="Page_iv">[Pg iv]</a></span></p> - -<p class="center">Copyright, 1916,<br /><span class="smcap">By George H. Doran Company</span></p> - -<p class="center space-above">PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_v" id="Page_v">[Pg v]</a></span></p> - -<p class="center">TO<br /> -<br /> -LORD NORTHCLIFFE<br /> -<br /> -IN GRATEFUL RECOLLECTION<br /> -OF THE KEEN INTEREST HE<br /> -HAS SHOWN IN THESE<br /> -ADVENTURES, THIS VOLUME IS<br /> -DEDICATED BY THE AUTHOR</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_vii" id="Page_vii">[Pg vii]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CONTENTS</h2> - -<table summary="CONTENTS"> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER I</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td></td> - <td><span class="smaller">PAGE</span></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Introductory</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_19">19</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">“Were You Afraid?”—About Myself—War<br /> -Finds Me in England—The German<br /> -War-Machine—My Travels—The German<br /> -Spy System—My Three Journeys—I Become<br /> -a Workman at Krupp’s—I Travel in<br /> -Chocolate—My Most Important Trip—The<br /> -Risks—Proofs—My Reception in England.</td> - <td></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER II</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Vienna in War Time</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_26">26</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">I Set Out for the Enemy Country—The<br /> -German Official Mind—Turned Back at the<br /> -Frontier—Arrived at Vienna—The Kindly<br /> -Hofrat—Hatred of the English—A Subdued<br /> -City—Hardships—The Hidden<br /> -Scourge—The Toll of War—Austria’s Terrible<br /> -Casualties—The Tragic 28th Regiment—“Mr.<br /> -Wu” in Vienna—Interned Englishmen.</td> - <td></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_viii" id="Page_viii">[Pg viii]</a></span> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER III</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">In the Balkans</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_48">48</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">I Leave Vienna—Gay Bucharest—The<br /> -Bandmaster’s Indiscretion—“<i>À bas les<br />allemands!</i>”—Roumania -Eager for War—German<br /> -Devices—An English Cigarette—A<br /> -Terrible Journey—The Spoils of War—The<br /> -Wily German—Bulgarian Poverty<br /> -Under the Germans—Austrian Satisfaction<br /> -over the Serbian Victories—Compulsion in<br /> -England—Bulgarian Anxiety about the Attitude<br /> -of Greece—The German Language in Bulgaria.</td> - <td></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER IV</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Constantinople</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_69">69</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">I Leave Sofia—A Valuable Document—The<br /> -Change in Adrianople—The Bulgars in<br /> -Possession—The Turk Determined to Fight—I<br /> -Adopt the Fez—War Pressure—The<br /> -Fate of Enemy Subjects—A Way They<br /> -Have in Turkey—The Financial Situation—Enver<br /> -Goes to Berlin—A Turkish Girl<br /> -Clerk—A Quick Change—A City of Darkness.</td> - <td></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_ix" id="Page_ix">[Pg ix]</a></span> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER V</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">I Interview Enver Pasha</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_87">87</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Germanising the Turkish War Office—Halil<br /> -Bey—Wireless Disguised as a<br /> -Circus—Enver Pasha Receives Me—The<br /> -Turkish Napoleon—Something of a Dandy—“If<br /> -the English Had Only Had the Courage”—“To<br /> -Egypt!”—Turkey’s Debt to<br /> -Great Britain—Affairs before Manners—A<br /> -German Tribute to British Troops—Their<br /> -Designs in the Suez Canal—German War<br /> -Plans—Where to Kill Germans—The Baghdad<br /> -Expedition—German Officers in Mufti.</td> - <td></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER VI</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">I Visit Asia Minor</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_104">104</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">A Remarkable Railway Station—I Leave<br /> -for Konia—The Anatolian Railway—How<br /> -to Get to Baghdad—Elaborate Instructions—Necessity<br /> -for Caution—English and<br /> -French Prisoners—Instructing the Turk in<br /> -the Arts of Peace—A Noisy Sleeper—Hamburg’s<br /> -Hatred of Great Britain—Sops<br /> -to Austria and Turkey—Field-Marshal Von<br /> -der Goltz—I Return to Constantinople.</td> - <td></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_x" id="Page_x">[Pg x]</a></span> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER VII</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Constantinople from Within</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_120">120</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">A City of Maimed and Wounded—I See<br /> -the Sultan—Enver’s Popularity—Talaat<br /> -Bey the Real Administrator—Gallipoli Day—Constantinople<br /> -“Mafficks”—The Return<br /> -of the Ten Thousand—How the <i>Goeben</i> and<br /> -<i>Breslau</i> Escaped—Their Fateful Arrival at<br /> -Constantinople—German Privileges—Mendacities<br /> -of the Turkish Press—The Egyptian<br /> -Situation—A German Camel Corps—The<br /> -Turks a Formidable Factor.</td> - <td></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER VIII</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">The “Untersee” German</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_135">135</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">My Kiel Acquaintance—Submarines by<br /> -Rail—German Submarines at Constantinople—My<br /> -Voyage of Discovery—The Exploit<br /> -of U51—Captain von Hersing—German<br /> -Hero-Worship—A Daring Feat—A<br /> -Modest German!—Von Hersing in<br /> -England—The German Naval Officer—His<br /> -Opinion of the British Navy—A Regrettable<br /> -Incident—Dr. Ledera Imprisoned—I<br /> -Encounter an Austrian Spy—He Confides<br /> -to Me his Methods—The Carelessness of<br /> -British Consuls.</td> - <td></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xi" id="Page_xi">[Pg xi]</a></span> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER IX</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">“<span class="smcap">Our Kaiser is Here!</span>”</td> - <td><a href="#Page_152">152</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Getting Out of Constantinople—I Become<br /> -Suspicious—I Appeal to Halil Bey—A<br /> -Gloomy Apartment—I Visit the Prefecture<br /> -of Police—I Join a Military Train—Marvellous<br /> -Engineering—A Subtle Device—The<br /> -Kaiser at Nish—I See the Two Monarchs—A<br /> -Remarkable Stroke of Luck—I<br /> -am Invited to the Banquet—Fokker Aeroplanes.</td> - <td></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER X</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">The Banquet at Nish</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_169">169</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">The Banqueting Hall—A Small Gathering—The<br /> -Menu—The Kaiser and King Ferdinand—Von<br /> -Falkenhayn—An Impressive<br /> -Figure—The Kaiser’s Health—His Poor<br /> -Appetite—Constant Coughing—King Ferdinand’s<br /> -Triumph—The Bulgarian Princes—German<br /> -Journalism—A Bombastic Oration—“Hail,<br /> -Cæsar!”—The Kaiser’s Unspoken<br /> -Reply—The Hour of “The Fox”—The<br /> -End of an Historic Function—The<br /> -Post Office Closed.</td> - <td></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xii" id="Page_xii">[Pg xii]</a></span> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XI</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">The Balkan Express</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_191">191</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Existence of the Balkan-Zug Denied—A<br /> -Great Strategical Factor—The Publicity<br /> -Train—German Economy—I Join the Balkan-Zug<br /> -at Nish—King Ferdinand a Fellow-Passenger—His<br /> -Condescension—Excellent<br /> -Food—Ruined Belgrade—Arrival at<br /> -Buda Pesth—A Tremendous Ovation—Russian<br /> -Prisoners at Work—Arrival at<br /> -Vienna—Another Tremendous Reception—Remarkable<br /> -Punctuality.</td> - <td></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XII</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">French Thoroughness</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_213">213</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">I Leave Vienna—I am Ordered Back—I<br /> -Risk Proceeding on My Journey—A Friendly<br /> -Hungarian Officer—Over the Swiss Frontier—My<br /> -Frankness My Undoing—The<br /> -French Super-Official—I am Detained<br /> -Somewhere in France—My Protests Unavailing—I<br /> -am Suspected of the Plague—Left<br /> -Behind—<i>The Daily Mail</i> to the Rescue—Profuse<br /> -Apologies—I Proceed to<br /> -Paris—“You Will Never Convince England”—London<br /> -at Last—Rest.</td> - <td></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xiii" id="Page_xiii">[Pg xiii]</a></span> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XIII</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">The German Menace</span></td> - <td><a href="#Page_229">229</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">After Thoughts—The Great Factor—National<br /> -Service—False Ideas as to the German<br /> -Soldier—The Danger of Under-estimating<br /> -Germany’s Resources—Great Britain’s<br /> -Helpers—Crush the German—“Wait<br /> -Till We Get to England.”</td> - <td></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xv" id="Page_xv">[Pg xv]</a></span></p> - -<h2>ILLUSTRATIONS</h2> - -<table summary="ILLUSTRATIONS"> - <tr> - <td></td> - <td><span class="smaller">PAGE</span></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Vienna Bread Ticket</span></td> - <td><a href="#i038.jpg">38</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Halil Bey’s Card</span></td> - <td><a href="#i155.jpg">155</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Music Programme at the Nish Banquet</span></td> - <td><a href="#i170.jpg">170</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Menu at the Nish Banquet</span></td> - <td><a href="#i172.jpg">172</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">My Ticket on the Balkan Express</span></td> - <td><a href="#i196.jpg">196</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span></p> - -<p class="bold2">MY SECRET SERVICE </p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER I</h2> - -<p class="bold2">INTRODUCTORY</p> - -<blockquote><p>“Were You Afraid?”—About Myself—War Finds Me in England—The -German War-Machine—My Travels—The German Spy System—My Three -Journeys—I Become a Workman at Krupp’s—I Travel in Chocolate—My -Most Important Trip—The Risks—Proofs—My Reception in England.</p></blockquote> - -<p>I am not a spy, that I wish to make abundantly clear; I am a -journalist, and I love my profession. Equally well I love adventure -and sport, the greatest sport in the world, in which the stake is the -player’s life.</p> - -<p>“Were you ever afraid?” a young and charming English girl recently -asked me.</p> - -<p>“Afraid!” I replied. “Listen! Imagine yourself with two maps next to -your skin, each marked with German submarine bases, military works, -and the like. Then you are interrogated by half-a-dozen German Secret -Service officers. The least hesitation, the slightest faltering in a -reply and, at a motion<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span> of the hand two German soldiers take you into -an adjoining room, strip you, and—ten minutes later you are dead.”</p> - -<p>The girl blushed: in my earnestness I had forgotten. Yes! I have been -afraid many times; yet, with the gambler’s instinct, I have continued -the game which, sooner or later, will probably end in a little episode -in which the protagonists will be myself and a firing party—somewhere -in the enemy country.</p> - -<p>I am a citizen of a neutral country. Those in high places whom it -concerns know all about me, have seen my passports, examined what -remains of my ticket on the Balkan Express with its perforation -“18—1—16,” and can testify from the chain of documents I possess, -from which not a link is missing, that I have actually been where I say -I have.</p> - -<p>When war broke out I found myself in England, and I immediately saw in -the terrible struggle great possibilities for myself. I am twenty-six -years of age and speak, besides my native tongue, English, German, -French and Flemish. I had lived in <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span>England before the war broke out, -and have learned to love it second only to my own country. I was -anxious to help in the great struggle, and I determined to try and -find out as much as I could about the great German War-Machine. For -twelve months I have been engaged upon this interesting task, visiting -Frankfurt, Hanau, Neuwied, Essen (and other cities in Germany), Vienna, -Buda Pesth, Bucharest, Sofia, Constantinople, Brasso, Rustchouk, -Adrianople, Nish, Belgrade, Konia (Asia Minor), etc. Incidentally, -I have proved that the German spy system is not so perfect as it is -considered by many in this country.</p> - -<p>In all I have paid three visits to the enemy countries, each time -using the same name, but following a different trade or profession. -First I was a workman, and crossed the frontier in shamelessly shabby -clothes and with very little impedimenta in the way of luggage. I -professed to be a steel-driller, having had a very slight experience in -that occupation, obtained for the purpose of my visit. In this guise -I penetrated the German<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span> Holy of Holies, the famous Krupp factories -at Essen. Here for some days I worked, until it was discovered what -an execrably bad workman I was. Summary and ignominious dismissal -followed, but never did a man take his dismissal less to heart than I. -I had gathered some interesting and valuable information, and had seen -many remarkable things. This was in March, 1915, although the account -was not published until February, 1916, as the Censor prohibited my -story appearing in the press, no doubt for very good reasons.</p> - -<p>My next journey was to Constantinople as a commercial traveller -representing a chocolate firm in a neutral country. On this occasion -I interviewed Captain von Hersing, and heard from his own lips the -account of his wonderful journey in a German submarine (U51) from -Wilhelmshaven to Constantinople. I also obtained a great deal of -information which was published at the time. This trip was made in -June, 1915.</p> - -<p>My third trip was by far the most successful. This I made as a -journalist, <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span>ostensibly on behalf of a leading neutral paper, but -in reality for <i>The Daily Mail</i>. It will be readily understood that -these journeys required most careful forethought. It sounds so easy on -paper, but in point of fact it requires much energy, and most careful -and cunning preparation. One mistake, one careless word, and there -is suspicion with, in all probability, a fatal result. I began to -understand what must be the feelings of a soldier going into battle. -When he enlists he thinks of all the dangers in a detached sort of way, -and regrets leaving his dear ones behind, but as soon as he is in the -thick of the fight he forgets all else but the clash of battle; so it -was with me.</p> - -<p>On my third journey I knew that at any moment I might be recognised by -one of the countless German spies that seem to spring up everywhere. -I was, however, determined to see the thing through and, once in the -enemy country, my nervousness seemed to vanish.</p> - -<p>It must be remembered that no one could undertake such journeys as mine -in <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span>war-time without the assistance of prominent and influential men -abroad, and I desire to make what are very inadequate acknowledgments -to many distinguished diplomatists in neutral countries, without whose -invaluable help I could not have crossed the border into Austria, or, -what is far more important, have returned to England.</p> - -<p>I quite anticipated that my adventures would be challenged, for they -must seem so extraordinary when read in a country where the German -Secret Service is regarded as absolutely infallible. So far from this -being the case, I have received letters from all sorts of people -congratulating me on my return, and not a word of doubt has been raised -in any quarter. I was prepared to meet scepticism with documents that -no one could refute.</p> - -<p>It has also been a source of great gratification to me to know that -my discoveries and the information I have accumulated have been of -assistance to the Allies, with whom I am in entire sympathy. I have -also had the satisfaction of reading in neutral as<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span> well as English -newspapers that some of the Kaiser’s most trusted and efficient Secret -Service Agents have been dismissed and <i>aides-de-camp</i> suspended.</p> - -<p>I have received at the hands of many distinguished and notable -Englishmen nothing but kindness. They have examined my proofs, not -with suspicion but with the keenest possible interest, and they have -embarrassed me with their congratulations. My invariable reply to these -touching tributes has been that I owe to England much; she has given to -me many friends and shown me great hospitality, and if anything that -I have done can help her in the least degree, I shall always regard -myself as a privileged person.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER II</h2> - -<p class="bold2">VIENNA IN WAR TIME</p> - -<blockquote><p>I Set Out for the Enemy Country—The German Official Mind—Turned -Back at the Frontier—Arrival at Vienna—The Kindly Hofrat—Hatred -of the English—A Subdued City—Hardships—The Hidden Scourge—The -Toll of War—Austria’s Terrible Casualties—The Tragic 28th -Regiment—“Mr. Wu” in Vienna—Interned Englishmen.</p></blockquote> - -<p>It was during the early days of November, 1915, that I conceived the -idea of making another journey to Turkey. From various sources I had -heard that the Germans, in conjunction with the Turks, were preparing -for their great and much-advertised attack upon Egypt. I determined to -find out if they were seriously planning this adventure, or if it were -merely “bluff” for political purposes. My arrangements were carefully -made, because the whole result of an expedition such as this depends -upon the precautions taken at the outset. I first went to a neutral -country where, some years <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span>previously, I had worked as a journalist. I -did not find much difficulty in obtaining from the newspaper with which -I had been connected papers and credentials in which it was set forth -that I was acting as the special correspondent of that journal.</p> - -<p>After careful consideration, I decided upon the shortest route to -Turkey, which would take me through Germany, Austria, Roumania, and -Bulgaria, and I made my plans accordingly. I failed, however, in my -object. At the town of Emmerich, on the German border, I was informed -by the officials that my papers were unsatisfactory. At first I -was somewhat puzzled, knowing the care that I had taken to procure -everything necessary, but I soon discovered what the trouble really -was. On my passport my name was spelt with an “i,” whereas on my -special correspondent’s card it was spelt with a “y.” I verily believe -that the meticulous mind of the German officials would refuse to admit -the bearer of a passport in which a comma appeared in place of a colon.</p> - -<p>I did my utmost to convince the officers<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span> that the mistake was -trifling, and that I was a <i>bona fide</i> journalist. After much -discussion and excited expostulation on my part, I was permitted to -travel to Munich; but my papers were taken from me, and I was told that -I must apply for them in that city at the Kommandantur.</p> - -<p>Convinced that everything was now satisfactorily arranged, I resumed -my journey. When we reached Düsseldorf I became aware that my name was -being loudly called from the platform. For a moment I was thrilled -with a sudden fear that my association with an English newspaper -had been discovered and that trouble was brewing; but I quickly -recovered myself. When the station-master, a lieutenant, and two -soldiers—nothing less than this imposing display of force would -satisfy the German official mind—presented themselves at the door of -my compartment, I confessed to my identity, and was promptly told that -I must leave the train, and furthermore, that I should not be allowed -to proceed upon my journey until my papers were perfectly in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span> order. -The upshot of this incident was that I was forced to return to the -frontier, all on account of a careless consulate clerk using an “i” for -a “y.”</p> - -<p>I considered it far too risky to have the correction made and start -again. I had acquired some knowledge of German official psychology. -Knowing that the Austrian authorities are less difficult than the -German, I decided to return to England and journey through France and -Switzerland into Austria. In Switzerland I obtained a new passport, and -was soon on my way to the Austrian frontier.</p> - -<p>On the journey I had some unpleasant meditations. The Austrian -authorities might have been informed of my unsuccessful endeavour to -cross the German border, and as some eight months previously I had -already entered Austria by that same route I now proposed to take, -I found myself hesitating as to the advisability of continuing the -adventure. “Perhaps,” I argued with myself, “it would be advisable to -return to safety.” I soon, however, overcame this<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span> trepidation by the -simple process of telling myself that hundreds of thousands of men in -the trenches were facing what I should soon be facing—death. I was a -soldier, I told myself, as indeed I am holding a commission in my own -country as a Reserve officer. Finally, by the time I reached Feldkirch, -I was prepared to face the Austrian officials with a stout heart and a -grim determination to get through at all costs.</p> - -<p>With my fellow travellers I was conducted to a large hall where -soldiers, with fixed bayonets, were on guard. To understand my feelings -as I stood there awaiting my turn to be taken before the officers for -interrogation, one must have been in a similar position oneself.</p> - -<p>One by one my companions were admitted to the adjoining room, and when -at last my own turn came, I found myself confronting five Austrian -officers, all of whom seemed to have developed that inquisitive state -of mind which seems to exist only in war-time. In Switzerland I had -obtained from the Austrian Ambassador, Baron<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span> Gayer, a <i>laissez -passer</i>, which was of the greatest possible value to me. After an -unpleasant ten minutes I found that I had passed with honours, having -not only satisfied the officers’ demands for information, but earned -their goodwill to the extent of being wished good luck and a pleasant -journey. An hour later the train left for Vienna, twenty-four hours -distant, through the beautiful Austrian Tyrol. I was, however, too -tired and travel-weary to be much concerned with the beauties of -nature. There was no sleeping accommodation upon the train, and what -rest I had was snatched sitting in an upright position.</p> - -<p>On the evening of December 8th, 1915, I arrived in Vienna, where I -decided to stay at the Park Hotel in preference to one of the more -fashionable hotels in the gayer part of the city. I did this with a -deliberate purpose, as the Park Hotel is situated close to the two -railway stations, Sud Bahnhof and Ost Bahnhof. From my point of vantage -I hoped to be able to watch the movements of troops marching to the -stations. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span></p> - -<p>I planned to stay only a short time in Vienna, my real objective being -Turkey, but I particularly wanted to see Belgrade, which possessed for -me a great interest on account of the recent desperate fighting that -had taken place there. I had secured an introduction to a distinguished -official in the Austrian Foreign Office (Ministerium des Aussern) upon -whom it was my first object to call. This important personage, a Hofrat -(the German equivalent, I believe, of the English Privy Councillor), -received me courteously, and without that suspicion that seems to be -the inevitable attribute of the German, listened to my explanation -as to the object of my journey, and very kindly promising me all the -facilities that he had it in his power to grant.</p> - -<p>He gave me an introduction to the War Office (K.U.K. Kriegsministerium) -Press Bureau. His letter stated that I was well known to the Foreign -Office, and that all possible facilities should be granted to me on my -journey to the Near East. This letter eventually produced a document -which<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span> was of the utmost assistance to me in my subsequent journeyings, -and which I still have in my possession.</p> - -<p>As he handed to me the introduction to the Kriegsministerium -Pressbureau, which was to prove for me my open sesame into Turkey, he -remarked: “I am always very careful of giving introductions to the War -Office; you yourself, for instance, might be the biggest spy (grosze -spion) in the world.” I smiled inwardly as I thanked him for his -kindness, and congratulated myself that I had been so fortunate as to -impress favourably a man who possessed so much authority. When I asked -him to furnish me with a passport, enabling me to travel through to -Belgrade, he replied that it was not in his power to do so, but that he -would do what he could to assist me, and that I should hear from him in -due course.</p> - -<p>In the meantime I determined to look about the city to discover what -changes had taken place during the eight months that had elapsed -since my previous visit. The first thing I noticed was the increased -hostility<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span> on the part of the Viennese towards the English. For this -there were two very obvious reasons: first, the pinch of hunger, -“stomach pressure” as it has been called, the work of the British Navy; -second, the intervention of Italy, the work of British diplomatists. -The Austrian is not so dramatic in his hatreds as the German; but there -is a bitter and burning feeling in his heart against a nation that has -robbed him of most of the luxuries and many of the necessaries of life, -and, in addition, has precipitated him into another war at a time when -his hands were already over full.</p> - -<p>Unlike London, Paris, and Constantinople, Vienna is brightly lit at -night; but the atmosphere of gaiety of this gayest of cities no longer -exists. Now it is dull; cafés, which in peace time remained open -all night, are forced to close at 11 p.m.; some, but very few, have -obtained permission to remain open until midnight. There in Vienna, as -everywhere else in the Teutonic war zone, the all-absorbing topic of -conversation was the question of food-supply. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span></p> - -<p>There is a humorous side to the situation; humorous, that is, to the -Allies. The people of Turkey confidently anticipate obtaining supplies -from the Central Powers; whereas the Central Powers are equally -optimistic about Turkey’s ability to supply them with foodstuffs. The -Berlin Press is responsible for the Teutonic error, on account of its -bombastic articles on the advantage of opening up Turkey and Asia Minor -with their vast resources. For one thing this was to produce butter for -Berlin. In Vienna they do not grumble so much as in Berlin about the -shortage of butter; but they bitterly resent the absence of cream. One -of the chief delights of the city is the famous Vienna coffee, with -its foaming crest of whipped cream extending half way down the glass. -During my previous visit this had been easily obtainable, but eight -months of war had resulted in the prohibition of the sale of milk and -cream save for infants, all the rest being used in the manufacture of -explosives. When I learned that I should be forced to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span> drink black -coffee, I felt a momentary grievance against the Allies.</p> - -<p>Of the 1,600 taxis that in peace time whirled gay parties about Vienna, -only forty remained, and these are extremely shabby, their tyres having -a very decrepit appearance. With the exception of these forty taxis -all vehicular traffic stops at 11 p.m., and the Viennese ladies, famed -for embonpoint, will long remember the war if only for the amount of -walking that they have had to do.</p> - -<p>There is also a great scarcity of petrol, tyres, and glycerine, all -having been requisitioned by the Government. Lard and other fatty -substances used in the preparation of food are of a very inferior -quality. I have good cause to remember this as, for four days, I was -extremely ill on account of the odious stuff used in the cooking of -some food I had eaten.</p> - -<p>Curiously enough, I found the bread of a much better quality than -during my previous visit; but there was very little of it, for the -reign of the bread-ticket was not yet<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span> over. Meat was scarce and very -expensive. As a rule, I dined at the Restaurant Hartmann, in peace time -a well-known place for good dinners. I found, however, that it had -greatly deteriorated, that the food was far from good and ridiculously -expensive. For a meal consisting of soup, meat and vegetables, with -some fruit, I had to pay eight kronen (a kronen being 10d.), double the -peace price. Some idea of the scarcity of meat may be obtained from the -fact that a single portion of roast beef costs about four kronen (3s. -4d.). I should explain that Hartmann’s is not a place like the Ritz -Hotel, but a middle-class restaurant where in time of peace the prices -are extremely moderate.</p> - -<p>That terrible scourge, which seems to follow in the footsteps of -civilisation, has increased alarmingly in Vienna since the outbreak of -war. Soldiers go to the vilest part of the city deliberately inviting -contagion so that they may not be sent to the front. The eyes of -the military authorities have been opened to the seriousness of the -situation, and the men are very seriously punished. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span></p> - -<div class="center"><a name="i038.jpg" id="i038.jpg"></a><br /><img src="images/i038.jpg" alt="A Vienna Bread-Ticket" /></div> - -<p class="bold"><span class="smcap">A Vienna Bread-Ticket</span></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span></p> - -<p>Vienna is full of wounded; in fact, I have never seen a city in which -there were so many. I tried to find out as much as I could about the -number of Austrian wounded throughout the country, but it was extremely -difficult to glean information. In order that the public shall not -be unduly depressed, the wounded are carefully scattered about in -different towns and villages, particularly in Bohemia. Germans have -told me that they have heard the same thing in regard to England, where -hundreds of little Red Cross hospitals were to be found in provincial -towns and villages all over the country!</p> - -<p>The German method is also to keep the wounded away from the big -towns as much as possible. The smaller villages are used for Red -Cross stations. When in Frankfurt on one of my former trips I one -day remarked to an old woman, a farmer’s wife with whom I got into -conversation, that I could not understand why there were so few<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span> -wounded in a large town such as Frankfurt. “Come and have a look at our -village,” she answered, “we have them in our houses.” I accordingly -went to Andernach, which was the name of the village. She gave me -coffee and war bread, and treated me very kindly. There were six -wounded soldiers in her house, and I learned that there was hardly a -village on the slopes of the Rhine where wounded soldiers were not -billeted to benefit by the invigorating air of the Rhineland hills, -having first been treated in the hospitals. I was told by one of the -wounded soldiers that in a hospital about half-an-hour’s run from -Cologne 180 soldiers were lying disabled.</p> - -<p>The Austrian authorities have their own particular methods; they -arrange, for instance, that only a third of the convalescent soldiers -shall be allowed out at the same time. Thus, if there are three hundred -wounded in a hospital who are able to walk, only one hundred are -permitted out at the same time for fresh air and exercise.</p> - -<p>The number of blind soldiers is amazing.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span> It was one of the most -terrible sights I saw. Before Italy participated in the war the total -number of Austrian soldiers who had lost their sight was 10,000, now it -is 80,000. I was informed of this by Dr. Robert Otto Steiner, the head -of the largest hospital in Vienna, probably the largest in the world, -the Wiener Allgemeines Krankenhaus, which has 8,000 beds, and 3,000 -being occupied by men who have lost their sight.</p> - -<p>The reason for this terrible number of blind soldiers is that in the -mountains the troops cannot dig adequate trenches, and the Italian -shells burst against the mountains and send showers of rock-fragments -in all directions. It was with a mournful expression that Dr. Steiner -told me of the 70,000 Austrians blinded within six months. I asked -him what was to happen to these poor fellows after the war, and he -confessed that they presented a problem which seemed beyond the power -of any Government to solve. Whether or not a monument be erected to the -Kaiser in the Sieges-Allée, there will be throughout Europe thousands -of living<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span> monuments to his “greatness” in the shape of the blind, the -mad, and the paralysed, who will breathe curses upon the name German -Militarism that has robbed them of nearly all save life itself.</p> - -<p>In the course of my wanderings about the city I heard an amusing story -about recruiting in England. It was told me by some Austrian officers, -who were convinced that recruiting in this country had been a success. -Their explanation was that the aristocracy had obtained from the -Government an assurance that they would be retained for home service, -whereas the poor would be sent to the front. Nothing that I heard -showed a greater ignorance of the sporting instinct of the English -gentleman than this grotesque statement, and that in spite of the -ubiquitous Wolff and his wireless war news. Speaking of Wolff reminds -me of a saying among the supporters of the Allies in Constantinople -which runs: “There are lies, there are damned lies, and there are -Wolff’s wireless messages.”</p> - -<p>One night I had an interesting <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span>conversation with a captain in the -Austrian Polish Legion, whose name is in my possession, but which -in his own interest I refrain from printing. He told me several -things which showed clearly the difficulties which the Germans are -experiencing in combining their vastly varied forces. “I am with -the Austrians now,” he said, “fighting the Russians because of the -comparatively good treatment we Poles received from Austria. After the -war we are promised a Polish Republic. If, however,” he added, “it -comes to fighting for Prussia against the Russians, I for one shall -desert and join Russia.”</p> - -<p>It has been known in this country for some months that something had -gone wrong with regard to the Austrian 28th Regiment of the line, the -Prague Regiment, which consists entirely of Bohemians principally drawn -from Prague, who being Slavs hate the Germans. From this officer I -heard the story of the tragic 28th. In the National Museum in Vienna -there are several flags draped in black—they are those of this -ill-fated regiment of Bohemians. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span></p> - -<p>It was the intention of the whole of the regiment to desert to the -Russians, the plot including officers as well as rank and file. One -day, seeing before them what they took to be Russian regiments, the -soldiers threw down their arms and held up their hands in token of -surrender. But the “Russians” were Prussians! The Bohemians were -unaware that the round cap of Russia is practically the same as -that worn in the Prussian armies. The Prussian officers immediately -grasped the situation, and turned machine-guns on the defenceless men, -massacring hundreds of them. The remainder were taken prisoners, and -eventually one out of every five was shot, and of the officers one in -every three was executed. The men who remained were sent to the most -dangerous part of the front, and there are now very few left to tell -the terrible story. The flags in the National Museum are a record of -the disgrace of a regiment whose name no longer appears in the Austrian -Army List.</p> - -<p>One thing that struck me in particular<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span> was that the most popular -play in Vienna should be the English success, “Mr. Wu.” It was -advertised all over the city, beneath the title in smaller letters -appearing the words “Der Mandarin.” The original title being in heavy -letters, whilst the German title is added in smaller type, it being -evidently considered that the words “Mr. Wu” required some explanation -for Austrian eyes. I was at a loss to account for this anomaly. I -remembered having seen the play several times in London, but this did -not supply any information as to its popularity in an enemy city.</p> - -<p>One evening I went to the Neues Wiener Stadtheater, a handsome building -erected since the outbreak of war. The audience was mostly composed of -women, less than a fourth being men. The play was admirably staged, -but I missed Matheson Lang. I soon discovered the reason for its -popularity. An English business man is shown to great disadvantage -beside a Chinaman, and this seemed greatly to please the audience. At -the end of every act the curtain was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span> raised time after time and the -performers loudly applauded.</p> - -<p>To me the real tragedy of Vienna is that of the Englishmen of military -age who cannot leave the city. They are well-treated and allowed their -liberty so long as they do not leave the city, which shows how much -milder is the Austrian as compared with the German rule. They are, -however, expected to be within doors by 8 o’clock at night. Notices -have appeared in the papers to the effect that subjects of belligerent -countries are to be freely allowed to use their own language in public -places as long as they do so in a way that is not offensive. The poor -fellows are hungry for news. The last English paper they had seen was -<i>The Times</i> of September 3rd. They speak feelingly of the hated war -bread, but they admit the great improvement in its quality during the -last two months. They spoke well of the Austrian treatment, but for all -this their position is far from enviable. They are in the midst of a -hostile population, knowing nothing of what is actually happening to -their<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span> country, and eager to be in the trenches beside their fellow -countrymen.</p> - -<p>There was much talk about the Baghdad and Egyptian campaigns, and -also about the depreciation in the value of the kroner, the Austrian -standard coin, which is now worth only half its original value. -Far-seeing men among the Viennese regard this as significant.</p> - -<p>Great precautions are taken with regard to people arriving in Vienna -from Hungary. For some time past cholera and the Plague have been -raging in some parts of that country, although very little information -leaks out on account of the severity of the censorship. Occasionally, -however, news comes through that proves the situation to be far from -favourable. For months previously Hungary was the scene of the great -concentration of the German and Austrian armies for the fighting in -the Balkans. The massing of these troops in a comparatively small area -inevitably results in the spread of disease.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER III</h2> - -<p class="bold2">IN THE BALKANS</p> - -<blockquote><p>I Leave Vienna—Gay Bucharest—The Bandmaster’s Indiscretion—“<i>À -bas les allemands!</i>”—Roumania Eager for War—German Devices—An -English Cigarette—A Terrible Journey—The Spoils of War—The Wily -German—Bulgarian Poverty Under the Germans—Austrian Satisfaction -over the Serbian Victories—Compulsion in England—Bulgarian -Anxiety about the Attitude of Greece—The German Language in -Bulgaria.</p></blockquote> - -<p>At the end of about a fortnight I left Vienna, having received my -passport. I had become convinced of the uselessness of endeavouring -to travel over Serbia to Turkey, and therefore decided to go round by -way of Roumania. As a matter of fact, this was the only course open -to me. By way of Buda Pesth, where the Austrian State Railway ends, -and that of Hungary begins, I went to Brasso, the last station on -Hungarian territory. On my previous journey the frontier station had -been Pre-deal, but this being on Roumanian territory<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span> the Austrians -found that they had no power to act in the event of catching spies, -consequently they removed to Brasso. I arrived at Brasso at 5 a.m., -after a thirty hours’ journey. As the train for Bucharest did not -leave until noon, I had time to look round the delightful little town, -nestling among the Carpathian mountains.</p> - -<p>Although small, Brasso is of considerable importance at the present -moment, owing to its being the headquarters of the Austrian army -destined to act against Roumania should difficulties arise. The place -was full of soldiers, foot, horse and artillery, with guns of every -kind and calibre. The civil population seemed to have disappeared -entirely. On the surrounding mountains military manœvres were -everywhere in operation. I was told that there were 80,000 troops -concentrated at Brasso.</p> - -<p>It was at Brasso railway station that I first discovered the great -value of the War Office passport I had obtained in Vienna. Without -looking at my luggage, and scarcely glancing at my papers, the -officials<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span> allowed me to pass, and I blessed my good friend the -Hofrat. A more miserable journey I have never experienced than that to -Bucharest. All the blinds in the carriages were lowered as a military -precaution, although Roumania is not at war. This circumstance, -however, testifies to the precautions being taken by the Roumanians -against the invasion of their territory. A Roumanian gentleman -travelling in the same carriage assured me that everywhere trenches and -field-works were in course of construction.</p> - -<p>The difference between Vienna and Bucharest, “Little Paris,” as it is -called, where I arrived at seven in the evening, is most striking. -The Roumanian capital, always noted for its gaiety, is the Mecca -of pleasure lovers, and so far from the war having diminished this -spirit it seems greatly to have increased it. The population has been -considerably augmented, money is spent and wasted everywhere, cafés -and theatres do a thriving trade, and the number of motor cars and -pair-horse carriages is astonishing<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span> considering the smallness of the -city. Now that the export of wheat from Russia to the Central Empires -is no longer possible, Roumania has become the wheat market of the -Balkans. I was told that the third crop of the year had just been -harvested, and every quarter of cereals that can be produced is readily -sold. The result is that money flows everywhere like water.</p> - -<p>I look back upon my stay in Bucharest as an oasis of peace in a desert -of danger. The Roumanians are a delightful people, and the Allies -should appreciate how much they owe to the strictly neutral attitude of -Roumania in regard to the war. The Roumanian Government prevented food, -coal, or other necessities from reaching either Austria or Turkey. -Owing to the new Balkan Express, the Roumanian preventive measures do -not now possess its former significance.</p> - -<p>The Bulgarian attitude towards the Entente Powers was always a little -difficult to determine; the mass of the Bulgarian people is by no means -cordial to either <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span>Germany or Turkey. The politicians most likely -became nervous, and German gold did the rest. Nevertheless, I failed to -find any evidence of Bulgarian affection for Great Britain. The people -in general know hardly anything about this country. There is a vague -remembrance of Gladstone in the minds of the better-educated. About -Germany, however, every Bulgarian knows, thanks to the indefatigable -newspaper work, the German schools, the ubiquitous German kinematograph -exhibition, and the “peaceful penetration” by German bagmen, German -music, and other elements of German Kultur propaganda.</p> - -<p>Little Roumania occupies an extraordinary position in the war. -Surrounded by the warring nations, she herself is at peace. There is no -doubt as to her friendly feelings towards the Quadruple Entente.</p> - -<p>In Bucharest I stayed at the Hotel Frascati, where I spent four -delightful days entirely free from all anxiety. It was on the second -day of my visit that I received the first evidence of Roumania’s -attitude. In<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span> the evening I went to the Casino de Paris, where the -audience formed quite a cosmopolitan crowd. When the band played the -<i>Marseillaise</i> a party of Germans, who had evidently been dining well -rather than judiciously, expressed their feelings by whistling loudly -and making other noises. The audience, however, loudly applauded the -band, and the incident terminated.</p> - -<p>Shortly afterwards one of the thick-skinned Teutons offered the -bandmaster a 20 mark note (£1) to play <i>Die Wacht am Rhein</i>. The -bandmaster was willing to take the 20 marks, but expressed some doubt -as to whether the musicians would play the required air. Furthermore he -expressed himself as very doubtful as to the effect of the melody upon -the people assembled in the Casino. He eventually overcame alike the -compunction of his band and his own misgivings, but the orchestra had -hardly started before pandemonium broke out. “<i>À bas les Allemands!</i>” -and other cries were shouted on every side, with an occasional “<i>À bas -les bosches!</i>” and the band came to a sudden<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span> stop. The Germans left -the Casino in some haste, to the accompaniment of the hisses of the -audience.</p> - -<p>Roumania is all for the Entente Powers, and in particular she is -pro-French. Her especial hatred is for Austria, and in a superlative -degree for Hungary. One evening I went to a kinematograph exhibition -entitled “Under the Yoke of Austria-Hungary,” which depicted the -sufferings of Roumanians living under Austrian rule. At one particular -incident the audience rose to their feet and shrieked “Down with -Austria! Down with Hungary!” These demonstrations are by no means -rare, and they show very clearly the general trend of Roumanian public -opinion.</p> - -<p>The whole Roumanian army is eager for war. I reveal no secret in -stating this, for Roumania is overrun with German spies. During -my short stay I came in contact with many Roumanian officers, who -expressed themselves as very dissatisfied with the slowness of the -Entente operations. They are, however, firm believers in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span> eventual -victory of the Allies, and they assured me that no influence, no -pressure, political or otherwise, could induce them to join with -Germany. They do not appreciate quite all the difficulties with which -the Allies have to deal. Germany has been preparing for this war -for more than a generation; the Triple Entente Powers were taken by -surprise and have been greatly handicapped. This I strove to point out -to my Roumanian acquaintances, urging them to “wait and see.”</p> - -<p>I hesitate to offer advice to the British Government; but I wish in the -interests of itself and its Allies that it could be persuaded as to -the necessity—no milder word is suitable—of making known in Roumania -the magnificent work of the British Army and Navy. The instinctive -sympathy of the Roumanians is with the French and Italians; for it must -be remembered that they are a Latin people. Their newspapers publish a -great deal about the French and Italian armies. The Germans have their -own newspapers, printed in the Roumanian tongue.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span> German propaganda and -German gold are to be encountered everywhere, the chief object being to -keep Roumania neutral.</p> - -<p>A favourite device with the Germans is to exaggerate every mishap to -the Allies, magnify every success of their own into a great victory, -and above all to point out to Roumania the magnitude of the task that -the Entente Powers have undertaken. When I was in Bucharest the chief -theme of the German newspapers was the Dardanelles. Long accounts of -English defeats appeared in their journals, all lavishly illustrated. -The Roumanian is not devoid of intelligence, and he can fairly well -appraise Prussian character, and he would rather fight to the last man -than share the fate of Belgium, Serbia, or Montenegro; still he cannot -be entirely indifferent to the clever German propaganda.</p> - -<p>From the plenty, the music, and the white bread of Bucharest I set out -for Sofia. At Giugiu, the Roumanian frontier-station on the Danube, I -took the ferry across to Rustchouk, in Bulgarian territory. Here I had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span> -to spend a day and night waiting for the train. Rustchouk is a terrible -little place, ankle-deep in mud, and I looked forward with dismay to -the dreary hours I should have to spend in this awful hole. But all -things have their compensations, and I was able to glean some very -interesting information.</p> - -<p>On the Danube I noticed four Austrian monitors, which were there, I was -told, to protect the Austrian and Bulgarian cities on the river bank -against Russian attack. I also noticed with the keenest interest huge -quantities of light railway material, mostly rails and sleepers, which -were being brought down by boat and landed at the Bulgarian port on -their way to Turkey. All this material, I was told, is destined for the -campaign against Egypt.</p> - -<p>I found the Bulgarian authorities much more difficult than the -Austrian; this I remembered from my previous trip, and I had taken the -precaution of obtaining a special passport at the Bulgarian Legation -in Vienna. Even with this invaluable <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span>document in my possession -I experienced considerable difficulty, and was subjected to much -questioning before I was allowed to pass. These unpleasant and -nerve-racking interrogations were dreadful ordeals, to which I never -seemed to be able to accustom myself. Perhaps I was too imaginative, -but the consequences of a possible slip were always before me.</p> - -<p>During my first visit to Vienna in war time I had a very unpleasant -experience, showing the necessity for constant care. One day I -encountered in the streets of Vienna a young Englishman I had known -in London, who had not been interned. He gave me a cigarette, and -subsequently came to my hotel. I was promptly challenged for smoking -an English cigarette, which, coupled with the fact that I had some -acquaintance with an Englishman, resulted in my arrest, and I spent -an unpleasant day in an Austrian prison. This little incident, which -involved endless mental strain, shows how necessary it was for me to be -for ever watchful. It must be remembered that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span> my journey occupied some -seven weeks.</p> - -<p>As I slopped through the abominably muddy streets of Rustchouk, I -noticed German soldiers and non-commissioned officers everywhere; they -seemed to be in charge of everything, including the port works and all -the military buildings. I discovered that there was a serious shortage -of sugar, and I had to drink my tea and coffee without it. Milk -likewise was unobtainable, and if there is one thing in life above all -others that is necessary to me it is milk and cream. Some one once told -me that I must have been intended for a kitten.</p> - -<p>I was obliged to stay in a very dirty hotel that rejoiced in the name -of the Hotel Bristol, where the available accommodation was of the -most primitive description. The bed was so dirty that I gave it up as -a bad job, and slept in two arm-chairs. The next day I left for Sofia, -a journey which occupied twenty hours, largely owing to the shortage -of coal. I have never had a more monotonous train journey. The windows -were painted white, as the suspicious Bulgars are<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span> determined that -no one shall learn any military secrets by looking out of the train. -Imagine the monotony of sitting for twenty hours in a small compartment -without a chance of glancing out at the countryside. I had no -newspapers, no cigarettes, and no food. Nothing but the opposite side -of the carriage at which to gaze, or the whited panes of glass with -which to occupy myself, for nearly a day and a night. I passed most of -the time by sleeping in fitful snatches.</p> - -<p>At every little station where the train stopped I got out and -endeavoured to purchase food. At one place, to my great joy, I -succeeded in obtaining some stale bread and a piece of chocolate of -obviously pre-war manufacture. I did not dare to drink water for fear -of cholera, and when I eventually arrived in Sofia I was in a state of -collapse and was thankful to get to the “Splendid” Hotel, which lies in -the heart of the city.</p> - -<p>There was none of the gaiety of Bucharest about Sofia. For four days -I had forgotten war, but here it was brought once<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span> more vividly to -my mind. Swaggering German officers were everywhere; for the German -occupation is firmly established, and nearly as complete as at -Constantinople. There seemed to be no social life, dulness reigning -supreme, and I longed for the brightness and plenty of Bucharest. -Curiously enough, the most striking thing about Sofia is the Turkish -Baths, which have their place in a wonderful new building; they are -considered the finest Turkish Baths in the world.</p> - -<p>It was in Sofia that I heard another instance of German thoroughness -and subtilty. When, through the medium of Turkey the Germans were -bribing Arab chiefs to fight against the British, the gifts consisted -not only of money, jewellery and horses, but of Circassian beauties -from the Turkish harems. I had not the pleasure of seeing these ladies -who had the honour of cementing international alliances. In dealing -with the Bulgar the German is equally wily, and magnanimously hands -over to him all the tragic booty dragged from the poor<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span> Serbian homes. -Guns, munitions, rifles, household furniture and jewellery, and loot -of every possible description, from little Serbia, was to be found -everywhere in Sofia.</p> - -<p>Nor has this system of bribery been without its marked effect, for I -saw everywhere German and Bulgarian officers mixing together and having -a good time, and a good deal of sweethearting was going on between -German soldiers and Bulgarian girls.</p> - -<p>In Sofia only black bread is obtainable. Sugar was absolutely -unprocurable, coal was short, but prices were not so high as in -Constantinople. The Bulgarian people, however, are suffering the lot -which seems to follow inevitably in the wake of the German wherever he -goes—shortage of food and other supplies.</p> - -<p>I wish that I could have had with me one or two British Cabinet -Ministers; not that they might suffer any harm, or endanger their -valuable lives, but that they might have learned to appreciate the -value of the weapon which they have not yet learned how to use—the -British Navy. One of the most<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span> certain ways of shortening the war is to -bring about dissensions, not only in Germany, but among the population -of her subjugated allies—Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey—and -this can best be done by what the Germans call “Stomach Pressure.”</p> - -<p>There seems to be still a small amount of silver in circulation in -Sofia, but the Bulgars, who have always been poor, are now realising an -unprecedented degree of poverty under their German masters. If properly -emphasised this must, in my opinion, bring about eventual trouble with -the Prussian Bully, who is at present cajoling them with gifts, but -principally with promises.</p> - -<p>The conquest of Serbia has unquestionably greatly heartened the -Austrians, who are more anti-Serbian than anti-Russian. Since the war -broke out there have been periods when the Berlin taskmasters found -themselves in some difficulty as to how to maintain the enthusiasm of -their Austrian allies. Upon this I am absolutely convinced, there is -no such difficulty now. It is so many years since unhappy Austria has -had cause<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span> to celebrate a victory that the novelty of the sensation -has had a remarkably stimulating effect upon the whole country. Their -history has been a story of retreat and defeat. Prussia crushed them in -a few weeks in 1866, now they begin to regard themselves as the equals -of their overlords. In addition to their new port of Antivari on the -Adriatic, they confidently anticipate securing Venice and Northern -Serbia. For the moment they are intoxicated with victory which they -fondly imagine to be their own, but underneath there is the same hatred -of the Prussian that existed before the war.</p> - -<p>The compulsion campaign in England has aroused great interest in -Austria, and has been the cause of innumerable heated arguments in -the thousands of cafés throughout the land. The popular idea that -Englishmen fight only when they are paid to do so, with extra for -battles, has been so assiduously fostered by Berlin propagandists that -it has become almost an article of Austrian faith. It is practically -impossible for them to understand the spirit of the new<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span> British -armies, to which men have flocked from all parts of the Empire. In -Vienna, as in other places, I was solemnly assured that the rich would -stay at home and play football, or live in their castles, hunting and -enjoying themselves. Not even eighteen months of war have dispelled the -Austrian belief in English “sportkrankheit” (sport disease).</p> - -<p>The day after I arrived in Sofia, I had an interesting talk with two -Bulgarian officers who were staying in the same hotel. They told me of -the retreat of the Franco-British forces from Serbian territory into -Greece. The Bulgarian soldiers liked very much to fight the English, -for the reason that when they defeated them the booty they find is so -considerable. For instance, many of those Bulgarian farmers had never -seen or eaten chocolate in their lives, and were delighted to find, -when the English had to evacuate the camp, that they left behind them -considerable quantities of chocolate and marmalade.</p> - -<p>In particular, these Bulgarian officers<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span> were keen to know something of -the situation in Greece. As I came from a foreign country they thought -I should be able to tell them much about what Greece was going to do. -After talking with them for a little while I got the impression that -they seemed to fear the participation of Greece in the war. They do -not like the Greeks; in fact, they hate them. There have always been -quarrels between these two countries; but, at the same time, these -Bulgarians were not particularly keen to fight the Greeks just then. -When I asked the reason why, they told me that a great part of the army -had to be ready for eventualities against Roumania and Russia, and that -the rest would not be sufficient to meet the Grecian army with any -chance of success, reinforced as it could be by a large Franco-British -army. I thought to myself, if only the leading Greek statesmen with -their pro-German king could hear this, what a fine opportunity it would -be for Greece to settle her old quarrels with Bulgaria.</p> - -<p>One thing struck me very much, that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span> wherever the Germans go a shortage -of food and other things seems to follow on their heels. When I had -visited Bulgaria eight months previously, there was not what one would -call an abundance of food, but there was enough to keep people going. -As soon as the Germans got the Bulgarians to march with them the -scarcity of food began. The first Sugar Ticket had just been issued -when I entered Bulgaria, and I dare say other tickets will soon follow. -People, particularly women, were worrying the officials as to where -these tickets were available, and shouts of all kinds showed abundantly -that the people were very little pleased with the new regulations. -The financial situation as well seems to be hopeless. There is paper -money everywhere. Of silver there is very little, and gold of course is -unknown.</p> - -<p>It is a remarkable thing that of all the Balkan countries Bulgaria -is the only one where the German language is known to any extent. -They call themselves proudly “Little Germany,” but to the honour of -the Bulgarians I must say there is a marked <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span>difference between the -Bulgarian and the German. He is not brutal, very simple, and extremely -polite, three things of which no German can be accused. The officers go -about with the soldiers in the same way as the French. They are very -simple and unassuming. I saw in the train a Bulgarian captain produce -from his pocket a piece of sausage and start eating it sitting before -us, a thing a German officer would never do.</p> - -<p>In most schools previous to the war French was the first language -taught; now they all start with German. All the same, fifty per cent. -of the Bulgarian officers I saw and spoke with completely ignored the -German language, and the only language in which we could make each -other understood was French.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER IV</h2> - -<p class="bold2">CONSTANTINOPLE</p> - -<blockquote><p>I Leave Sofia—A Valuable Document—The Change in Adrianople—The -Bulgars in Possession—The Turk Determined to Fight—I Adopt the -Fez—War Pressure—The Fate of Enemy Subjects—A Way They Have in -Turkey—The Financial Situation—Enver Goes to Berlin—A Turkish -Girl Clerk—A Quick Change—A City of Darkness.</p></blockquote> - -<p>I stayed only a few days in Sofia, and soon continued my journey to -Constantinople. The train left about two in the morning, but as we -were told on the afternoon previous that the train would leave at 11 -p.m. that night, we, my fellow passengers and I, were all there at the -railway station at 10 o’clock, and had to wait four hours in a nasty, -dirty-looking waiting room, filled with German soldiers and Bulgarian -soldiers and officers. It was uncomfortably warm in the room. Most of -the Germans were playing cards, and I was longing to get out into the -fresh air, but no one was allowed on to the platform. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span></p> - -<p>My <i>laissez passer</i> from the Bulgarian Minister at Vienna again proved -invaluable, and I found out to my great satisfaction that this paper -would serve me in many ways. As soon as I showed it to the Bulgarian -Commandant I was allowed on the platform. There I found myself, the -special correspondent of an English newspaper, allowed more privileges -than even German civil travellers—a thing that made me smile. Most of -the German soldiers were on the way to Constantinople and Asia Minor, -and some of them told me that they had not seen their homes since the -beginning of the war. They were not complaining, however, as they -seemed to be convinced that the victory would be theirs. They were -well-clothed, and looked well-fed also, and I did not notice any old -Landsturm men. We in this country are too often inclined to believe -that the German man supply is exhausted. The men they send to the -Balkans, however, have by no means the appearance of being the last of -the bunch; in fact, no one<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span> could wish for better soldiers, every one -of them being of excellent physique.</p> - -<p>When I eventually left Sofia I was faced with a journey of twenty-four -hours, once more with carriage windows painted white; but this time -I had the good fortune to secure sleeping-car accommodation, and I -promptly turned in; there was nothing else to do. We were four in a -sleeping-car compartment. The man opposite to me was a German merchant -on his way to Asia Minor to buy wool, which, as is well known, is one -of the great products of Turkey. He seemed very tired, and did not -respond at all well to my efforts to engage him in conversation. Soon -he was snoring with such earnestness that I had considerable difficulty -in getting to sleep myself.</p> - -<p>The next morning we arrived at Adrianople. What a change from the -Adrianople I had seen eight months before! There were no Turkish -soldiers, no Turkish flags, no Turkish lettering at the station. -Bulgarian soldiers were guarding the line, Bulgarian flags were flying -from the railway station,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span> and Bulgarian letters indicated the name of -the place.</p> - -<p>During the last few years the Holy City of the Turks has experienced -many vicissitudes. In the first Balkan War it was captured by the -Bulgars, aided by the Serbs. When difficulties arose between the -various members of the Balkan League, owing to the treacherous conduct -of Bulgaria, the Turks retook the town, but their reign was short, and -now they have surrendered it once more to the Bulgars. There was not a -single Turkish soldier to be seen at the railway station, and, to add -to the irony of the situation, the Turks have almost completed a fine -new railway station, which I suppose the Bulgars will presently take -over, allowing a minimum sum as compensation.</p> - -<p>As soon as my train drew up at Adrianople, German soldiers rushed into -the different carriages to ask for German newspapers. While I was in -Constantinople I found that the only paper printed in <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span>English that was -allowed to be sold was <i>The Continental Times</i>, a German propagandist -journal with a very obvious purpose.</p> - -<p>It should interest English readers to know that everywhere the Turks -regard themselves as fighting for their very existence. Such being -the case, the Allies must not deceive themselves as to the desperate -character of the resistance which the Turks will continue to offer. All -are convinced that war with the Allies was inevitable, for the reason -that Constantinople had been promised to Russia. A Turkish deputy -“friend” of mine was never tired of harping on this note.</p> - -<p>At Lule Burgas there were further interrogations, and once more I -had to go through the ordeal of cross-examination, but thanks to the -personal letter I carried from the Turkish Ambassador in Vienna to -Halil Bey, the Turkish Minister for Foreign Affairs, my difficulties -were soon over. In fact, the officials were very polite, and wished me -a good journey.</p> - -<p>Not only has Adrianople become merged<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span> in Bulgarian territory, but Lule -Burgas, the station beyond, has also passed into the possession of the -Bulgars. It was not until I was past Lule Burgas that I met the first -Turkish soldiers.</p> - -<p>The impression I got of Turkey in Europe was that of a poor and -monotonous country; nowhere did I discover anyone cultivating the -soil, and, with the exception of the miserable little villages that -we passed, it was quite possible to imagine oneself in an uninhabited -country.</p> - -<p>It was one o’clock in the morning when I reached Stamboul, the Turkish -part of Constantinople. I went direct to the Pera Palace Hotel, being -conveyed in an old carriage, the only one I found available. Not a -light of any description was to be seen, the town being in utter -darkness. The Pera Palace Hotel is well known to many Englishmen -as being the only good hotel in the place. It is now more than -ever expensive, prices having been greatly increased. I could live -cheaper at the Ritz Hotel in London than in the Pera Palace Hotel in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span> -Constantinople. After a few hours’ sleep, I set out upon an exploration -of the city, which I knew from my previous visit. What a change!</p> - -<p>My first precaution was to adopt the fez as a head covering. When in -Rome do as Rome does, is an excellent maxim, more particularly so in -war time. Over and over again I had noticed that some sort of uniform -is the best means of facilitating travel in a country occupied by -soldiery. In Constantinople the fez is almost an introduction. But of -the changes I noticed: bad food, bread-tickets, or rather bread-books, -the bread itself practically uneatable, the hotel swarming with German -officers grumbling bitterly at the fare, and all talking bombastically -of Egypt.</p> - -<p>In Constantinople one realises the war pressure better than in any -other of the great capitals in the war zone that I have visited. The -dearth of the necessaries of life has become alarming. None the less -the Germans who swarm the streets, the Government offices, and the -railway trains see<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span> to it that they themselves are well fed and well -provided with every requisite. The more I saw of the German side of -the war, the more I realised that the care and attention of the entire -German people is being concentrated on the Army, that, while all the -other Government offices in Constantinople were shabby, as they have -always been, while electric light and gas light exist no longer, the -German-controlled War Office had been entirely redecorated inside and -out, and looks as spick and span as if it were in reality Prussian.</p> - -<p>The defenceless subjects of the nations at present fighting the Turks -who are still in Constantinople have to suffer many indignities. It is -disheartening to describe. To my great satisfaction I found that nearly -all the English colony had left before hostilities broke out, but many -French and Belgians remained, also a number of Russians, who for some -reason or other stayed behind. They are in a deplorable condition. -Many of these people before the war belonged to the wealthy classes, -but at present<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span> they are poor and dependent. One Belgian with whom I -had become acquainted on my first visit, a very reliable and honest -business man, told me many interesting things.</p> - -<p>When war broke out he was living with his wife and three children on -the Asia Minor coast, the other side of the Bosphorus, which must be -considered a suburb of Constantinople. Nearly every business man has -only his office in Constantinople, ninety per cent. of them living on -the Asia Minor coast, which is far more healthy, clean, and agreeable. -This Belgian possessed, besides the house in which he was living, four -other houses, and a farm some 20 miles inland. He was the owner of -a motor car, three carriages, two motor boats, and a number of cows -and horses. The houses he owned were requisitioned by the Turkish -Government for hospital purposes, and they used them for the worst -cases, such as cholera, the Plague, and other dreadful diseases.</p> - -<p>My Belgian friend was compelled to leave<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span> the house in which he was -living, and seek refuge in a hotel in Constantinople. His own house -was stripped, everything being taken away; his beautiful collection of -rifles, pistols, pictures and furniture was stolen by the soldiers. His -horses, cows, and in fact everything he had was taken away, and not -even a requisition-bond handed to him. The Turks even appropriated his -balance at the bank.</p> - -<p>In stripping a man of his possessions, the Turk shows a thoroughness -that would make a German green with envy. The Belgian has become a poor -man who can hardly find food for his children. If it were not for some -subjects of neutral countries, who had known him before the war, he and -his family would be actually starving. The American Ambassador, Mr. -Morgenthau, to whom was entrusted the care of these people, does not -seem to be able to render them much assistance. Not only the Belgian -of whom I have just spoken, but many others, complained to me that -whenever they went to the American Embassy when something had been -stolen<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span> from them by the Turks, they were put off with the assurance -that nothing could possibly be done for them.</p> - -<p>In all probability the French and British warship commanders -were unaware of the Turkish method of dealing with the question -of compensating the Faithful whose property had been damaged by -bombardment. Whenever a house belonging to a Turk had been demolished -by the French or British shells the property of one of the subjects -of the enemy countries then living in Turkey was confiscated, and the -owner with his family sent to the interior of Asia Minor. All his -belongings were handed over to the Turk whose property had suffered -through the bombardment.</p> - -<p>The financial situation in Turkey is of an alarming nature, I found to -my great delight. I myself had never been a real enemy of the Turks. I -considered them a simple, good-hearted race, and in many ways superior -to the inhabitants of the surrounding countries. What I found out -during my last visit has, however, entirely changed my<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span> opinion. In -many desirable ways they can claim the honour of equalling their German -masters, but in cruelty, barbarism, and utter unscrupulousness they -now excel even the Germans. No! I am no longer a friend of the Turks. -Especially am I no friend of their Government.</p> - -<p>When eight months previously I was in Turkey, I was astonished at the -amount of gold that was in circulation. I had always heard that Turkey -was such a poor country, and I was greatly surprised, when I entered -a bank for the purpose of changing Austrian bank-notes, to find that -I could get as much gold in exchange as I wanted, and I was puzzled, -especially as that gold looked suspiciously new. I afterwards found -that it was part of the gold that Germany had lent, or given, to her -Turkish friend to get her to participate in the war. Gold had also been -given for the purpose of paying requisitions, which were many, for the -Turks as a result of the Balkan War had exhausted nearly all their war -material. I found out that many of those requisitions had, <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span>however, -not been paid. In fact, of the new war requisitions not one had been -paid, most of the gold having been peculated by the Turkish officials -in high places. The result was a bitter quarrel with the Germans, -which, however, had been kept secret.</p> - -<p>For obvious reasons the Germans refused to send any more gold—they had -none themselves. Some months ago Enver Pasha went to Berlin to try and -settle the affair, and his mission seems to have been successful.</p> - -<p>On this visit to Constantinople I found the financial situation -was critical. All the gold had disappeared, and, what is even more -significant, silver was hardly to be obtained either. This is due to -the fact that the new Treasury bonds recently issued by the Turkish -Government are refused in the interior of Turkey, which is where the -farms are situated. The Anatolian farmers promptly refused to accept -paper money in exchange for their products, and the Turkish merchants, -in order to purchase the harvest, etc., were compelled to pay the -farmers in silver money. The result is that there is<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span> hardly any silver -left in Constantinople, but there is any amount of it circulating in -the interior of Asia Minor.</p> - -<p>The shortage of currency has paralysed the Turkish trade, and therefore -the Government had to think of something. Just a few days before I left -Constantinople I witnessed the appearance of the funniest paper money -I have ever seen. Just imagine the situation. In Turkey, on £1 notes -(the original value of a £1 note is about 17s. or 18s.), even at the -Government offices or State Railways, one has to lose about ten per -cent. in exchange. To meet the shortage of currency the Turks decided -it would be legal to cut a £1 note in half, so when I took my meal one -day in the Tokatlian Restaurant, in the Pera Street, I received my -change in this new fashion. It was a very odd sight to see a man get -his knife out of his pocket and cut the bank-note in half.</p> - -<p>It has always been my desire to see a Turkish woman face to face, -unveiled, of course. They seem so mysterious with their covered -faces, and one imagines them much<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span> nicer than they really are, on -account of the mysterious way in which they go about. On my previous -visit I had not succeeded in seeing one; this time I was more lucky. -One day I entered the post-office in Stamboul, where no Europeans -live, and went to the Poste Restante box to find if there were any -letters for me. A young girl was answering my questions, and she -was a pretty Oriental-looking creature. At first I took her for one -of the innumerable Jewish or Grecian girls who are to be found in -Constantinople. She spoke the French language very well, and after -I had spoken for a few minutes I asked her if she were Grecian or -Armenian. She answered me at once, “No, I am a Mussulman girl.” “What!” -I exclaimed, “are you Turkish, <i>real</i> Turkish?” “Yes, I am,” she said, -and then went on to tell me that during the last fortnight a few -Mahommedan young girls had entered the Government service, and she told -me that others were to follow. If all Turkish women are as charming as -she<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span> was, then a harem must be far more interesting than I thought it -could be.</p> - -<p>Several times I had noticed black Turkish troops passing me in the -streets, men of the typical African negro type, and I could not -understand from what part of Turkey they had come. I soon found out, -however, that they were not Turks at all, but French native soldiers -who had been taken prisoners during the Gallipoli campaign. These -soldiers, being Mahommedans, were soon turned into Turkish soldiers. -The Turks treated them well, put them into Turkish uniforms, and now -they fight against the French!</p> - -<p>Tall and well-dressed German soldiers were on duty everywhere. A -lot has been written about old men, belonging to the Landsturm, and -boys, being taken prisoners on the Western front, but the Germans -are not sending this class of men to the Near East. Their army in -Constantinople consists of really first-class troops. It has been -stated by the Salonika correspondent of <i>The Times</i> that there are -50,000 troops in <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span>Constantinople. That number may have passed through -the city. In my opinion, arrived at after careful calculation, the -number of German soldiers actually in Constantinople may be put down at -about 10,000.</p> - -<p>When I was in Constantinople eight months previously there was -comparative gaiety in the city. It is extraordinary to see the -difference that has been made by the absence of electricity and gas. -It has at once closed theatres, cafés, kinemas, and all other places -of amusement. Nearly all the shops are closed. With the cutting off of -the coal supply the whole life of the city has thus been destroyed. In -London there is at least some light, but in Constantinople the only -means of getting about at night is by the aid of electric torches, the -very smallest of which cost me 8s.</p> - -<p>The condition of affairs in the city approached famine; the electric -tramway service, as far as the public is concerned, has practically -come to a standstill. I took careful note of the prices of necessaries; -sugar is 5s. a pound, coffee 6s. a pound, and <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span>cigarettes have been -advanced by 40 per cent. Anyone who knows Turkey will understand -what this means for a people that smokes practically all day long. -Matches are 3d. a box. The stock of paraffin oil has been exhausted, -likewise that of chocolate, and all cheese, save the horrible Turkish -variety, is no longer procurable. Mutton has advanced 40 per cent. in -price and beef is not to be had. The small Turkish eggs, which used -to cost one farthing each eight months ago, are now twopence each. -Soap is ridiculously expensive, but the Turk does not suffer much in -consequence! There is very little rice, but fish, of course, is as -plentiful as ever, thanks to the unique situation of Constantinople.</p> - -<p>Despite all these difficulties and inconveniences, the German -War-Machine seems to move with its customary precision. If the Turkish -citizen goes short of food the German private soldier gets his full -ration every day. This is as it should be, according to the German view.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER V</h2> - -<p class="bold2">I INTERVIEW ENVER PASHA</p> - -<blockquote><p>Germanising the Turkish War Office—Halil Bey—Wireless -Disguised as a Circus—Enver Pasha Receives Me—The Turkish -Napoleon—Something of a Dandy—“If the English Had Only Had the -Courage”—“To Egypt!”—Turkey’s Debt to Great Britain—Affairs -Before Manners—A German Tribute to British Troops—Their Designs -in the Suez Canal—German War Plans—Where to Kill Germans—The -Baghdad Expedition—German Officers in Mufti.</p></blockquote> - -<p>The principal object of my visit to Constantinople was to find out from -the Turks what were the German plans. I determined to take the bull -by the horns, and accordingly called at the Turkish Foreign office -to see Halil Bey, the Foreign Minister. It must be remembered that I -was in possession of a personal introduction to him from the Turkish -Ambassador in Vienna. After four unsuccessful attempts, I succeeded -in seeing him by reason of my credentials, which have enabled me to -gather so much valuable information. The Foreign Office,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span> like every -other Government department, is infested with Germans. Halil Bey, who -received me courteously, is a prosperous-looking Turk, who might be -described as fat. He was frankly pro-German.</p> - -<p>“What we Turks need,” he remarked, “is German business initiative. We -do not possess it yet. Look what Germany did for Roumania; she has -reorganised her and set her on her feet. Roumania is now rich and -prosperous, and full of enterprise. The Germans are with us only for -the duration of the war,” he added, “and they will help Turkey to -become a wealthy nation. See what they are doing for us in Anatolia. -There we have 200 German non-commissioned officers teaching the people -modern farming.”</p> - -<p>I decided that Halil Bey was an optimist, and a very poor student of -history. Also an equally bad judge of German character.</p> - -<p>My object in seeking out Halil Bey, however, was not so much to obtain -his own opinions, as to get an introduction to Enver<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span> Pasha. I pressed -the Foreign Minister very hard.</p> - -<p>“It is my desire,” I said, “to have a few words with the Napoleon of -the Balkans.”</p> - -<p>“That,” he replied, “is very difficult. Twenty or thirty Austrian and -German journalists have been here, but the Minister of War has been so -occupied that he has been unable to see any of them; but I will try,” -he added, and taking up the telephone he called up the War Minister, -and had some laughing conversation with him in Turkish, the nature of -which I did not understand. So far as I was concerned, it was obviously -satisfactory, and I was told to go to the War Office on the following -morning, when Enver Pasha would grant me an audience.</p> - -<p>The Turkish War Office stands on the top of a hill in the very heart of -Stamboul, the native quarter of the city. It is a huge squat building -surrounded by a railing some five yards high. The hill commands a -magnificent view of Stamboul and the Sea of Marmora; but to a poor -and over-tired <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span>journalist, unable to procure a carriage, who has for -half-an-hour toiled laboriously up the hill to reach his goal, the -glories of nature are somewhat discounted.</p> - -<p>During my previous visit to Constantinople I had made the acquaintance -of the War Office, then sadly dirty and neglected and typically -Turkish in appearance. Now everything was so changed as to be scarcely -recognisable. Inside and out it had been redecorated. It was obviously -the intention of the Germans that, however neglected the other Turkish -Government buildings might be, the War Office was to be a place that -would impress itself upon the imagination.</p> - -<p>Again I was struck by the number of German officers to be seen, albeit -in Turkish uniforms for the most part. They were to be seen everywhere, -and clearly the entire direction of affairs was in their hands.</p> - -<p>On my arrival I was ushered into an anteroom, where I spent a few -minutes in conversation with Enver’s German <i>aide-de-camp</i>.</p> - -<p>As we sat chatting together I recalled an<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span> incident that occurred -during my previous visit to the Turkish War Office in May, 1915. -Through one of the windows I had noticed a huge mast belonging to the -great wireless station of Osmanli.</p> - -<p>“What do you think of it?” inquired a German lieutenant with whom I had -been conversing. “With that wireless station we can communicate with -Berlin.”</p> - -<p>I doubted this at the time, but I have since discovered that the -statement was quite correct. I inquired if it were the wireless from -the <i>Goeben</i>, deliberately assuming innocence in order to stimulate the -German to further disclosure.</p> - -<p>“Oh, no,” was the reply, “ships do not carry masts of that size. This -one came from Germany.”</p> - -<p>“From Germany!” I exclaimed. “But surely Roumania would not allow to -pass a wireless apparatus. That would be a violation of neutrality.”</p> - -<p>The officer smiled, a German smile, a smile of superior knowledge. -“Well,” he replied, “as a matter of fact it was not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span> passed as a -wireless apparatus, but I will explain to you the little device that we -used to get it there. We had to think out some plan, as we badly needed -a strong apparatus, so we got it here as a circus!”</p> - -<p>I laughed outright, but my companion did not appear to see anything -funny in the incident. It seemed to strike him as clever rather than -humorous—he was a typical German. Humour does not exist where the -needs of the Fatherland are concerned.</p> - -<p>Presently an electric bell rang, summoning the <i>aide-de-camp</i>, who -conducted me into the War Minister’s presence. My first impression of -Enver Pasha was that he was on very good terms with himself. He is a -small man, standing perhaps some five feet five inches, with coal-black -eyes, black moustache, and generally rather handsome features. He is -about thirty-five years of age, but looks younger, and has obviously -taken great care of himself. On his face was a pleased, contented -expression that never for one moment left it. I could not say whether -this was habitual or whether it was assumed<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span> for my special benefit. He -was well-dressed and well-groomed, with something of the dandy about -him; low down on the left breast he wore the Iron Cross of the First -Class. He spoke German perfectly, Halil speaks only French.</p> - -<p>Enver smiled as he shook hands with me, not only at my fez, but at -my card which was printed in Turkish characters. There was a merry -twinkle in his eye, and he had an extremely easy manner. It is said -that he models himself, not upon the Great War Lord but upon Napoleon, -even to the extent of riding a white charger. The general impression -in Constantinople was that he has no little conceit of himself. Never -for one moment did he allow me to forget that he was graciously giving -me some of his valuable time. His first act was to produce a big gold -cigarette case, from which he invited me to take a cigarette, having -first carefully selected one himself. He then leaned back comfortably -in his arm-chair and awaited my questions.</p> - -<p>To make him talk I asked whether it was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span> true that Great Britain was -prepared to make a separate peace with Turkey, and, if so, what would -be the result of such overtures.</p> - -<p>“It is too late,” he replied, smiling. “They may have had that design, -and it might have succeeded; but we learn that the Entente”—or as he -called them jocularly the mal-Entente—“Powers have designs to hand -over Constantinople to Russia, and that compelled us to remain with the -Central Powers.”</p> - -<p>Referring to the Gallipoli campaign, he said: “If the English had only -had the courage to rush more ships through the Dardanelles they would -have got to Constantinople, but their delay enabled us thoroughly to -fortify the Peninsula, and in six weeks’ time we had taken down there -over two hundred Austrian Skoda guns.</p> - -<p>“But,” he continued, “even had the British ships got to Constantinople -it would not have availed them very much. Our plan was to retire our -army to the surrounding hills and to Asia Minor and leave the city<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span> at -their mercy. They would not have destroyed it, and the result would -have been simply an <i>impasse</i>. With the Germans we can strike at the -British Empire through the Suez Canal. Our motto is, ‘To Egypt!’”</p> - -<p>I told him that in my country we found it extremely difficult to -realise that Turkey was actually at war with England and France, seeing -that but for the efforts of these two countries Turkey would long since -have ceased to exist as a separate kingdom in Europe.</p> - -<p>“That is quite correct (sie haben recht),” he replied without pausing -to think. But in the same breath he murmured, “Whatever England did -for Turkey was not dictated out of love, but rather from consideration -for her own interests. England feared the competition of Russia in the -Mediterranean.”</p> - -<p>I was a little suspicious of Enver’s complacent attitude, but I believe -he was sincere in what he said to me. I watched him very carefully when -he told me that the sacrifice of a few more ships would have got<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span> the -English to Constantinople, and I am convinced that this is his firm -opinion. I could not help thinking of the pity of it all, and that -200,000 casualties might have been saved by a little more enterprise. I -learned that this opinion was general in Constantinople, even in high -diplomatic quarters.</p> - -<p>At the end of ten minutes Enver rose and remarked: “You must excuse -me now, I am busy.” He shook hands with me and abruptly left the -room. I was a little surprised at this, but concluded that in his -many responsibilities he had never had the leisure in which to study -manners, and the courtesy due even to a journalist. Had I been English -I could better have understood his attitude; for, some years ago, he -visited England, where he did not receive the attention he expected. -The result was that he returned to Constantinople strongly anti-British.</p> - -<p>Enver’s view as to the possibility of Great Britain forcing the -Dardanelles, had they shown a little more vigour and indifference<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span> to -the loss of a few ships, I found echoed by the German officers whom I -met both at the Pera Palace and the Continental Hotel, where I stayed -on my return from Asia Minor, only in their case it was more vehemently -expressed. The Turks have no real dislike for the English and none -for the French, although all French words have been removed from the -shop-signs in Constantinople.</p> - -<p>German officers, however, were very free in expressing their loathing -of the British, though full of admiration for the fighting capacity -of their soldiers. On every hand I heard the remark that they wished -they had British, Australian and Canadian Tommies to command. The -general view expressed in Constantinople is to the effect that the -united German-Turkish army will destroy the Suez Canal from one end to -the other, if necessary, filling it up with its ancient sand and thus -render it impassable.</p> - -<p>“But if you do that,” I remarked to more than one of them, “the British -will merely<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span> return to their old route to India <i>via</i> the Cape of Good -Hope.”</p> - -<p>Never once did they vouchsafe an answer to this. The German has an -extraordinary capacity for seeing no further than his particular goal. -He is a creature of cries “To Paris!” “To Calais!” “To Warsaw!” “To -Egypt!”; and when he finds himself baulked he forgets his object, just -as a child forgets a toy when something more interesting presents -itself.</p> - -<p>One and all, however, admitted that there was no chance of the Germans -getting to Paris. Their contention was—and it must be remembered that -many of them had been fighting in the West—that they had effectually -walled off the English and French armies and rendered them to all -intents and purposes impotent, thus enabling themselves together with -their allies—Austrian, Turkish, Bulgarian, and Arabian—to operate -freely on the Eastern front.</p> - -<p>As I have said, my instructions were to find out what were the German -plans in the East. With this object I mingled freely<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span> with as many -Germans and Turks as possible. I lost no opportunity of entering into -conversation with anyone who showed the least inclination to converse. -Fortunately I speak French perfectly, and German almost as well. French -enabled me to talk to the Turks, and my German permitted me to “get -close,” as the Americans say, not only to the German soldiers, but to -officers and civilians, who are stationed at, or are passing through, -Constantinople on their way to Asia Minor.</p> - -<p>It appears to be part of the German economic plan to turn Turkey into a -great German dependency, and to force the Turk to cultivate the soil, -which in some places is the richest in the world. The true humour of -the situation will develop when the Turk discovers what he has let -himself in for. As to the German military plans, they are, so far as I -could gather, three in number. My own view is that they will attempt -the whole three simultaneously, and then allow them to develop as -fortune may decide. These plans are (1) the Baghdad-Persia-India plan; -(2) the Caucasus plan, with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span> which to tackle the Russians; (3) Egypt -and the Suez Canal plan.</p> - -<p>One afternoon a German said to me, “If the English and French only -knew, the proper place to kill Germans is between Nieuport in Belgium -and Mülhausen in Alsace; but owing to their inferior staff work, lack -of munitions, fear of our guns, gas, mines, and machine-guns, they -leave us comparatively quiet in the Western theatre, and enable us to -menace the line of communication to India and the ridiculous Townshend -Expedition, which will never get to Baghdad.”</p> - -<p>There is among the German officers a general contempt for the English -and French, particularly the English, staff work. At the Sachim Pasha -Hotel in Stamboul I encountered a pleasant old Turk who spoke French -extremely well. He was the Vali of Baghdad (a sort of Justice of the -Peace, I believe), who had come to report to the Germans the condition -of the English and Turkish forces. What he said was practically a -repetition of what Enver had said to me a few days previously about -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span>Gallipoli: “We were very alarmed when we heard they were coming,” he -remarked, “for our defences were in a bad condition, and we had nothing -but a few old guns. Our spies, however told us that General Townshend’s -force was a small one, and we therefore took courage and held the -English in check until we could get our reinforcements; now, thanks to -Allah, they will never reach our holy city, their relief force is too -late.”</p> - -<p>It is not for me to offer advice to the British Government. As I have -said, I love the country just as I hate the Germans, but I wish the -British Ministers could appreciate how often the term “too late,” in -connection with the operations of the Allies, has cropped up during -this journey of mine.</p> - -<p>The German authorities in Constantinople were urged by the people at -Baghdad to send every available man there, whereas the immediate wish -of the Turks is to get to the Suez Canal and so regain their fair -province of Egypt and the Nile. Turkish sentiment combined with German -hatred of England may probably precipitate the immediate <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span>advance on -the Canal. I have been told frequently since my return to England that -this is impossible, that it is only “bluff.” I remember the same things -being said when Enver Pasha announced, months ago, that the Germans -were coming to relieve Constantinople. My own opinion—which, of -course, may be worth nothing, but it is formed as the result of talking -to scores of Turks and Germans in Constantinople and Asia Minor—is -that unless there be great combined efforts in France by the British -and French, and in the Caucasus by the Russians, the Germans and Turks -may achieve one—at least one—of their three objects, possibly two, -perhaps all three even. The determining factors are the pressure by the -hated British Navy and greater activity in France, Belgium, and Russia.</p> - -<p>At four o’clock every afternoon the German officers, who are constantly -arriving from Berlin at the Pera Palace Hotel to receive their -instructions, remove their military clothes and appear in mufti. Here -again we have evidence of German subtlety.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span> No man in the world loves -his uniform as does the German officer, but, as one waggish Bavarian -lieutenant said to me, “We must not give the Turks the impression that -we are a flight of German locusts. We do not want the Galata Bridge to -look like Unter den Linden all the time, so as soon as we have finished -our duty we go about as civilians.” They are wise. Constantinople -already looks quite German enough; that is, to Turkish eyes. There -are German newspapers printed in the city, there are the crews of the -<i>Goeben</i> and <i>Breslau</i> wearing the Turkish fez, and of the submarines, -and swarms of miscellaneous Germans, all with their particular object -in view. These facts in themselves are enough to cause misgiving in the -heart of the most pronouncedly pro-German Turk. My own impression is -that whatever may be the result of the war the Germans are getting such -a hold on the Near East that it will be next to impossible to drive -them out. Money is scarce in Germany, but the Germans seem to have -plenty to spend in Turkey and Asia Minor.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER VI</h2> - -<p class="bold2">I VISIT ASIA MINOR</p> - -<blockquote><p>A Remarkable Railway Station—I Leave for Konia—The Anatolian -Railway—How to Get to Baghdad—Elaborate Instructions—Necessity -for Caution—English and French Prisoners—Instructing the Turk -in the Arts of Peace—A Noisy Sleeper—Hamburg’s Hatred of Great -Britain—Sops to Austria and Turkey—Field-Marshal Von der -Goltz—I Return to Constantinople.</p></blockquote> - -<p>After I had been nine days in Constantinople I determined to undertake -what I clearly saw would be the most dangerous portion of my journey. -At that time I did not anticipate encountering the Kaiser and his -detective bodyguard at Nish.</p> - -<p>I knew that for ordinary civil travellers the Anatolian Railway is -closed, because the whole of Asia Minor is what we call here in “the -War Zone.” After my interview with Enver Pasha, however, I thought -it would not be so difficult to get permission to travel into the -interior of Turkey, and in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span> fact, after two days’ ceaseless effort -and many hours spent in ante-rooms, I was lucky enough to secure the -so much-desired permission. It was stated on my passport in Turkish -characters, under the stamp of the Turkish War Office, that I was to be -allowed to travel in the military zone—in other words, that I could go -into Asia Minor.</p> - -<p>I took the ferry boat across the Bosphorus to the Haidar Pasha railway -station, a palatial edifice, the starting place for all the great -German ventures in the East. It has been built quite recently by a -German company, and stands there as a monument of the enterprise and -ability of that astonishing nation. Haidar Pasha itself is a mere -village on the Sea of Marmora, and the station stands out in one of the -most beautiful positions of its kind in the world. The heart of every -patriotic Teuton thrills as he struts about the great hall, and reads -the various notices in his native tongue.</p> - -<p>The rest of the world has a good deal to learn from the German -railway station, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span> this one at Haidar Pasha is an object-lesson in -cleanliness to the Turks. The surrounding country looks poor, all the -houses are small and ill-kept, and the more one looks at the beautiful -station the more obvious is its contrast with its surroundings. It -must be remembered that every Turkish or German soldier going to the -Caucasus, Mesopotamian, or Egyptian front will have to pass through the -station of Haidar Pasha, the terminus of the Anatolian, and in fact all -the Turkish railways in Asia.</p> - -<p>My dark complexion, coupled with my habitual wearing of the fez, caused -me to attract less attention than would otherwise have been the case. -I had fortunately struck up a slight acquaintance with Enver Pasha’s -German <i>aide-de-camp</i>, and he most kindly obliged me with official -directions of how to get to Baghdad, where to stop, what to pay at the -so-called hotels, and so forth. I can only hope, for his own peace of -mind, that he never reads this book.</p> - -<p>This list of instructions is a typical example of German thoroughness, -and is printed<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span> in French because, although Germans now swarm in Turkey -and Asia Minor, the only language possible for a visiting traveller in -out of the way places is French—that is, provided he does not know -Turkish.</p> - -<p>I regard the document as of such interest that I reproduce it below, -together with a translation.</p> - -<blockquote><p class="center"><span class="smcap">Bulletin des renseignements</span></p> - -<p class="center">sur le voyage de Haidar-Pacha à Rees-el-Ain.</p> - -<p>1. Départ de Haidar-Pacha, arrivée le soir à Eski-Chehir; Hôtel -Tadia (Mme. Tadia).</p> - -<p>2. Départ d’Eski-Chehir, arrivée à Konia; Hôtel de la Gare -construit par la Société (Mme. Soulié).</p> - -<p>3. Départ de Konia, arrivée à Bozanti. Il n’y a à Bozanti qu’un -simple han.</p> - -<p>4. Trajet en voiture de Bozanti à Tarsus, 70 kilom. en 10 à 12 -heures sur bonne chaussée. Les voitures doivent être commandées -d’avance au Handji de Bozanti ou à Tarsus, si l’on veut poursuivre -le voyage sans arrêt à Bozanti. Prix des voitures, de Ltqs 2 -à 5 suivant les circonstances. Entre Bozanti et Tarsus il y a -plusieurs Khans où l’on peut à la rigueur passer la nuit: Sary -Cheih, Mezarolouk, Yéni-Han. Il se recommande d’emmener son lit -de camp et de se pourvoir d’approvisionnements et de boissons -suffisants.</p> - -<p>5. Tarsus, environ ¾ d’heure avant d’y arriver on<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span> traverse la -ligne du M.T.A. à la Halte de Kulek-Bognaz; à Tarsus 3 hôtels: -Sérai Hotelli, Osmanli, et Stamboul (10 p. par lit), en outre -restaurant “Bélédie.”</p> - -<p>6. Départ de Tarsus, arrivée à Mamouré. Mamouré n’est qu’une -station d’étape militaire. Aucun hôtel ni han. Les voyageurs qui -n’ont pas de tente à leur disposition peuvent passer la nuit -chez de simples cafedjis, où ils trouvent quelques vivres, mais -où ils ne peuvent obtenir de lits. Il est donc préférable pour -les voyageurs non munis de tente et de lit de camp de s’arrêter -à Osmanié pour y passer la nuit. Hôtels: Ismyr et Ahmed (5 p. -par lit). Les tenanciers de ces hôtels procurent les voitures -nécessaires pour le voyage à Radjou. Prix des voitures 2 à 5 Ltqs. -suivant les circonstances.</p> - -<p>7. Trajet en voiture d’Osmanié à Radjou. Environ 110 kil. en 2 -jours sur route carrossable, qui est une pendant la bonne saison: -ler jour; par Hassan bey et le col de l’Amanus à Entilli (environ -50 kil.); à Entilli point d’hôtels, rien que de simples cafedjis. -Les voyageurs peuvent aussi passer la première nuit à Islahié à -environ 12 kilom. d’Entilli; à Entilli, siège d’un caza, bureau -d’étape militaire, plusieurs Hans avec des lits (10 p. per lit.) -2ème jour: de Entilli resp. Islahié à Radjou (6O resp. 48 kil.); à -Radjoué ni hôtel ni hans; rien que des cafedjis.</p> - -<p>8. De Radjou à Halep: le même jour (différents hôtels). </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span></p> - -<p>9. De Halep à Rees-el-Ain (le même jour). Siège d’un caza. -Quelques Hans sans lits; rien que des cafedjis.</p> - -<p>10. De Rees-el-Ain à Bagdad. Trajet qui s’offectue en 10 à 12 -jours.</p> - -<p>Recommandations spéciales: Lit de camp ou matelas indispensable. -Il se recommande d’emmener aussi une tente. Malles doivent être -de construction très solide et ne doivent pas excéder le poids -de 60 kilogrs. par pièce. Au lieu de malles on peut prendre des -valises ou des sacs de voyage. Le transport usuel se fait par -voiture “Yaili,” qui est toujours préférable au voyage par cheval. -Se munir de vêtements chauds pour la nuit et d’approvisionnements -et de boissons suffisants. Ne pas oublier une petite pharmacie -de campagne. L’eau qu’on trouve en cours de route est souvent -nuisible à la santé.</p></blockquote> - -<p class="center">[<i>Translation.</i>]</p> - -<blockquote><p class="center"><span class="smcap">Directions</span></p> - -<p>For the journey from Haidar Pasha to Ras-el-Ain.</p> - -<p>1. Leave Haidar Pasha, arrive in evening at Eskishehr; Hotel -Tadia, Mme. Tadia.</p> - -<p>2. Leave Eskishehr, arrive Konia; Station Hotel built by the -company, Mme. Sulieh.</p> - -<p>3. Leave Konia, arrive Bozanti; only a simple inn.</p> - -<p>4. By carriage or car, Bozanti to Tarsus, 44 miles in ten or -twelve hours on good road. Vehicles should<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span> be ordered beforehand -from Handji of Bozanti or at Tarsus if you wish to avoid delay -at Bozanti. Fare £T2 to £T5 (£T1 nominally 17s. 6d. to 18s.), -according to circumstances. Between Bozanti and Tarsus several -inns to sleep at in emergency; Sary Cheih, Mezarolukl, Yeni-Han. -Better take a camp bed and enough food and drink.</p> - -<p>5. Tarsus, about three-quarters of an hour before arrival, cross -the Tarsus-Aleppo line at the Halt Kulek-Boghaz. Three hotels at -Tarsus: Serai, Osmanli, and Stambul, 10 piastres (1s. 8d.) a bed. -Also a restaurant Beledieh.</p> - -<p>6. Leave Tarsus, arrive Mamureh. This only a military post. No -hotel or inn. Travellers without a tent may pass the night in the -cafés, where they can get food, but no beds. Better if you have no -tent or bed to stop at Osmanieh. Hotels Ismyr, Ahmed, 5 piastres -(10d.) a bed. The hotel proprietors can get vehicles for the -journey to Radju. Fares, £T2 to £T5, according to circumstances.</p> - -<p>7. Journey by car or carriage, Osmanieh to Radju, about 70 miles -in two days on a drivable road, which is good in the good season.</p> - -<p>1st day: Hassan Bey and Pass of Amanus to Entilli, about 32 -miles. At Entilli no hotels, only simple cafés. You can pass the -first night at Islahieh, about 7½ miles from Entilli. Entilli -district headquarters, military post, several inns with beds; 10 -piastres a bed. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span></p> - -<p>2nd day: Entilli (or Islahieh) to Radju, 38 (or 31½) miles. -Radju, no hotels or inns, only cafés.</p> - -<p>8. Radju to Aleppo same day. Various hotels.</p> - -<p>9. Aleppo to Ras-el-Ain same day. District headquarters. Several -inns without beds, only cafés.</p> - -<p>10. Ras-el-Ain to Baghdad. Journey can be done in 10 to 12 days.</p> - -<p>Special advice: Camp bed or mattress indispensable. Advisable -to take a tent. Trunks ought to be strongly made and weigh not -over 120 lbs. each. Instead of trunks you may take bags or suit -cases. The usual way is by the vehicle Yaili, always preferable to -horseback. Get warm clothes for night and enough food and drink. -Don’t forget a little medicine chest. It is often risky to drink -the water found on the way.</p></blockquote> - -<p>There is naturally far less danger of Secret Service officers in a -crowded city than in small towns. In Constantinople I was but one of -thousands of strangers passing to and fro, and that at a time of great -change in the history of the Turkish capital. The arrival, however, -of a stranger in a village sets every local busybody talking and -speculating as to where he has come from and why he has come. And this -brings him into conflict with, or at least under the <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></span>suspicion of, -some blundering minor official. Quite possibly this person, zealous in -his desire to show his authority and his patriotism, may, by virtue -of his blundering, stumble across something that his superiors have -quite overlooked. Such a thing had happened to me already on a previous -occasion.</p> - -<p>I therefore determined to be more than ever careful, and to leave -nothing whatever to chance. I was desirous of getting as far as -possible along the Baghdad Railway, not only to examine the line -itself, but to talk to the passengers <i>en route</i>. People of strange -countries become companionable, and I have often found that there is -more to be learned in a railway carriage during a comparatively short -journey, than from a long stay in a city. There is a bond of sympathy -between travellers, just as there is between smokers, that causes them -after a few hours, sometimes even after only a few minutes, to become -communicative. I wanted to get to Aleppo, but I came to the conclusion -that I should probably never return if I penetrated too far on the road -to Baghdad. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span></p> - -<p>The train for Eski-Shehr, which is the junction for the Caucasian -Railway, <i>via</i> Angora, left at four in the afternoon. Turkish soldiers -on their way to the Caucasian front to fight the Russians go by rail -only as far as Angora, the rest of the journey being made on foot. -The roads are terribly bad, but the Turkish soldier philosophically -overcomes all the difficulties he encounters, for he is justly famous -for his stout heart and his capacity to endure hardships of every -description.</p> - -<p>In Angora, I believe, the English prisoners are confined. I have no -evidence of this beyond a chance remark I heard whilst waiting for the -train at Eski-Shehr. I know for a fact that French prisoners are in -Angora. Later, at Konia, I saw some 300 French prisoners, deplorably -neglected, I regret to say, with little food, and dying like flies. -The insanitary condition of that camp was beyond description. The -Turks are perhaps not naturally cruel, or, at least, they confine -their atrocities to Armenia. They have their own particular views as -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span>regards prisoners in general. Turkish prisoners in Turkish prisons -are not well treated. After all, a prisoner is not a very important -factor in the Turkish mind, and it should be remembered that the food -shortage extends throughout the whole area of German operations, always -excepting the German soldier himself. Even at the beautiful station of -Haidar Pasha I could not get a mouthful of bread or even a biscuit. The -only refreshment obtainable was unlimited German beer, produced by a -local German brewery.</p> - -<p>The journey to Eski-Shehr was pleasant, although the trains were slow -and stopped for a considerable time at each station. There are no -express trains on the Baghdad Railway. There was, however, no paint on -the windows of the carriages, for which I was devoutly thankful, and -the carriages themselves were quite comfortable. As we sped along I -was much struck by the number of German non-commissioned officers that -I saw working and cultivating the land, which between Constantinople -and Konia is<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span> for the most part fertile, in co-operation with the -Turkish farmers. It was explained to me that more than 200 of these -non-commissioned officers had been sent to Turkey with the sole purpose -of teaching the Turkish farmers how to cultivate their ground. This, -again, is typical of German methods, but it has another significance. -If Berlin did not believe in the good faith of the Turks, and were not -convinced that Germany will remain the unofficial masters of Turkey, -all this trouble would certainly not be taken to instruct the people of -Asia Minor in the art of agriculture. There is nothing philanthropic -about the Germans.</p> - -<p>All along the route until Konia was reached I saw these German -non-commissioned officers, and whenever the train stopped some of them -rushed up to the carriages asking for German newspapers, believing that -all the passengers came from the Fatherland, as, indeed, some of them -had.</p> - -<p>My fellow-passengers were typical of the German invasion of the East. -There were<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span> among them two merchants from Hamburg, going to bring back -Persian products. They talked particularly about copper. At the hotel -in Konia I had to sleep in the same room with one of them, and I was -desperately afraid lest I might talk in my sleep, and, indeed, when a -Turk came to awaken me in the morning I inadvertently called out, “Come -in.” The good Hamburger was lying flat on his back, sleeping noisily, -and I thanked the good luck that seemed to protect me for sending me as -a companion one who was so hearty a sleeper. That Hamburger impressed -upon me in no uncertain manner the meaning of sea power. The British -are not actually popular in Berlin, as is well known; but the feelings -of Berliners are mild and gentle in comparison with those of the -inhabitants of the desolated port of Hamburg.</p> - -<p>I have seen it stated in the English newspapers that supplies are -getting into Germany in spite of the British Fleet, and there are many -evidences of this fact in Germany. On the other hand, however, these -supplies<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span> have to meet the consumptive power of some seventy millions -of people. A little, too, is doled out now and then to the Austrians, -as if to keep them quiet, but it is very little, and I suppose that -even the Turkish officials get a small percentage for the same purpose. -The balance goes to the German Army, for that must never be short of -anything. It is obvious that if you must be a German, the wisest thing -is to be a German soldier.</p> - -<p>I have seen it stated that von Mackensen will take charge of the -Turkish-German forces at Aleppo, the place from which the expedition to -the Suez Canal will start. At present Djamil Pasha, formerly Turkish -Minister of Marine, is in command. Travellers who had come from Aleppo -told me that the combined German and Turkish forces there numbered -80,000, but I am not in a position to guarantee the accuracy of these -figures. What I do know is that there is everywhere an air of general -activity and preparation. Long trains full of new railway and telegraph -material, rails, small<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</a></span> bridges, and numbers of locomotives are to be -encountered everywhere. The plodding, persistent Prussian is prodding -his Turkish slaves into such action as has never before been known -to them. It is incredible that those in high places among the Turks -can conceive it possible that they will ever be able to shake off the -German yoke. There is to be seen <i>en route</i> a great amount of light -railway rolling stock, and I was assured that it was intended for the -construction of the railway that will cross the desert to bring the -Turkish-German armies face to face with the British on the Canal.</p> - -<p>Field-Marshal von der Goltz is at Baghdad. He is one of the -oldest German generals with one of the youngest German staffs. At -Constantinople they say that the old man is merely a figure head, but -he is extremely popular with the young men about him.</p> - -<p>At Konia, for reasons that I cannot explain, I thought it advisable to -run no further risk, and so I returned to Constantinople. It was very -fortunate for me that I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span> did so, otherwise I might have missed the -Banquet at Nish, and I should not have earned the name of “The Man who -Dined With the Kaiser.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER VII</h2> - -<p class="bold2">CONSTANTINOPLE FROM WITHIN</p> - -<blockquote><p>A City of Maimed and Wounded—I See the Sultan—Enver’s -Popularity—Talaat Bey the Real Administrator—Gallipoli -Day—Constantinople “Mafficks”—The Return of the Ten -Thousand—How the <i>Goeben</i> and <i>Breslau</i> Escaped—Their Fateful -Arrival at Constantinople—German Privileges—Mendacities of the -Turkish Press—The Egyptian Situation—A German Camel Corps—The -Turks a Formidable Factor.</p></blockquote> - -<p>To me Constantinople seemed to be a city of maimed and wounded. One -morning I strolled out of my hotel, intending to take a carriage to -Stamboul, one of those strange vehicles drawn by two lean but vigorous -horses that still remain on the streets for hire. From twenty-five to -thirty carriages passed me as I stood vainly endeavouring to persuade -one of the drivers to pull up. They took not the slightest notice of my -gesticulations, but continued precipitately on their way. I was curious -to know<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</a></span> the reason for this, and on my return to the hotel I inquired -of the porter. He informed me that the carriages were going to the -Bosphorus to take up the wounded arriving from different battlefields. -“After what you have told me,” I remarked, “I shall be afraid of using -a carriage in Constantinople.” But shaking his head, the porter replied -dispassionately, “Do not be afraid. By order of the Germans, every one -of these carriages must be disinfected after use.” “The East is the -East and the West is the West,” I meditated as I passed into the hotel. -It would be interesting to have the frank opinion of the highly-placed -Turk upon the “thoroughness” of their German allies.</p> - -<p>I very soon discovered that every big building in the city had been -turned into a hospital, one of the biggest being the Lyceum. All the -beautiful houses belonging to the wealthy English and French residents, -which overlook the Bosphorus, have been commandeered for the Red -Crescent,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</a></span> the occupants being obliged under Turkish war regulations to -live in hotels.</p> - -<p>The Sultan is a mere figure-head, as is well known. One Friday I saw -him walking from his palace to a mosque a little distance away—he -has given up taking the longer journey to the Aya Sofia for fear of -assassination—and his fat, heavy appearance suggested to me that -the Turks knew their business when they removed all power from his -hands. In the old days a Sultan could not make his appearance in the -streets without its being the occasion for a great demonstration. -That was yesterday; now popular enthusiasm was for Enver Pasha when -he accompanied the Commander of the Faithful. The potentate himself -might be persuaded that the acclamations were for his holy person, but -everyone else knew better. I was told that the Sultan leaves everything -to Talaat Bey and to Enver Pasha. To me the Sultan looked like an -unidealised copy of one of Rembrandt’s Rabbis.</p> - -<p>Enver may claim to be the power behind the throne, but the real ruler -of Turkey is<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</a></span> that shrewd statesman Talaat Bey, who, although a great -Germanophile, is credited with the belief in the ultimate victory of -the Entente Powers. This conviction on the part of Talaat may account -for some of the rumours circulated in the Balkans to the effect that he -would be not unwilling to conclude a separate peace.</p> - -<p>I was in Constantinople when the evacuation of Gallipoli was announced. -The town was gay with flags, mobs passed up and down the streets -shouting. Notices in Turkish and German were exhibited everywhere. -Special newspaper bulletins were being rushed hither and thither by -ragged boys. The Turks, who are never over-prodigal of truth, announced -the evacuation as a great victory for their soldiers, which had -resulted in the English being driven into the sea. Although I had no -other news than that supplied by the official proclamation, I was not -in the least disturbed, knowing full well the Turkish character. Had -there been a great victory there would have been prisoners, and the -German knows too well<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</a></span> the advantages of clever stage management not to -produce these for the edification of the cheering crowd.</p> - -<p>Three days later, when Constantinople had to some extent recovered from -its mafficking, there passed through the streets about 10,000 of the -weariest soldiers it has ever been my lot to see, a long bedraggled -line, most of them stumbling along as if scarcely able to stand for -fatigue. The people did not know where they had come from. Had they -been aware that these poor wretches were some of the stout defenders of -Gallipoli they might have given them a warmer cheer. As it was, I saw -little or no enthusiasm, although here and there people ran out to give -the men cigarettes.</p> - -<p>The sight of these utterly worn-out soldiers lingered with me all day. -Some of them were so exhausted that they could proceed no further, and -had to be lifted up and half carried, half dragged along by their more -stalwart comrades. They carried neither rifles nor knapsacks, these -following behind in carts. It was interesting to note<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</a></span> to what an -extent the German officering of the Turkish forces has been carried. -For every Turkish officer that passed by in that brown and miserable -procession that smacked so little of victory, there were two German -officers. The Turks may be entitled to all the satisfaction that the -British evacuation of Gallipoli has given them, but I am sure that if -the Anzac heroes, for instance, had been present with me the morning I -stood watching the long war-worn line, they would have been comforted -by the knowledge that however great the hardships and privations they -themselves had suffered, those of the foe had been as bad, if not -worse. It was obvious that some time would elapse before these men were -sufficiently rested to be fit for active service once more, and this in -spite of the fact that the Turkish soldier is famous for his remarkable -recuperative powers.</p> - -<p>I have seen it stated in the newspapers (February 13th, 1916), that -large reinforcements of Turkish troops are being sent to Mesopotamia. -This seems to confirm my<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</a></span> view that several weeks’ rest would be -necessary before the men who fought so well at Gallipoli would be ready -for active service again. Even these must be picked men, for it is a -long and tedious march from Aleppo to Baghdad over roads that the word -“wretched” utterly fails to describe.</p> - -<p>At Stenia, in the Bosphorus, I saw both of those mystery ships, the -<i>Goeben</i> and the <i>Breslau</i>, lying at anchor; probably there were never -two ships in all the world about which so much that is inaccurate has -been written. The <i>Goeben</i> was in a bad state, and kept afloat only -by means of the crudest contrivances, shell-holes being filled in -with cement. It is obvious that the authorities, be they Turkish or -German, do not regard her as likely to be of much further assistance to -them, for several of her big guns have been removed for use on land. -The <i>Breslau</i>, on the other hand, is in good condition, and as I saw -her riding at anchor she looked very spick and span, having recently -received a new coat of grey paint. She is a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</a></span> finely-built ship, and -looks capable of rendering a very good account of herself.</p> - -<p>The stories of how the <i>Goeben</i> and <i>Breslau</i> evaded the Allied fleets -are legion. A Turkish deputy gave me one account which I relate for -what it is worth. According to him it would appear that the two ships -had taken refuge in Messina, and that outside the three-mile limit -there waited 24 Allied ships of war, like hounds ready to pounce upon -their prey. The prospect of escape seemed hopeless, so hopeless in -fact that the commander of the <i>Breslau</i> proposed exceeding his time -allowance in a neutral port so that his ship might be interned. The -commander of the <i>Goeben</i>, however, was determined to make an effort -to get away, and being the senior officer his less courageous comrade -had no choice but to acquiesce. They waited until night, and then -steamed away, keeping as near to the coast as possible, and were never -overhauled. It was their arrival in the Dardanelles, the Turkish deputy -assured me, that finally induced Turkey to join the Central Powers, -the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</a></span> Turks believing that with the addition of these two fine ships to -their navy they would be more than a match for the Russian Fleet in the -Black Sea.</p> - -<p>One day I made a curious discovery, not without its significance. In -crossing the Galata Bridge a toll of one penny is demanded, which -all the Faithful must pay, and likewise the Infidels. An exception, -however, was made in the case of the Germans, who are exempt, and -for this very interesting reason. When the bridge was damaged by the -torpedo of a British submarine some time ago, the Turks were in a -quandary to know how to repair it, having no engineers of their own -capable of undertaking such work. In their difficulties they turned, -as usual, to their German friends, who readily agreed to undertake -the work, and the damage was accordingly made good. When the bill was -presented from Berlin, however, the Turks wrung their hands, and with -tears in their eyes expostulated that, although they had the best -intentions in the world, they had no money. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</a></span></p> - -<p>The result was that the Germans had to allow the bill to remain owing, -but by way of getting some acknowledgment for their trouble and the -expense that they had incurred, they made it a condition that all -German subjects should be allowed to cross the bridge free of charge. -This I was able to prove by a very simple test, for on presenting -myself to the tollkeepers and speaking German, I was immediately -allowed to pass without any demand of the customary penny. It amused me -to think that the real inhabitants of Constantinople should have to pay -for the privilege that was accorded free to those who had usurped their -authority.</p> - -<p>The attitude of the Turks in regard to truth is too well known to -require comment, but the lying qualities with which their press seems -to be inspired are worthy of the word inspiration. To believe anything -seen in a Turkish newspaper postulates a simplicity and credulity -which, charming enough in themselves, are scarcely calculated to help -its possessor in the struggle for existence.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</a></span> For instance, in Has -Keiul, on the Golden Horn, a big powder factory was destroyed by a -tremendous explosion; the Turkish newspapers charmingly described how -three persons had been killed and six wounded, and that only two houses -in addition to the factory had been destroyed. I determined to test -this statement, and I found on visiting what is the Jewish quarter, -that the whole neighbourhood was in ruins. Two thousand people at least -had been killed, and, although my visit was not made until a fortnight -after the explosion, search-parties were still digging dead bodies out -of the ruins. The Turk himself is not entirely devoid of thoroughness.</p> - -<p>Just as I was preparing to leave Constantinople rumours of the big -Russian offensive in the Caucasus were coming through. Almost the last -thing I saw were five battalions of Turks, splendidly equipped and with -1916 rifles, leaving for the Caucasus front.</p> - -<p>I wish I were able to persuade the British public of the seriousness -of the Egyptian situation. What most surprised me on my<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</a></span> return to -this country was the incredulity of the general public with regard -to the German threat against Egypt and India. I am a neutral with -no axe to grind, but I have a great respect and affection for a -country where I have received nothing but kindness, and I view with -alarm this dangerous and apathetic frame of mind. All that I saw in -Constantinople, as in Asia Minor, convinces me that the Turks are -serious in their intended invasions, and as the whole affair will be -under German management it will, after the manner of the Germans, be -done thoroughly. I feel that I shall have achieved something if any -words of mine can dispel the illusion on the subject which seems to -prevail everywhere.</p> - -<p>Nothing is to be left to chance, and the Germans have taken the -precaution, as a preparation for the Egyptian Expedition, of training -4,000 German soldiers to ride camels, the instruction being given -at Hagenbeck’s Menagerie at Hamburg. All those who know Egypt will -appreciate the value of a body of 4,000 camelry. Aleppo<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[Pg 132]</a></span> is to be -the starting point, and a glance at the map of Syria will show its -importance. I shall be greatly surprised if within the next few months -something is not heard of Djemal Pasha, who is in command there. When -I was in Constantinople the name of the redoubtable von Mackensen was -freely mentioned in connection with the leadership of this expedition, -but other work will most likely be found for him.</p> - -<p>The Turks are still a very formidable factor in the situation, and have -to be seriously reckoned with. Their losses may be, and undoubtedly -have been, very great, but there are plenty of men still available. As -a matter of fact, all able-bodied men are being called to the colours. -That alone should give Great Britain an indication of the magnitude -of the task that lies before the Allies. Turkey may be one of the -weaker members against the combination of the Entente Powers, but she -is nevertheless very strong, and hourly growing stronger under the -masterful domination of the German military mind. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</a></span></p> - -<p>The language difficulty in Turkey is rather amusing. Germany has done -its best to implant its own tongue upon its unfortunate allies, but -with very poor success. It was a constant source of amusement to me to -hear German officers ordering their dinners in French. Everywhere in -Constantinople French is spoken; even the tramway tickets are printed -in French and Turkish. Waiters, shopkeepers, officers, sometimes even -the man in the street speaks French as well as his own language. -Frequently I would go to the rescue of German soldiers and sailors in -shops who could not make themselves understood.</p> - -<p>The German opinion of the Turks is very well shown by the following -little episode. I was in conversation one day with two A.B.’s of the -famous cruiser <i>Emden</i>. As a souvenir one of them gave me the ribbon -from his cap with the <i>Emden</i> scroll upon it. He informed me that -it was his original intention to give it to his mother, but he was -now convinced that he would never return to the Fatherland alive, -consequently I <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</a></span>received it as a compliment in return for the beer and -cigars I had given him. This sailor was communicative to the extent of -saying, “We have lost nearly all our Colonies, and I am sure that we -shall lose the last one, but we are going to make Turkey our newest and -best colony.” I heard similar remarks from other Germans.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER VIII</h2> - -<p class="bold2">THE “UNTERSEE” GERMAN</p> - -<blockquote><p>My Kiel Acquaintance—Submarines by Rail—German Submarines -at Constantinople—My Voyage of Discovery—The Exploit of -U51—Captain von Hersing—German Hero-worship—A Daring -Feat—A Modest German!—Von Hersing in England—The German -Naval Officer—His Opinion of the British Navy—A Regrettable -Incident—Dr. Ledera Imprisoned—I Encounter an Austrian Spy—He -Confides to me his Methods—The Carelessness of British Consuls.</p></blockquote> - -<p>An axiom, and a very valuable one, for a man employed in secret service -work for a newspaper should be to stay always at the best hotel in any -city at which he is making investigations. For one thing, big fish swim -in large lakes; for another, the visitors at large hotels are less -noticed and less likely to be suspected than those at smaller places.</p> - -<p>At the Pera Palace Hotel I had many interesting conversations with -German officers, for whom I had to swallow my dislike for reasons of -policy. They complained to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</a></span> me bitterly of the absence of amusement, -for all the theatres and picture palaces were closed, and there was no -distraction whatever for the apostles of “Frightfulness.” I was always -ready with sympathy, and we got on very well together.</p> - -<p>The officer of the Polish Legion at Vienna who told me about the -terrible fate of the 28th Regiment, had introduced me to a German -foreman-constructor of submarines, who had come from the famous -Germania Shipyard at Kiel. He was a typical German of the boasting -type, and as the result of a little judicious handling, some beer, and -a great deal of flattery, of which any traveller in Germany has to take -with him an unlimited supply, I soon discovered a great deal as to the -mystery of the German submarines in the Sea of Marmora. Of the small -type there are, I believe, not more than four; very likely the number -has been increased since I left Turkey, as I will explain.</p> - -<p>A little more than a year ago the English newspapers were engaged in -discussing the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</a></span> possibility of Germans carrying submarines by rail. -Whilst this was in progress the Germans had already solved the problem, -and had conclusively proved that submarines of the smaller type can -easily be manufactured in one place in sections and carried hundreds -of miles by rail to another, where, with the aid of experts, they can -be fitted together. As my new acquaintance informed me, Germany had -already done this most successfully.</p> - -<p>I proved the accuracy of the man’s statement when I was at -Constantinople, as I saw no less than four German U boats, Nos. U4, -U18, and U25. I could not detect the number of the fourth craft. They -were of a uniform size and U18 had painted on the conning-tower a huge -Iron Cross, showing that it had achieved some great distinction—great, -at least, to the German mind.</p> - -<p>Hiring a rowing boat, and wearing my fez, I discovered the base of the -submarines on the afternoon of January 15th. It was cleverly hidden -behind two big German liners in the Golden Horn, between the <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</a></span>Marine -Arsenal and Has Keiul, the little village that had been entirely -destroyed by the powder explosion. By this time, if my informant were -correct—and I have no reason to doubt the accuracy of his statements, -for, like so many Germans, he told me a good deal more than he -ought—the number of submarines has been increased to six; he himself -had been concerned in putting them together at Trieste. As a matter -of fact, soon after my arrival in England I read in different neutral -as well as English newspapers that two more German submarines of -small size had arrived in Constantinople from an Austrian port in the -Adriatic.</p> - -<p>The German submarine officers and crews to be met with in -Constantinople are not at all of the swaggering Prussian type. -They wear the usual German uniform, whereas their fellows of the -<i>Goeben</i> and <i>Breslau</i>, which fly the Turkish flag, wear the fez. The -so-called Turkish submarines do not exist save in the imagination of -certain people whose interest it is to write about them. They are -in reality German submarines <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</a></span>flying the German naval flag. I have -reason to believe also that there are very few Turkish aeroplanes or -flying-men. An American newspaper suggested that it was possibly a -Turkish submarine that sunk the <i>Persia</i>; but as there are no Turkish -submarines, one of them could not possibly have been guilty of this -crime against civilisation.</p> - -<p>These smaller submarines must not be confused with U51, which, as the -German newspapers have proudly described, made the great voyage from -Kiel to Constantinople, either through the English Channel or by the -northern passage round Scotland. This took place in the spring of 1915.</p> - -<p>The U51 is a huge craft, painted a dark grey, its appearance being very -suggestive of its sinister purpose. It has a big gun mounted on the -forepart. The size of the craft astonished me when I saw it some days -after its arrival at Constantinople, on my first visit, and I think it -must be one of the largest afloat. Unfortunately, I was not allowed on -board: there were limitations to the privileges that my papers were -able to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</a></span> secure for me. Beside this leviathan the U4 and her sisters -would look mere pigmies; but they are vicious little craft, hornets -with sharp and painful stings.</p> - -<p>Now that Weddigen has been killed, Captain von Hersing is the popular -hero of the German submarine navy. He is the type of man that possesses -a strong appeal for the English sportsman. He is of the Max Horton -order, and it was he who sank the <i>Triumph</i> and the <i>Majestic</i>.</p> - -<p>In Germany heroes are made on the slightest possible provocation and -for very indifferent achievements; but Captain von Hersing certainly -deserves his fame. He is modest, a rather rare quality in the -present-day German.</p> - -<p>The story of his feat, which he narrated to me during my first visit -to Constantinople, has already been told time after time. As quietly -as any Englishman would have done he described to me that wonderful -voyage; how he picked up petrol in the Bay of Biscay at an exactly -appointed time and place; how he passed by Gibraltar in broad<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</a></span> daylight -on the surface of the water; the agonies he suffered during the -imprisonment of his boat for two hours in a British submarine net off -Lemnos; how he eventually escaped with a damaged propeller, and arrived -at Constantinople in the early days of May.</p> - -<p>During the whole recital of his achievements the nearest thing to -self-glorification that I was able to detect in his manner was a -momentary flashing of the eye, which no one would deny even to Admiral -Beatty himself. He was disinclined to discuss the war, and I remember -that at the time I thought how correct this attitude was in an officer, -and how different from many of his fellows of the land service, who -will discuss nothing else.</p> - -<p>He told me that he had spent a considerable time in England, and that -he liked the English. The promptness with which he denied that it was -his boat that had sunk the <i>Lusitania</i> left me in no doubt as to his -view of that colossal outrage. In fact, I have heard from many sources -that the German Navy<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[Pg 142]</a></span> regards this discreditable exploit as a blot upon -its name. I talked to him many times at the Pera Club, where there were -comparatively few Germans and plenty of food, the one fact probably -explaining the other.</p> - -<p>If all Germans were of the same type as the German naval officers -and men, the word “Hun” would probably never have been applied; it -certainly would not so aptly fit. In their franker moments these naval -officers and men confess that they hate the horrible work they are -obliged to do; but that they have no alternative but to carry out the -orders received from Berlin. There are brutes among them, no doubt, but -such German naval officers as I have met compare very favourably with -their swaggering colleagues of the land service. German sailors are -under no misapprehension as to the might and efficiency of the British -Navy. It is not they who spread the tale of the British Fleet hiding -in ports while German ships proudly sail the North Sea. It is not they -who ask plaintively, “Will the British Fleet never come out?” They are -practical<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[Pg 143]</a></span> men, and for the most part honest men, and they know that -Germany has it in her own hands to bring out the British Fleet in no -uncertain manner.</p> - -<p>The Germans are annoyed because the valuable ships of the British -Navy do not parade up and down in the neighbourhood of Heligoland -and Wilhelmshaven and allow themselves to be torpedoed by German -submarines. The German idea of naval warfare is sometimes childish, but -it belongs to the layman and not to the expert. “Our people started the -war ten years too soon,” was the remark that one German officer made to -me.</p> - -<p>It is not difficult to see that there is very little love lost between -the German Army and the German Navy, which is scarcely to be wondered -at. A very casual observer has only to contrast the characters of the -two classes of men, as I saw them at the Pera Palace Hotel; the one -swaggering and strutting about, grumbling at the lack of amusement, -growling if the <i>Liebesgabe</i> (parcel) from Berlin, with its sausage<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[Pg 144]</a></span> -(<i>leberwurst</i>) and the like, cigars, and <i>pâté de fois gras</i>, is a day -late; the other quiet, well-mannered, accustomed to great hardship -and danger from childhood, self-respecting and respecting others—the -nearest approach to an English gentleman that the Germans are capable -of producing. Not many naval officers hail from the Hun country of -Prussia.</p> - -<p>It is beyond question true that the sinking of the <i>Lusitania</i> is -terribly unpopular in the German Navy, although the German people went -hysterical with joy about it, and still regard it as one of the great -German feats of the war.</p> - -<p>The presence of German submarines at Constantinople is not altogether -relished by the Turks. Each of the four submarines I saw had a gun on -the forepart of the vessel; not a powerful weapon, it is true, but -quite sufficient to instil terror into the inhabitants of the city, -should they not behave themselves according to German ideas.</p> - -<p>There is still some antagonism shown in Turkey towards the Germans, -but, <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[Pg 145]</a></span>unfortunately, very little. The German sway is almost supreme, -but for all that they take no risks. They are conscious of an -undercurrent of distrust, and they never allow the Turk too much -ammunition, lest it may be used against themselves. It is notorious -that the shortage of ammunition in Gallipoli was due not entirely to -German inability to convey it there, but rather to the fact that the -master did not trust the servant. A well-munitioned Turkey would be a -danger, and ill-munitioned Turkey is a safeguard.</p> - -<p>A little incident which came to my knowledge shows that even now -the Germans have to exercise tact in dealing with the Turks. At the -Hotel Tokatlian, in Pera, there was a daily foregathering of all the -German and Austrian newspaper representatives in the city. One day I -heard them discussing the fate of one of their number, Dr. Ledera, of -the <i>Berliner Tageblatt</i>. I gathered that he had offended the Turks -by describing how, owing to the state of the <i>Goeben</i> and their own -shortage of big guns, they had removed two of the largest from that -vessel<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[Pg 146]</a></span> and taken them down for use against the English at Gallipoli. -This information, which I brought to this country as early as last -June, officially stated in so important a newspaper, intimated to -the Russians and the British that the <i>Goeben</i> was practically out -of action. The Turks were greatly incensed, and promptly arrested -Dr. Ledera. He was sent to an internment-camp in a distant part of -Anatolia, where the conditions were far from luxurious. The German -Ambassador, the late Baron von Wangenheim, had to exert the utmost -possible pressure to secure the release of his indiscreet compatriot. -After six weeks’ imprisonment the erring correspondent was brought -back to Constantinople, escorted over the frontier, and ordered never -to return to Turkey. In spite of this, each day leaves the Turk more -hopelessly under the yoke of his German master.</p> - -<p>I have always had my own views about the German spy system in -England. Of one thing I am certain, that it is thorough; but, as I -have previously pointed out, it is not so<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[Pg 147]</a></span> perfect as so many people -in this country are inclined to believe. The first essential for a -travelling German or Austrian spy is to obtain by fair means or by -foul a passport from a neutral country. Only with this can he hope to -enter England, and return in safety. I encountered one of these spies, -and the conversation I had with him is of considerable interest as -throwing light on German methods. He was an Austrian, and we got into -conversation during my journey from Vienna to the Swiss border. As we -approached the frontier he made obvious efforts to discover my views -and sympathies. I allowed him first to express his own, which were -violently pro-German. Nevertheless, he said, “I have been among those -<i>Schweinhunden</i> twice in the last six months.” (The “Schweinhunden,” -by the way, were the English.) “Fortunately, I did not allow the grass -to grow under my feet during my seven years’ residence there, and I -flatter myself I can speak English as an Englishman. Do you know any -English?” he asked. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[Pg 148]</a></span></p> - -<p>“A little,” I replied, in order to draw him out. He then began to -converse with me in that tongue, and he undoubtedly was justified in -his boast that he could speak English perfectly. Furthermore, he looked -a very excellent and presentable specimen of the Anglo-Saxon race, such -as one sees any morning during the London season, before the war, of -course, in Bond Street, Pall Mall or Piccadilly.</p> - -<p>In order to obtain a false passport the travelling spy must get first a -false birth certificate. This, of course, involves forgery, but it can -be obtained with no very great difficulty and at a reasonable price by -those who know where to seek it. In the early days of the war there was -a regular trade in passports in several neutral countries, where they -could be purchased for between £10 and £12. Those days are now passed, -for the English Government has awakened to the grave danger arising -from this commerce.</p> - -<p>With a birth certificate, in conjunction with a letter from some -commercial firm to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[Pg 149]</a></span> the effect that the bearer or person referred to -wishes to proceed to England on certain business, the obtaining of a -passport is not so difficult as it might appear. The documents are -presented at the Passport Office of a neutral country and the necessary -passport obtained. The next step is to get it <i>visé’d</i> by the British -Consul, who is not as often English as he should be. When he is of -English nationality he is frequently too old to be alert and on the -lookout for spies. Once the passport is <i>visé’d</i> the travelling spy of -German or Austrian birth or interests arrives at Folkestone, Tilbury, -Southampton, or some other port where there is no lack of strict -scrutiny. Lately the investigations have been especially severe, but of -what avail is this if the passports and business letters that accompany -it are based upon a forged birth certificate?</p> - -<p>Arrived in England, the travelling spy communicates with the resident -spy, cautiously lest the resident spy is being watched. In all -probability they meet at a large hotel, or at a railway station, -nothing is written.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[Pg 150]</a></span> If an appointment has to be made it is done over -the telephone or by a message through a third party.</p> - -<p>In the early days of the war spies were inclined to be careless, being -so convinced of the obtuseness of the English officials. The result was -that a number of them attended an exclusive little party which gathered -at dawn in the Tower of London. The censorship of letters has doubtless -checked written communication to a very great extent.</p> - -<p>To check spying the greatest care should be exercised by the British -consuls abroad; they should never, unless absolutely confident of the -<i>bona fides</i> of the bearer, <i>visé</i> a passport, and, of course, unless -they do so the passport is absolutely worthless. If necessary, the -British Consul should have the assistance of a shrewd international -detective from England with a knowledge of foreign languages, a man who -is accustomed to appraising character and ferreting out information; it -would be difficult for the applicant to smooth away his suspicion, a -thing which is very easy with most consuls. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[Pg 151]</a></span></p> - -<p>The statement of my Austrian acquaintance that he had been twice to -England within a period of six months (and I have no reason to doubt -his word) shows that even now there are very obvious imperfections -in the system for keeping spies out of England. In offering my views -it is not with any idea of teaching the authorities their business, -but rather the hint of one who has come into touch with the spies -themselves, and in the hope that my words may be of assistance. It must -be remembered that the authorities at the ports of entry can judge only -on the actual papers produced.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[Pg 152]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER IX</h2> - -<p class="bold2">“OUR KAISER IS HERE!”</p> - -<blockquote><p>Getting Out of Constantinople—I Become Suspicious—I Appeal -to Halil Bey—A Gloomy Apartment—I Visit the Prefecture of -Police—I Join a Military Train—Marvellous Engineering—A Subtle -Device—The Kaiser at Nish—I See the Two Monarchs—A Remarkable -Stroke of Luck—I am Invited to the Banquet—Fokker Aeroplanes.</p></blockquote> - -<p>Secret service work in German-governed countries demands astuteness, -resource, and constant watchfulness over words and actions alike, and -a good deal of “Damn the consequences.” To be known within the German -war zone as one connected with an English newspaper would naturally be -fatal.</p> - -<p>Getting into an enemy country in war time is always difficult; but -getting out of it is frequently precarious. I began to fear that I -was being watched in Constantinople. The German system of watching is -simple and effective. If the suspect be of sufficient<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[Pg 153]</a></span> importance three -or four detectives are told off to follow his movements continuously, -but one at a time. He is, therefore, not likely to recognise his -watcher as would be the case if one man only were detailed for the duty.</p> - -<p>Intuitively I felt that the few very innocent and harmless, but to -me very important, papers I had with me were being subjected to -examination in my room at the hotel. As a precaution I rearranged them, -carefully noting the order in which they lay. When next I returned to -the hotel in the evening my suspicions were confirmed—my papers had -obviously been disturbed. It might, of course, have been mere curiosity -on the part of the Greek servants, but I remembered that these same -servants work hand and glove with the police or military authorities. -Accordingly, I determined to get away with all possible expedition.</p> - -<p>At that time it was announced in the very attenuated Constantinople -newspapers that the Kaiser was going to Belgrade. The movements of -the German Emperor on the Continent are as much of a puzzle to his -own<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[Pg 154]</a></span> people and his allies as they are to the subjects of the Entente -Powers. There were in Constantinople, too, the same rumours as to his -ill-health which had been spread throughout Europe. On the other hand, -there was the definite statement that he was coming East. The desire -to see him face to face, if possible, and also the wish to get out of -Constantinople, set me to work planning how most speedily to effect my -purpose.</p> - -<p>I bethought myself of Halil Bey, the Foreign Minister, who had so -kindly secured for me an interview with Enver Pasha. To my surprise the -old man saw me at once. His is a very different reception-room from -that of his colleague, Enver. Gloomy, miserable, without electric light -or even an oil lamp, and lit only by candles, it was far from the sort -of room that one would expect to be occupied by a Minister of Foreign -Affairs. It was, however, another evidence of the good work of the -Roumanians in cutting off the coal supply of Constantinople.</p> - -<p>I explained to Halil that it was my great<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[Pg 155]</a></span> desire to do myself the -honour of seeing, if possible, the All-Highest War Lord, and that I -wished to leave Constantinople for Belgrade. Halil Bey, in common with -every other Turk, was in high spirits over the Gallipoli evacuation, -and after a little judicious flattery as to his enormous powers, I -succeeded in obtaining a letter to the Prefect of Police at Stamboul, -and in order that he should see me instantly Halil gave me his card, -which is reproduced below.</p> - -<div class="center"><a name="i155.jpg" id="i155.jpg"></a><br /><img src="images/i155.jpg" alt="Halil Beys Card" /></div> - -<p class="bold"><span class="smcap">Halil Bey’s Card</span></p> - -<p>I lost no time in securing one of the few public carriages that are to -be had in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[Pg 156]</a></span> city, and made my way behind the thinnest pair of horses -imaginable to the Prefecture of Police. It was rather like entering the -lion’s den, but it had to be done. If the police were really suspicious -of me I should not be very long left in doubt.</p> - -<p>I was a little disturbed to hear from the Prefect that the only way -of getting out of Constantinople to Belgrade was by a German military -train. The first Balkan Express which was to link up Constantinople -with Berlin and Vienna, was not due to start for a day or two, and as -I felt disinclined to wait for it, I determined to push on to Belgrade -and join the Balkan Express there. This would give me a short time in -which to examine that town, which, as I have said, I was most anxious -to see. I mentioned to the Prefect that I had been honoured by Enver -Pasha with an interview, and that I felt sure His Excellency would do -anything in his power to facilitate my movements.</p> - -<p>“I will see what can be done,” said the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[Pg 157]</a></span> Prefect. “Please leave with me -your passport and call again in the morning.”</p> - -<p>With considerable trepidation I returned to the Prefecture next -morning, and to my delight found my passport marked in Turkish not only -with permission to leave, but with actual permission to travel by the -military train to Belgrade. The “visieat” (a written permission from -the police to leave), which usually takes a few days to obtain, was -handed to me at the same time, so I was more favoured than any other -traveller. I felt that the stars were indeed fighting for me in their -courses. At 11.30 a.m. I arrived at the Railway Station at Stamboul, -and soon found myself in a queerly assorted company consisting of men -of the German Red Cross Service, German officers, non-commissioned -officers and soldiers.</p> - -<p>During my journey I made some curious and interesting discoveries, all -tending to emphasise German thoroughness and cunning. Probably no one -in England realises the wonderful work done by the Germans in repairing -the broken railway bridges in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[Pg 158]</a></span> Serbia. It is the rapid and substantial -rebuilding of these bridges, destroyed by the Serbians in their -retreat, that enables the Germans to get to Constantinople in a little -over two days. These reconstructions are most likely the greatest -engineering feats that the world has ever seen. Tunnels that were blown -up have been restored to their original state with marvellous celerity, -and as I travelled across the bridges, and at a high rate of speed, -the evidences of the Serbians’ tragic retreat were to be seen on every -side. Beside the new bridges lay those which the Serbians destroyed. -Beside the line were the remains of dead horses, broken-down carts, and -the hundred and one things that mark the retreat of an army pursued -by its foes. The ever-careful German had removed the hides from the -horses, obviously with the object of making up the leather shortage.</p> - -<p>In the course of my journey I received another instance of German -forethought. I was told that in the event of Greece being invaded -by the Bulgars, and the Greeks<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[Pg 159]</a></span> loathe the Bulgars as the Prussians -loathe the English, the invaders were to be dressed in German uniforms -in order to deceive the Greeks. Immense quantities of these uniforms, -I later discovered, were lying at Nish.<a name="FNanchor_1_1" id="FNanchor_1_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1_1" >[1]</a> Is there anything against -which the extraordinary German mind does not provide? This, however, -does not convince me that the Germans will attack Salonica. From what -I heard, it would appear that they have a very wholesome respect for -General Sarrail, whose acquaintance they had already made at Verdun, -which they had failed to take owing to his able and stout defence of -that stronghold.</p> - -<p>The adaptability of the German is nowhere better emphasised than in -Turkey and the Balkans. Instinctively he knows that a German in a -familiar uniform is not likely<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[Pg 160]</a></span> to be so obnoxious as a German in a -strange uniform; consequently his method is to disguise himself by -adopting the military uniform of the country in which he is detailed -for duty. This is one of the most important traits in his character. -For instance, as I have already said, German flying-men in Turkey are -to be seen in Turkish uniforms, and scores of German officers are to be -found at the Turkish War Office also wearing the familiar uniform of -the Moslem.</p> - -<p>The Turks are by no means optimistic about the Salonica Expedition. -Frankly they are afraid of it, and for that reason have heavily -entrenched themselves to the south of Adrianople. Their fear is that -the Allied troops may make an attack on Constantinople from the -north-west or may attempt to cut the railway.</p> - -<p>It has been suggested that my fortunate meeting with the Kaiser was -a matter of luck. In a way it was; but it was more particularly due -to my persistent desire to see Belgrade. I had failed to get there -during my outward journey to Constantinople, but<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[Pg 161]</a></span> I was determined -not to be baulked. I had no thought of staying at Nish, and it was -not until we were approaching the station of that town that a fellow -traveller, a German non-commissioned officer, looked out of the window -and shouted out so loudly and excitedly that all the travellers in the -corridor carriage could hear, “<i>Unser Kaiser ist hier</i>” (our Kaiser is -here). I jumped up and looked out of the window and saw the flags and -decorations, and felt that indeed Fate had been kind to me.</p> - -<p>The magic name of the Kaiser was too much for me. I could not think -of letting pass such a magnificent opportunity of seeing the Great -War Lord, and I therefore determined to leave the military train at -the Serbian town so recently the capital, but now in the hands of the -Germans. Nish was under snow. The day of my arrival, January 18th, -1916, was brilliantly clear, just such a day as one finds at Montreal -or St. Moritz. I had hoped to get at least a glimpse of the Kaiser, -but I was far more fortunate than that, encountering him on<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[Pg 162]</a></span> several -occasions during this to me fateful day. I never for one moment -anticipated being present at that curious and historical Royal Banquet -at which were made the vain-glorious Latin and German speeches that -were telegraphed all over the world.</p> - -<p>Just as our train steamed into the station the Kaiser was making -his state entry into the Serbian capital, which has now become the -headquarters of the German, not as many people think the Austrian, Army -in the Balkans. It is a vast arsenal, choked with munitions of war, -in particular shells for big guns and also the guns themselves. The -town is crammed with Serbian military prisoners, who are allowed their -liberty, and roam about freely. They seem comparatively contented with -their lot.</p> - -<p>My feelings when I ascertained the presence of the Kaiser can only be -appreciated or understood by a journalist. I soon gathered together my -belongings with the aid of a German soldier I called to help me. I then -decided to look around and endeavour to approach as near as possible to -the Kaiser<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[Pg 163]</a></span> himself. As a matter of fact I was not far away from him. -King Ferdinand had only a few minutes previously received him on his -arrival from the West, and the Royal pair were walking up and down the -platform arm in arm, and without ceremony. I noticed a handkerchief in -the Kaiser’s hand which he was constantly lifting to his mouth, but the -distance was too great for me to hear him coughing.</p> - -<p>I had never seen Ferdinand before, and it was fully eight years since -I had seen the German Emperor, and what a change those eight years -had wrought! The Kaiser is not a tall man, as he is represented to -be in photographs, and by the side of the great massive figure of -the hawk-nosed Ferdinand—who has a duck-like waddle—the Great War -Lord seemed almost diminutive. The Kaiser wore a long grey coat, with -greyish fur collar, and a spiked helmet covered with some khaki-like -material. The place where the monarchs promenaded was held by German -guards. The people, among whom were a great many Austrian and a -few<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[Pg 164]</a></span> Dutch nurses, did not evince a great amount of either interest -or curiosity. This struck me as strange as, if the Kaiser were to -appear in any other town in Europe, he would create a sensation. I -particularly noticed that the Bulgarian Ministers obsequiously removed -their hats at the sight of the Kaiser, and approached him in an -attitude of great deference and with bared heads. Towards their own -monarch they did not seem to show the same deference. Later I learned -that the relations between Ferdinand and his Court are of a very -informal nature.</p> - -<p>What most struck me about the Kaiser was his obvious look of fatigue. -It might have been due to the war, to the effect of his two-day -journey, or to ill-health. I cannot say. But he looked a tired and -broken man. His hair was white, although his moustache was still -suspiciously dark, and his face was drawn and lined. There was also -an entire absence of the old activity of gesture, the quick, nervous -wheeling about, and the unstable manner of the man. All of which I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[Pg 165]</a></span> -remembered distinctly from my previous encounter with him in 1908.</p> - -<p>In spite, however, of his fatigues the Kaiser was obviously intent upon -making himself agreeable. He examined with apparent interest the medals -of the Bulgarian soldiers, chatting with Royal affability, and smiled -right and left. None the less he was a greatly aged man, and, as I have -said, there was the constant use of the handkerchief, a large Turkish -affair of red, embroidered with the white Turkish star and crescent in -the corner.</p> - -<p>As I was standing watching the Royal pair, I was approached by two -Bulgarian officials in civil clothes followed by a handful of soldiers. -Their mission was to inquire my reason for coming to Nish. The one who -addressed me spoke German execrably. At first he took me for a Teuton, -but when I explained my nationality he asked eagerly if I were able to -speak French, and seemed much delighted when he found he could continue -his interrogations in that tongue, which he spoke much better than -German.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[Pg 166]</a></span> I told him the object of my journey, flattered his patriotic -feelings by complimenting the Bulgarian Army and nation as a whole, -and was invited to accompany him to one of the rooms of the station, -where he introduced me to the Chief of the Bulgarian Press Bureau, M. -Romakoff. I seemed to have made a good impression on the two Bulgarian -officials. They babbled away in their native tongue to M. Romakoff, -but, of course, I could not understand what they were saying, but the -upshot of the conversation was that I was addressed by the Chief of the -Press Bureau, and asked if I would like on behalf of the neutral press -to attend the Royal Banquet, which was to be given that evening. It -would be simple but historic. I trembled with excitement and joy when -I thought of the sensation that my account of the banquet would make -when it reached England. If M. Romakoff could have read my thoughts it -would not have been the banquet alone about which I trembled, but my -own execution; fortunately he was not psychic. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[Pg 167]</a></span></p> - -<p>The Director walked with me up and down the platform and showed himself -extremely friendly. I gathered that I should be one of four journalists -in the room, and I hugged myself at the thought of the surprise of -the august company when they realised that in their midst was the -representative of a hated English newspaper.</p> - -<p>I spent the intervening time between my arrival at Nish and the hour of -the banquet in walking about the town with two members of the Bulgarian -Press Bureau, who spoke excellent French. I had no idea what impression -they gleaned as to my personality. I must be a clever actor to have -disguised my excitement into even reasonable coherence.</p> - -<p>But a few weeks previously Nish had been gaily decorated with the flags -of the Entente Allies, who were expected to come to the help of poor, -suffering Serbia; yet the town seemed already to have settled down to a -comparatively contented existence. Very little damage had been done to -any of the buildings, as far as I could discover. I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[Pg 168]</a></span> was assured that -business had not been so brisk during the whole of the history of the -town. German soldiers were spending their money freely, and nearly all -the larger houses of the town had been turned into hospitals, whose -supplies were being gathered from the surrounding country.</p> - -<p>As we strolled about I noticed the departure of the Royal train and the -arrival of a munition train, including several trucks laden with Fokker -monoplanes. I do not claim to any special knowledge of aeroplanes, -but these new Fokkers struck me as having a very great wing expanse. -For the purpose of railway transport the wings were fastened back and -the engines carefully covered. A Fokker monoplane is so long that it -occupies practically the whole of two large trucks.</p> - -<h3>FOOTNOTE:</h3> - -<p><a name="Footnote_1_1" id="Footnote_1_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1_1">[1]</a> As I correct the proofs, February 15th, I read on the -authority of the <i>Morning Post’s</i> Athens correspondent, that some time -ago three of the best Bulgarian divisions on the Doiran front were -withdrawn to Sofia, where they were clothed as Germans, afterwards -returning to their stations!</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[Pg 169]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER X</h2> - -<p class="bold2">THE BANQUET AT NISH</p> - -<blockquote><p>The Banqueting Hall—A Small Gathering—The Menu—The Kaiser and -King Ferdinand—Von Falkenhayn—An Impressive Figure—The Kaiser’s -Health—His Poor Appetite—Constant Coughing—King Ferdinand’s -Triumph—The Bulgarian Princes—German Journalism—A Bombastic -Oration—“Hail, Cæsar!”—The Kaiser’s Unspoken Reply—The Hour of -“The Fox”—The End of an Historic Function—The Post Office Closed.</p></blockquote> - -<p>The Banquet was held in the Town Hall of Nish. The banqueting-room was -profusely decorated with the flags and the colours of the Germanic -Powers, although Austria is not in great evidence at Nish, having -apparently made Belgrade her headquarters. When I entered the room I -was surprised to find that the function was to be a comparatively small -one. There were not more than fifty covers, and several of the places -were empty, the actual attendance being about forty. The band of the -Life Guards, numbering about twenty, was ensconced behind palms, and -played a programme of music which is here reproduced. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[Pg 170]</a></span></p> - -<div class="center"><a name="i170.jpg" id="i170.jpg"></a><br /><img src="images/i170.jpg" alt="Programme of Music at the Nish Banquet" /></div> - -<p class="bold"><span class="smcap">Programme of Music at the Nish Banquet</span></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[Pg 171]</a></span></p> - -<p>There were three tables, forming three sides of a square; or perhaps -it would be more accurate to say, parallelogram. They were simply -decorated with roses and early spring flowers, yellow being the -predominating colour. The Banquet, of which simplicity was the -predominating feature, was served by Bulgarian soldier servants. The -menu card is reproduced here, and I append a translation.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[Pg 172]</a></span></p> - -<div class="center"><a name="i172.jpg" id="i172.jpg"></a><br /><img src="images/i172.jpg" alt="Menu at the Nish Banquet" /></div> - -<p class="bold"><span class="smcap">Menu at the Nish Banquet</span></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[Pg 173]</a></span></p> - -<p class="bold">THE KAISER’S MENU.</p> - -<p class="center"><span class="smcap">Balkan Dishes.</span></p> - -<p class="center">[<i>Translation.</i>]</p> - -<p class="center"><span class="smcap">Nish, January 18, 1916.</span></p> - -<p class="center"><span class="smcap">Royal Dinner.</span></p> - -<p>The coat of arms at the top is the Bulgarian Royal Arms of King -Ferdinand. It is embossed in the original in black, red, and gold. One -of the chains round the crest is probably that of the Golden Fleece. </p> - -<p>The dishes are as follow:</p> - -<p class="center">Chicken broth.<br /> -Trout from Lake Ochrida (west of Monastir).<br />Pilaff of lamb.<br /> -(Pilaff is a Balkan stew, with rice.)<br />Venison à la Cumberland.<br /> -(The Duke now with the enemy.)<br />Pâté de foie gras.<br /> -Fennel from Varna (Bulgaria) and endive.<br /> -(Fennel is a reedy vegetable used in salad<br /> -or cooked with butter.)<br /> -Bulgarian ice.<br />Cheese straws.<br />Dessert.</p> - -<p>As might be expected from the German military authorities, their -arrangements for the Press were excellent. Our seats were close to the -Royal party, and we had no difficulty in hearing the speeches.</p> - -<p>The Nish banquet was of the usual Royal stiffness. I should probably -have remarked many more things, but for my excitement and nervousness. -The Kaiser sat on King Ferdinand’s right, and on King Ferdinand’s<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[Pg 174]</a></span> left -sat General von Falkenhayn, the chief of the German General Staff, -whilst M. Radoslavoff, the Bulgarian premier, was placed on the right -of the Kaiser. Interested as I was in the Kaiser, I was hardly less -interested in the personality of von Falkenhayn, who is the brain of -the great German War Machine. Although a man well into the fifties, -he looks as if he had not yet crossed the half-century mark. It -would be difficult to find a man with more refined and good-looking -features. There is nothing markedly German about him, except perhaps -his thoroughness, and I obtained the impression that the Germans have -in him a war director of remarkable ability. He is trim and alert of -movement, has close-cropped grey hair, and seems the personification -of vigour, virility, and vivacity. He appears to be bearing the strain -of war and its tremendous responsibilities in a remarkable manner. -Seldom have I met a man who has struck me as being so well-fitted for -the work before him as von Falkenhayn. Whenever I looked across at him -as he sat<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[Pg 175]</a></span> chatting quite freely with the Kaiser and Ferdinand, I had -the impression that here was a man with far-reaching vision and great -executive power.</p> - -<p>I sat less than fifteen yards away from the Royal pair, and I had every -chance of observing closely each change in expression or smile that -flitted across their countenances. Now as I look back on the scene I -see the Kaiser, not only perpetually coughing, but also looking so -tired that I wonder afresh what great purpose it was that brought -him from a sick-bed in Berlin to a little Serbian town with its dim -petroleum lamps. It must have been something unusually important that -caused him to accept the Little Czar’s invitation to travel for two -days to be a guest at a dinner of forty covers. Whatever the Kaiser’s -sufferings he was obviously endeavouring to be as pleasant as possible.</p> - -<p>Everything I remember in connection with the Banquet confirms me in -my impression that the War Lord was deliberately intent, not only on -impressing King <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[Pg 176]</a></span>Ferdinand, but the members of his entourage as well, -otherwise he could never have tolerated the air of equality which the -Coburger adopted towards him. The Kaiser is by nature intolerant of -patronage or condescension on the part even of his equals, much less -would he view unmoved that of an inferior unless he had some deliberate -purpose in view. He looked a pathetic figure as he sat coughing, as -though his throat were choked with some virulent, irritating substance, -and it must have cost him a great effort to smile repeatedly as -Ferdinand leaned across and whispered something in his ear.</p> - -<p>I found myself speculating as to what was passing through the -Kaiser’s brain as he saw the yellow face, with its cunning little -slits of eyes—eyes that reminded me of a typical money-lender—of -his vain-glorious neighbour bent upon him. Try as he will, Ferdinand -of Bulgaria can never disguise the suggestion of craftiness that is -stamped upon his features. Those little eyes of his seem to be the -windows of a very dark soul, and <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[Pg 177]</a></span>behind that pepper and salt-bearded -face, with the great hawk-like nose, there is a very cunning brain at -work. From the fact that the Kaiser ate and drank practically nothing -at the Banquet I was led to believe the story that he always eats -before attending these State functions. Of course, it might have been -that he was afraid of his throat. Certainly monarch never did less -justice to an admirably-cooked meal. He did not even take wine. On -the other hand, Ferdinand ate of each and all the dishes with great -appetite, sipping his special brand of white wine with evident relish. -Of all the company he seemed best pleased with himself, and when I -noticed him studying the menu, it occurred to me that his vanity was -flattered by seeing at the top his own Royal Cypher; it was his, -Ferdinand of Bulgaria’s Banquet, and the All-Highest had journeyed for -two long days and nights in order to be present.</p> - -<p>I was glad that the Bulgar King was in a good humour, because when he -smiles the grossness of his features is less obvious. The<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[Pg 178]</a></span> contrast -between the Emperor and King was most marked, however, when they stood -up.</p> - -<p>By the side of the big, clumsy-looking Ferdinand the Kaiser appeared -almost insignificant, but it was not his size that so engrossed my -attention. All through the meal I could scarcely take my eyes from -the haggard face of the author of the world-war who, on this January -afternoon, looked so little like a war lord, as he sat apparently -coughing away his life into the Turkish woven handkerchief which he -held firmly in his right hand. His hair was terribly white, darkening -a little at the parting where the roots showed. His cheeks were -scored with many lines, and when I conjured up the vision of the -healthy-looking Kaiser I had seen eight years previously in Amsterdam, -I could not help marvelling at the change that those eight years had -wrought in him. The only thing about him that was not changed was his -upright deportment. He stood up firm and erect, just as one had seen -him taking the salute at manœuvres or when<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[Pg 179]</a></span> reviewing his Prussian -Guard. His pose was that of an Emperor, and contrasted strangely with -the heavy awkwardness of his brother monarch.</p> - -<p>Among the other guests present were the two young Bulgarian princes. -The Crown Prince Boris must have been a terrible disappointment to -his father. He is round-shouldered and thin, and might, were he not -a prince, have been aptly described as a lout. I do not think I am -prejudiced in saying that but for his clothes he might as well have -been a menial employed in his own father’s household. His expression -entirely lacked intelligence, and he looked much older than his years. -Perhaps the failings of his father, which he has possibly inherited, -may account for this worn-out appearance. He gave me the impression -of one greatly fatigued. He is far from handsome, with the big Coburg -nose, but fortunately not constructed on so large a scale as that of -his father. Prince Cyril, the younger brother, unlike Prince Boris, is -of a much better appearance, and seems more intelligent, but of neither -has<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[Pg 180]</a></span> their father any reason to be excessively proud. Both the young -princes sat between German officers, and having once been acknowledged -by the Kaiser, seemed to relapse into the insignificance for which they -were so pre-eminently fitted by nature.</p> - -<p>Perhaps one of the most amusing things in connection with the Banquet -at Nish was the report of a German paper that the Kaiser, who was in -joyous and playful mood, picked up Prince Cyril, tossed him up into the -air, and placed him on his Royal knee and kissed him. In the enthusiasm -of the moment the German journalist must have forgotten the Kaiser’s -withered arm, which would have rendered it impossible for him, however -playful his mood, to “toss” an infant of a week old. Furthermore, as -I have explained, Prince Cyril is a young man fully-grown, and of far -too loutish and uninteresting an appearance to invite the kisses even -of the diplomatic Kaiser. However much that august monarch might have -desired to propitiate the Bulgarian King, he would certainly have -stopped short of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[Pg 181]</a></span> kissing Prince Cyril. Sometimes German journalists -over-reach themselves.</p> - -<p>The speeches, which were political and bombastic in character, were -fully reported everywhere a few days after the Banquet. They were -not, as has been stated in some quarters, delivered in English. King -Ferdinand’s grandiloquent address to the Kaiser was, with the exception -of the Latin phrases, delivered exclusively in German, excellent German -by the way. The Bulgarian monarch spoke easily and without notes. He -seemed to experience no difficulty in finding words. I did not take -down the speeches, I confess that I was far too excited for that, -besides I knew that they would be distributed throughout the civilized -world through the agency of the German Press Bureau. I have referred to -the columns of <i>The Times</i> in order to refresh my memory.</p> - -<p>We were engaged with Bismarck cigars and coffee when there was a sudden -hush in the hum of conversation. The hour of the speeches had arrived. -There was a tense<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[Pg 182]</a></span> excitement as King Ferdinand rose. He did so with -the air of a man who was conscious that he had reached the one great -moment of his life. His voice was clearly heard in all parts of the -room, and his delivery was extremely good. He began by pointing out -that two hundred and fifteen years ago that day Frederick the First was -crowned King, and forty-five years ago the New Germany was founded. -To-day the Kaiser, after the glorious victory which had attended his -arms, could with safety enter the former Roman fortress of Nish. King -Ferdinand tendered his thanks to the Kaiser for his visit to the -ancient town, a visit which cemented the alliance between the two -countries.</p> - -<p>“The world,” he contended, “has learnt to appreciate with surprise and -admiration the strength of Germany and her allies, and believes in the -invincibility of the German Army under the guidance and leadership of -its Kaiser.”</p> - -<p>The King expressed the hope that 1916 might bring “lasting peace, the -sacred fruits<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[Pg 183]</a></span> of our victories, a peace which will allow my people to -co-operate in future in the work of Kultur, but, if fate should impose -upon us a continuation of the war, then my people in arms will be ready -to do its duty to the last.”</p> - -<p>At this point King Ferdinand apparently found German entirely -inadequate to the proper expression of his feelings, and that nothing -short of a classical tongue would suffice.</p> - -<p>“Ave! Imperator, Cæsar et Rex,” he burst forth, “Victor et gloriosus -es. Nissa antiqua omnes Orientis populi te salutant redemptorem, -ferentem oppressis prosperitatem atque salutem. Long live Kaiser -Wilhelm!”</p> - -<p class="center">[<i>Translation.</i>]</p> - -<p>“Hail! Emperor, Cæsar and King. Thou art victor and glorious. In -ancient Nish all the peoples of the East salute thee, the redeemer, -bringing to the oppressed prosperity and salvation.” </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[Pg 184]</a></span></p> - -<p>All this to a man who was bearing the strain of the occasion with -obvious effort. Even whilst listening to the sonorous periods that -proclaimed him Cæsar and a number of other things, he coughed into that -handkerchief with its stars and crescent.</p> - -<p>The Kaiser’s official reply, which by the way was never spoken, but was -disseminated by order of the authorities, ran as follows:—</p> - -<p>“Your Majesty has especially dwelt to-day on the three important epochs -which coincide with this day. Very often as a young man, at the side of -my grandfather, and later as ruler, I have celebrated this memorable -day, always of the same importance, surrounded by the Knights of the -Order.</p> - -<p>“Now for the second time, by God’s decision, I celebrate it in the -field, on old historic ground, a beautiful piece of country conquered -by Bulgarian bravery, received by the King amidst his brave troops and -their illustrious leaders and honoured by your Majesty with a high -order, but above all with the appointment of Colonel of the 12th Balkan -Infantry Regiment. Thus<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[Pg 185]</a></span> your Majesty has done me an honour than which -I could expect no better.</p> - -<p>“To-day you have given me the fulfilment of a long cherished wish, -and your words prove that we, in valuing this hour, are filled with -the same feelings. We have been challenged by our enemies, who envied -Germany and Austria-Hungary their peaceful and flourishing prosperity, -and in most light-hearted manner endangered the development of the -Kultur of the whole of Europe, in order to strike us and our loyal -allies at the root of our strength.</p> - -<p>“We have had a hard fight, which will soon spread further.</p> - -<p>“When Turkey was threatened by the same enemies, she joined us and in -stubborn fighting secured her world position.</p> - -<p>“Your Majesty’s prudence recognised that the hour had come for -Bulgaria, for you, to bring forward your old and good claims and -smooth the way for your brave country to a glorious future. In true -comradeship the glorious triumphal march of your Majesty’s nation in -arms began, which,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[Pg 186]</a></span> under the guidance of its illustrious War Lord, has -added one sublime leaf of glory to another in the history of Bulgaria.</p> - -<p>“In order to give visible expression to my feelings for such deeds, and -to the feelings of all Germany, I have begged your Majesty to accept -the dignity of Prussian Field-Marshal, and I am, with my Army, happy -that you, by accepting it, also in this sense, have become one of us.</p> - -<p>“With God’s gracious help great deeds have been accomplished here and -on all other fronts.</p> - -<p>“I experience feelings of the deepest gratitude to the Almighty that -it has to-day been granted me, on this historic spot, once more -consecrated with brave blood, amidst our victorious troops, to press -your Majesty’s hands and listen to your Majesty’s words, in which is -manifest the firm determination to fight for a successful and lasting -peace, and to continue the loyalty and friendship sealed in the storm -of war, in true common labour for the high task <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[Pg 187]</a></span>imposed upon us by -care for the welfare of our peoples.</p> - -<p>“With the firmest confidence I also pursue this aim, and raise my glass -to the welfare of your Majesty and your House, to the victory of the -glorious Bulgarian army and to Bulgaria’s future.”<a name="FNanchor_2_2" id="FNanchor_2_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_2_2">[2]</a></p> - -<p>The dinner was held on the two hundred and fifteenth anniversary of the -coronation of Frederick the First, and the founding by him of the order -of the Black Eagle. It is this fact that the Kaiser refers to in the -first paragraph of his reply.</p> - -<p>As a matter of fact, the only other speaker at the Banquet in addition -to King Ferdinand was Von Falkenhayn. He rose to respond briefly to -a few compliments that Ferdinand had bestowed upon him. One thing is -certain, that the Kaiser could not, had he wished, have delivered -his oration<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[Pg 188]</a></span> on account of the incessant cough which troubled him -throughout the evening.</p> - -<p>At the close of the Banquet, which was as excellently served as it -had been well-cooked, the German and Bulgarian National Anthems were -played, and the historic function, which throughout had been of an -extreme simplicity, broke up with an informality that in itself was -distinctive. Here were some of the great actors in the greatest drama -of the world’s history performing, not for the benefit of the worthy -citizens of the equally worthy little Serbian town of Nish, but for -the people of the whole civilised world. My last impression of the two -chief characters was that of Ferdinand, with a cunning gleam in his -little slits of eyes, clasping the Kaiser’s right hand in both of his -own. Was it to cement some important pledge, or was it merely warmth -of feeling on the part of him who had earned the name of “The Fox” I -wonder!</p> - -<p>Immediately I left the Town Hall I dashed off in company with the other -journalists to the post office, in the hope of being<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[Pg 189]</a></span> able to get my -narrative off to London <i>via</i> the neutral country to which I belong; -but I had reckoned without the German press censors, who no doubt -inspired their Bulgarian brethren to close the telegraph office so that -nothing should leave Nish without first having been submitted to the -Bureau. But I felt that my news would wait, and I determined to catch -the Balkan Express to Vienna.</p> - -<p>Since my return to England I have received many messages full of the -kindest congratulations upon my account of the Banquet at Nish. I do -not wish to pose as a hero who does not understand the meaning of fear. -Not even the Kaiser himself was more uncomfortable than I. What I ate -I do not know. I suppose I did eat. I was fully conscious that were I -recognised by one of the numerous Secret Service officers about the -Kaiser, or by any other person who had happened to see me during one -of my previous visits, either to Germany or the Near East, there would -have been a short and simple ceremony by the wall of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[Pg 190]</a></span> Town Hall, in -which a firing party and myself would have been the protagonists.</p> - -<p>As I left the Banqueting Hall I felt as Alexander must have felt -at the thought of there being no more countries to conquer. I had -achieved, by a wonderful combination of circumstances, what I had -never dreamed of achieving, and now all I desired was to get back to -England to tell the whole story. I began to be in terror of discovery; -such a trick on the part of Fate would be a supreme effort of irony. -Only one thing remained for me to do, and that was to get back with -the utmost possible expedition, but as it turned out I had yet other -experiences. I was to travel to Vienna by the famous Balkan Express, -the “Balkan-Zug,” as it is known to the Germans, which connects Berlin -and Vienna with Constantinople.</p> - -<h3>FOOTNOTE:</h3> - -<p><a name="Footnote_2_2" id="Footnote_2_2"></a><a href="#FNanchor_2_2">[2]</a> The author’s acknowledgments are due to the editor of <i>The -Times</i>, from which the speeches are quoted, and to Reuter’s Agency for -permission to quote the Kaiser’s reply.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[Pg 191]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER XI</h2> - -<p class="bold2">THE BALKAN EXPRESS</p> - -<blockquote><p>Existence of the Balkan-Zug Denied—A Great Strategical -Factor—The Publicity Train—German Economy—I Join the -Balkan-Zug at Nish—King Ferdinand a Fellow-Passenger—His -Condescension—Excellent Food—Ruined Belgrade—Arrival at Buda -Pesth—A Tremendous Ovation—Russian Prisoners at Work—Arrival at -Vienna—Another Tremendous Reception—Remarkable Punctuality.</p></blockquote> - -<p>I have seen it stated in <i>Le Temps</i> that the Balkan Express does not -exist, that it is a bluff on the part of the Germans. I really cannot -understand how a responsible editor of an influential paper can make -such an assertion without first ascertaining whether or no he be -writing the truth. Does he realise that he is misleading the people, -which is calculated to do very serious harm to the cause of the Allies? -The importance of the existence of this Balkan Express cannot be -exaggerated, and its usefulness should not be under-estimated. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[Pg 192]</a></span></p> - -<p>First of all, the Balkan Express <i>does</i> exist, as I have travelled -by it myself. It is one of the most perfectly-organised railway -services I have ever seen, and I have seen many. This service -enables the Germans to transfer all sorts of <i>matériel</i> to and from -Berlin to Constantinople, and is therefore one of a series of great -factors in the present war. By its aid German troops can be rushed to -Constantinople within 56 hours, and from there transferred to whatever -front most needs them.</p> - -<p>It took me five days to travel from Vienna to Constantinople, along a -miserable route, changing trains frequently. On my return journey I -entered my compartment in the train at Nish and never left it until I -reached my destination, Vienna, and that within 40 hours.</p> - -<p>The Germans themselves are by no means eager that their foes should -appreciate the great value, to them, of the Balkan Express. If the -Allies can be made to believe that it does not exist they will in -consequence become re-assured as to German plans in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[Pg 193]</a></span> Near East, -and thus unconsciously aid those same plans by not being in a position -to upset them. The Germans have great ambitions as regards, not only -the Near East but the Far East also, and much of their energy is at -present concentrated upon the realisation of those ambitions in Turkey, -the Balkans, and Asia Minor. “To Egypt!” is something more than a mere -political cry.</p> - -<p>The Germans have strength, resources, and a grim determination to -materialise those ambitions which shall strike at the power of the -hated English in what they conceive to be its most vulnerable point, -the Suez Canal. Nothing would please them better than, by virtue -of misrepresentation of the true situation in the countries of the -Entente Powers, that they should be enabled to spring a great and -dramatic surprise upon their enemies. That is why I write feelingly -about the statement to which I refer above. The Balkan Express will -in all probability become one of the great factors in the situation -in the Near East. It must be remembered that it is something<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[Pg 194]</a></span> more -than a train for the conveyance of passengers. It will become in all -probability of great strategical importance. I had seen it suggested in -British as well as foreign newspapers that the Balkan-Constantinople -Railway is not working properly; the following account, I think, will -be something of a revelation to many of the doubters.</p> - -<p>The Balkan Express is the show train of the world. Never has there been -a train with such grave responsibilities. It might well be called “the -Publicity Train,” for its object at present is to advertise German -victory and German thoroughness. Later it has sterner work to do. It -is probably the handsomest train in Europe, and beyond doubt has been -designed by the Germans with the object of impressing the thousands -of people of various nationalities who gaze on it in wonder twice a -week on its way from Berlin to Constantinople and twice a week from -Constantinople to Berlin. The admiration of the Turks is tempered with -alarm, for the Turk is no fool, and he sees that the efficiency which -has enabled the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[Pg 195]</a></span> Germans to reach Turkey may be the very barrier that -hinders them from ever leaving it.</p> - -<p>The Balkan-Zug, as it is called in the Central Empires, is, however, -a source of unqualified delight to Germans, Austrians, Hungarians, -Bulgarians, and the rest of the people who see it on its journey. -Its name is blazoned in three-foot letters on each wagon. Engine and -carriages are decorated with flags and flowers, and every passenger -wears in his buttonhole a German flag on which appear the words -“Balkan-Zug” and the date.</p> - -<p>I had originally intended to join the Balkan Express at Constantinople, -but as it would not be starting for two or three days I had booked my -place upon it, securing my ticket at Constantinople, with the intention -of boarding it at Belgrade, but circumstances had decided otherwise. -When purchasing my ticket I had an illustration of the seriousness of -the money question in Constantinople. Eight months previously when I -was there gold was given at the banks in return for cheques, that, -however, had developed into a shortage not only of gold but of silver, -as I have explained, and for my ticket which really cost 870 piastres -(£8), I had to pay the equivalent of £12 about, owing to the decrease -in value of the Turkish £. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[Pg 196]</a></span></p> - -<div class="center"><a name="i196.jpg" id="i196.jpg"></a><br /><img src="images/i196.jpg" alt="My Ticket for the First Balkan Express" /></div> - -<p class="bold"><span class="smcap">My Ticket for the First Balkan Express to run from<br /> -Constantinople To Berlin and Vienna</span></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[Pg 197]</a></span></p> - -<p>My ticket for the Balkan Express, the outside of which is reproduced -here, is an illustration of German economy and also of German -fallibility. Surely a nation that is spending millions of money -each day to achieve its object could have afforded the few hundred -marks required for printing a special ticket for the Balkan-Zug. The -tickets are the old sleeping-car tickets in German, with the words -“Balkan-Express” printed across in English. Possibly this is due to a -breakdown on the part of the printer entrusted with the preparation of -the new ticket, but it would certainly have been more in keeping with -German methods had there been prepared not only an elaborate ticket -but a souvenir of the journey. It must be remembered that this was the -first<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[Pg 198]</a></span> journey of the Balkan Express west, that is, from Constantinople -to Berlin, and consequently it was historic.</p> - -<p>After the Banquet I strolled about the town, then going to the railway -station gathered together my possessions and waited. The Balkan-Zug was -late. Night was upon us before it drew into Nish station, an impressive -affair consisting of four sleeping cars, one dining-car, and one -ordinary first and second class car. As it steamed into the station the -German, Bulgarian, and Austrian National Anthems were played, and King -Ferdinand and his two unprepossessing sons entered before the rest of -the passengers. This was an interesting event also for the passengers -from Constantinople, who leaned out of the windows, keenly interested.</p> - -<p>The Kaiser had disappeared immediately after the Banquet, just as the -Kaiser always does disappear, suddenly and mysteriously, no one knowing -why or whither. Unceremoniously his Bulgarian Majesty climbed into the -train, and we, the smaller fry, followed after him, I feeling rather -like the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[Pg 199]</a></span> camel of whom it is said that his supercilious air is the -outcome of knowing the hundredth great secret of the Universe, whereas -man knows only ninety-nine.</p> - -<p>In the course of the evening King Ferdinand, without ceremony, entered -all the compartments in the train and made a few general remarks to -each person separately. He seemed desirous of displaying his Royal -person. He was a king and a factor in the great political situation, -and he seemed equally determined that no one on the Balkan-Zug should -be allowed to remain in ignorance of that very important fact.</p> - -<p>In the carriage next to mine there was traveling the Baroness von -Wangenheim, the widow of the late German Ambassador at Constantinople, -and with her were her three little daughters, whom Ferdinand took on -his knees and fondled. It was obvious that he was mightily pleased -with himself. When he waddled into my compartment we rose, clicked -heels, and bowed. He graciously gave us the Royal consent to be seated, -and spoke a few words to a <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[Pg 200]</a></span>Hungarian, who was one of the party, in -his own tongue. This man afterwards told me that the King spoke the -Hungarian language like a native. It is well known that Ferdinand is -an excellent linguist. The other passengers in my compartment were two -German flying-men in Turkish uniforms, who with ten others that were in -the train had been suddenly recalled from Constantinople to take part, -it was said, in forthcoming air raids on England. These raids, by the -way, duly took place, and according to German official accounts reduced -industrial England to a pile of ruins!</p> - -<p>King Ferdinand adopts quite the Kaiser’s method of speech. He accepts -the Almighty as an ally. “Thanks to God,” he said, “Who greatly helped -us we can travel from West to East through conquered territory in a -few days. We are going further. Give my Royal salute to all the people -of your home country.” He then withdrew, and we permitted ourselves to -relax our spines.</p> - -<p>On the Balkan Express the food is infinitely better than can be -obtained in <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[Pg 201]</a></span>Constantinople, Vienna, or Berlin. It may almost be said -of the Germans that they have one eye on God and the other eye on -advertisement in case of accidents. I felt convinced that the food -on the Balkan Express was superior merely for advertising purposes. -Bread-tickets are unknown, and for a mark I had an early breakfast of -coffee, rolls, butter and marmalade without stint.</p> - -<p>It was about ten o’clock at night when we reached Belgrade, which, as I -have said, I was particularly anxious to see. On inquiry I found that -the Balkan Express was to remain there for an hour and a half, and, -determined not to be disappointed, I left the station to stroll around -the town, or rather the ruins of the town.</p> - -<p>Some idea of the accuracy of modern artillery fire may be gleaned from -the fact that the besieging Austrian gunners were able to aim with -such precision that not one shell had fallen on the railway station. -It must be remembered that they were firing from the other side of the -Danube at its widest part. The Austrian Staff had obviously<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[Pg 202]</a></span> realised -that their advancing army would have need of the railway as soon as the -Serbians had been forced back, and doubtless the artillery had been -instructed at all costs to spare this important point. The remarkable -thing, however, is that houses within a few yards of the station itself -have been absolutely destroyed, yet there was not so much as a mark -that I was able to see upon any of the station buildings themselves.</p> - -<p>The Kaiser had already been in Belgrade, and the German Wireless Agency -took occasion to inform the world at large that “Since the days of -Barbarossa, who on a crusade to the Holy Land held a review of over -100,000 German Knights in Belgrade, no German Emperor has set foot on -Belgrade’s citadel until that day, when the German Emperor arrived in -splendid weather and was greeted by an Austro-Hungarian guard of honour -and military music, shouting, and the roar of cannon.</p> - -<p>“The Emperor visited the new railway bridge, and then went amongst the -festively-clad population, who freely moved about,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[Pg 203]</a></span> and afterwards -rode to Kalimegdan, the excursion resort. The Emperor afterwards held -a review of the German troops, which crossed the Danube, and addressed -them with a speech thanking them, and felicitating them on their -extraordinary exploits. The Kaiser personally delivered Iron Crosses to -the soldiers.”</p> - -<p>To me it seemed only a few days before that Belgrade had fallen into -the hands of the Huns, yet already the river was spanned by a wonderful -new wooden bridge, such as could not be constructed in a few weeks, or -months, for that matter. In all probability this and many other bridges -had been built years back in preparation for the great struggle that -Germany and Austria alone knew was impending. This was no temporary -makeshift, but as good as the fine American trestle-bridges in use on -the best American railways.</p> - -<p>The Germans seemed to be prepared for everything; in particular are -they prepared against England, their most hated foe. I wish that I -could get Englishmen to ponder<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[Pg 204]</a></span> over this, to them, vital fact. Had -there been an invasion of England, a thing which now fortunately seems -impossible, the truth would have been brought home to that country with -tragic suddenness. Germans were not only ready for war, but as the war -progresses they are ceaselessly improving their <i>matériel</i>. Everywhere -I went I saw evidences of this.</p> - -<p>As I returned to the station, having just seen the terrible fate that -had overtaken the Serbian capital, I could not help wondering why it is -that England seems incapable of appreciating her danger. I refer, of -course, to the population in general, for many of those in high places, -I am convinced, have no illusions as to the political and strategical -situation.</p> - -<p>I had been somewhat surprised to find that the Balkan-Zug had not -received its usual enthusiastic reception at Belgrade. Possibly this -may have been because of the late hour of its arrival, but more likely -because the civil population of the town has practically ceased to -exist. Belgrade is now<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[Pg 205]</a></span> the Austrian main headquarters on that front, -and is essentially a military town.</p> - -<p>We drew out of the station shortly before midnight, and arrived at Buda -Pesth between nine and ten o’clock the next morning. In the Hungarian -capital the Publicity Train received a tremendous reception—ovation -would be a better word. At the Nord Bahnhof there was an enormous -crowd, the greatest I have ever seen at a railway station. The -excitable Hungarians tumbled over each other in their anxiety to get -near the Zug. Wine was brought for the engine driver and fireman, -and the passengers, with their little Balkan-Zug flags in their coat -buttonholes, were promptly lionised, and—for once in their lives at -least—experienced the sensation of being popular heroes. The crowd -patted them on the back, insisted on shaking hands with them, cooed -over them, crowed over them, and laughed with hysterical joy. What -pleasure can possibly accrue to a man leaning out of a railway-carriage -window from shaking hands with entire strangers, I cannot <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[Pg 206]</a></span>possibly -conceive; yet it seemed to give intense satisfaction alike to the -passengers and the populace.</p> - -<p>At Buda Pesth the Balkan-Zug was tidied and made presentable. Windows -were cleaned by men having little ladders, and the compartments and -corridors swept. To my great surprise I found that this work was being -done by big, bearded men in Russian uniforms. I spoke to one or two of -them, but they had very few words of German. They explained that they -were Russian prisoners. I was surprised that they had with them no -guards of any description, and appeared to be without supervision. I -commented on the fact to a fellow passenger, the Hungarian I mentioned -before, who told me that the men were left entirely to themselves, and -that they were too content with their lot to wish to make any endeavour -to escape. He said they were kindly treated, and always expressed -their satisfaction at being where they were, and much preferred it to -returning to Russia to fight. I was under no illusion on this score, -however. A<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[Pg 207]</a></span> Russian private soldier is not such a fool as to imagine -that he stands the least possible chance of escape from an enemy -country when he has at his command only a few words of the language in -use in that country. Probably the Russians found that the best way to -ensure good treatment was to simulate entire content.</p> - -<p>Advertising by train is nothing particularly new. I have seen it -done in Canada and the United States of America; but advertising -victory by train is about the most convincing method of spreading the -splendid news that I have ever encountered. Everybody who has seen the -Balkan-Zug will tell everybody else that they have done so, not once, -but many times. These persons in turn will tell others, embroidering -the story somewhat, and so the ball will go on for ever rolling. The -Balkan-Zug is photographed and described in countless journals, and it -appears on myriads of post-cards. I have never seen such enthusiasm -in England except in connection with some famous football player, the -idol of a crowd numbering<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[Pg 208]</a></span> fifty or sixty thousand persons. It would be -invidious to draw a comparison between German and English methods in -this respect.</p> - -<p>At Buda Pesth the Publicity Train divided itself into two parts. -Another beflagged locomotive appeared, like a bridegroom seeking his -bride: in this case it was only half a bride. One half of the train -goes to Berlin and the other half to Vienna. As it was my object to -get to England as speedily as possible, in order to give my account of -the Kaiser’s health and King Ferdinand’s famous Banquet to <i>The Daily -Mail</i>, I determined to go to Vienna. I was one of the very few of the -passengers going to the Austrian capital. The officers and the flying -men proceeded to Berlin. Those of us who had come from Constantinople -were looking forward to somewhat improved food, which we hoped to -obtain in Vienna. As yet the newly-opened line to Constantinople has -had time merely to take the Balkan-Zug and the military trains carrying -army supplies, men, and munitions<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[Pg 209]</a></span> for the Baghdad, the Caucasus, or -the Egyptian ventures, possibly for all. My last glimpse of the Berlin -half of the Balkan-Zug was of the still hysterical mass of people -endeavouring to buy the little flags worn by the passengers. Later, in -Vienna, I was offered 20 kronen (about 16s.) for mine, but I refused -it. Subsequently I was offered a much larger sum.</p> - -<p>During the journey to Vienna I talked with a Turkish gentleman and his -wife and daughter. I was greatly amused to hear that, although the -women had left Constantinople veiled and dressed in Eastern costume, -as soon as they crossed the border both put on European clothes and -dropped the veil. They expressed the opinion that now the Germans had -opened up Turkey with the famous railway, the state of semi-starvation -in Constantinople would cease. Personally, I had doubts, which I -tactfully refrained from expressing.</p> - -<p>I had seen Germany in war time and been in several of its principal -towns, and I knew that, whatever the German newspapers may<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[Pg 210]</a></span> tell to -the world, there is no surplus food in any part of the country that -I had visited. The old Turkish gentleman was shrewd and kindly, and -he expressed his regret at the closing of all the French schools in -Constantinople. He volunteered the information that, in order that his -son should not absorb the principles of German militarism, he had sent -him to be educated at a school in French Switzerland.</p> - -<p>Vienna gave the train what the newspapers call a rousing reception. -Even the official mind gave way before it, and the Custom House -officers and other functionaries spared us the usual examination and -interrogation. Not even our passports were examined. I came to the -conclusion that there was great virtue in being a traveller by the -first Balkan-Zug running from Constantinople to Vienna. Knowing, -however, the ways of the military authorities in the war zone, and that -later on I should be obliged to prove my arrival in Vienna, I insisted -on having my papers stamped by<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[Pg 211]</a></span> the military authorities at the railway -station.</p> - -<p>At Vienna tickets were collected from the passengers as they left the -station. I had determined to make a great effort to retain mine, of -all my papers the most important next to my passport. As I was about -to pass through the barrier, an official held out his hand for my -ticket. I explained to him that as I had been a passenger on the Balkan -Express I was anxious for sentimental reasons to retain it. I gilded -my remarks with a tip of five kronen, which seemed to satisfy him, as -he very kindly tore off a portion of the ticket and returned to me the -remainder. But for this official venality I should not have been able -to reproduce this valuable evidence in this volume.</p> - -<p>My journey from Vienna to Constantinople by way of Bucharest had -occupied five days. The opening of the direct Vienna-Constantinople -line reduces this to two nights and two days—50 hours, to be exact. -Even now the train arrives at the various<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[Pg 212]</a></span> stations with remarkable -punctuality, always within five minutes of the scheduled time, which in -itself is a triumph for German organisation.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[Pg 213]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER XII</h2> - -<p class="bold2">FRENCH THOROUGHNESS</p> - -<blockquote><p>I Leave Vienna—I am Ordered Back—I Risk Proceeding on My -Journey—A Friendly Hungarian Officer—Over the Swiss Frontier—My -Frankness My Undoing—The French Super-Official—I am Detained -Somewhere in France—My Protests Unavailing—I am Suspected of -the Plague—Left Behind—<i>The Daily Mail</i> to the Rescue—Profuse -Apologies—I Proceed to Paris—“You Will Never Convince -England”—London at Last—Rest.</p></blockquote> - -<p>I had only four hours in Vienna, and in that time there was a great -deal to do, which I had better not detail here lest I get someone into -trouble. The train for Feldkirch, the station on the Austrian-Swiss -frontier from which I had set out a few weeks previously, was just on -the point of starting when I climbed into the carriage, my hand luggage -being bundled in behind me.</p> - -<p>I was beginning to breathe more freely now that I was on my way to -a neutral country. At the end of about an hour,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[Pg 214]</a></span> when I really felt -justified in congratulating myself upon being practically safe, an -official came through to my compartment of the train, asking to see -the passport of each passenger. He examined mine with that slow and -irritating deliberation peculiar to these officials, and, looking up -suddenly, said:</p> - -<p>“This has not been signed by the police.”</p> - -<p>“What police?” I inquired.</p> - -<p>“The police of Vienna,” he responded.</p> - -<p>“Surely that is not necessary,” I remarked. “I only arrived by the -Balkan Express at three o’clock, and had my passport stamped at the -station.” It will be remembered that I had insisted upon this being -done, foreseeing possible difficulties.</p> - -<p>“I am afraid,” he said, “that you will have to get out at the next -station and go back.” He was extremely polite, but very firm.</p> - -<p>I said that I was just returning from a most important visit, and -showed him the document which I had obtained at the War Office (the -Kriegsministerium Pressbureau)<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[Pg 215]</a></span> in Vienna, and which had already many -times saved the situation.</p> - -<p>“Well, if you can satisfy the frontier authorities,” he replied, “I -have nothing to say.”</p> - -<p>I became very uneasy, but I decided to proceed. It would indeed be -an irony if I were to be discovered within hail of safety. I slept -very little that night, and when we arrived at Feldkirch, on the -following afternoon, I braced myself up for a final struggle with the -authorities. I looked about me anxiously to see if the official whom -I had encountered in the train had come on to Feldkirch, and I was -greatly relieved that he was nowhere to be seen.</p> - -<p>We were all ushered into a large waiting-room, the same waiting-room -that I had entered a few weeks previously when setting out on my -journey. One by one the other passengers were admitted to the adjoining -room, just as they had been admitted previously, and at the same -table were to be seen five military officers, smoking, and sitting in -judgment. As I entered the room<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[Pg 216]</a></span> I felt like a prisoner going up the -steps to the dock at the Old Bailey to receive sentence.</p> - -<p>However, the good fortune that has attended me throughout my journey -did not desert me at the last moment, for my examining officer was a -very nice young Hungarian, who was so interested in the narrative of -my journey, and what I had seen in Constantinople, that he subjected -my papers to a very cursory examination. The papers themselves were, -thanks to my careful precautions, in perfect order save for the absence -of the ridiculous and unnecessary superscription by the police at -Vienna. This young officer then accompanied me to the train, gave me -his card, and asked me to look him up next time I was in Buda Pesth. -Needless to say I shall not do so, but he was not in the least to blame -for passing me through. The worst he could have done would have been to -send me back to Vienna that my passport might be signed by the police, -and my friend the Hofrat<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[Pg 217]</a></span> would have seen that no difficulty would be -allowed to arise in that direction.</p> - -<p>Once over the frontier at Buchs in Switzerland, I breathed as a -prisoner might be expected to breathe on regaining his freedom. For -seven weeks I had been in constant danger of discovery, and during -that time I had been forced to act and dissimulate, and for ever -watch myself and others lest some chance remark of mine might arouse -suspicion in the minds of those about me. The mental strain had been -tremendous, and this had reacted upon the body, for during those seven -weeks I lost more than a stone in weight.</p> - -<p>I do not think that I am a coward, at least not a greater coward than -the average man, but I was greatly delighted to find myself safe once -more. No one who has not been through such an experience as mine can -understand the feeling of elation and delight that comes with the -knowledge that at last he is absolutely a free man.</p> - -<p>My journey from Constantinople to Switzerland had probably established -a record,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[Pg 218]</a></span> at least since the beginning of the war; but, alas! my -future progress was not to be so rapid. The officials at the French -frontier were far more exacting than those of the enemy country through -which I had passed, and I cheerfully tender this tribute as to their -efficiency, although at the same time I should like them to know that -they caused me considerable inconvenience. At Berne I had to wait -four hours for the train, which no longer goes direct to Paris, the -passengers having to change at Pontarlier. On the previous occasion -when I had travelled by that route the train had travelled direct from -Berne to Paris. The reason for this change I discovered was that it had -been found that spies secreted documents in the carriages before being -personally examined, and when they were “passed” they recovered their -missing papers and continued the journey with the documents upon them. -Accordingly the authorities very wisely so arranged it that passengers -had to change trains at Pontarlier on the Swiss-French frontier. It -will be seen that cleverness and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[Pg 219]</a></span> subtlety are not the monopoly of the -Germans.</p> - -<p>At one time Pontarlier looked like being the Waterloo of my little -trip. By certain means—which it is not my intention to disclose—I -had placed myself in a position that I could verify every stage of -my journey by documents, which I intended to produce should the -Germans deny the veracity of my statements, or should my truthfulness -be questioned in other quarters. Knowing the Germans as I do, I am -convinced that Dr. Hammann, the head of the German Press Bureau, would -adopt one of two courses. He would either forbid the publication in the -German newspapers of a single word of my story, or he would frankly -challenge its accuracy. Apparently he has chosen the former course, as -not a word about it has appeared in any German paper, or Austrian, for -that matter, most of which I see. The German accounts of the Banquet at -Nish represent the Kaiser as in a merry mood. What a travesty of truth!</p> - -<p>As I was now in France, and conscious<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[Pg 220]</a></span> of my own sympathies with the -Allies, I thought that there would be no harm in disclosing the whole -of my documents. Accordingly when my turn came to be examined by the -<i>commissaire</i>, I said straight out that I had come from Constantinople. -Instead of being hailed as a hero, I was given to understand, albeit -politely, that in all probability I had adopted this course of showing -all my papers because I was not merely a spy, but a super-spy, who -had conceived the brilliant idea that the best plan of getting past -the French authorities was to affect an attitude of colossal candour. -In vain I protested and expostulated. In vain I pointed out that it -was essential that I should arrive in London with the utmost possible -expedition. I suggested that if they distrusted me they could send -with me an official, every official they possessed for that matter, -whose expenses I would pay to Paris, where they could easily satisfy -themselves at the Paris office of <i>The Daily Mail</i> that I was what I -represented myself to be. Talk of German thoroughness, German<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[Pg 221]</a></span> caution, -and German patriotism! The Germans have much to learn from those -excessively courteous but severe French officials, who cannot be won -over by the flattery which goes so far in Germany. If the official I -had encountered thought that I was a super-spy, I am convinced that he -was a super-official. Now that it is all over I have for him nothing -but admiration, but at the time his persistent courtesy made me feel -that I should like to hit him.</p> - -<p>Nothing would satisfy him but that I should be stripped, and this -fact he conveyed to me in the most courteous phraseology, at which I -suggested with some acerbity that he would still be courteous even were -he leading me to the guillotine! None the less, stripped I had to be.</p> - -<p>My collection of papers, which has proved a source of such interest to -so many distinguished and highly placed people in this country, was -minutely examined, and certain maps and other important documents, -whose interest is rather military than journalistic, were temporarily -taken from me.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[Pg 222]</a></span> I was in a panic of anxiety. The minutes were passing, -and the time for the Paris train to start was drawing near. I implored -the authorities to telephone to Paris, and then it was that they -played their trump card. They intimated that seeing I had come through -Austria, and understanding that the Plague was prevalent in Hungary, -they felt obliged to detain me for medical examination next morning. It -was then midnight. Neither my expostulations nor my entreaties produced -the least effect upon the impassively polite Frenchman. I verily -believe that had there been no Plague in Hungary as an excuse for my -detention, that they would have had me examined for foot-and-mouth -disease, glanders, or rinderpest. One of the most anguishing moments -of my life was when I heard the Paris express slowly moving out of the -station. I, of all the passengers, being the only one left behind, and -I of all the passengers the one in the greatest hurry to get to Paris.</p> - -<p>Soon philosophy came to my aid, and I argued that how like life it -was. After the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[Pg 223]</a></span> many risks that I had run in enemy countries, where I -had never been even detained by the officials, here was I, immediately -on getting to what should have been friendly soil, being examined and -cross-examined and re-examined again and again by officials whose every -word spoke suspicion. I had been equal to every previous examination -to which I had been subjected, and here was I stranded at the very -moment of success in the country of one of the Allies for whom I had so -great an admiration. “<i>Gott im Himmel!</i>” I muttered, “spare me from my -friends.”</p> - -<p>Within a few minutes of the departure of the train there came a reply -by telephone from Paris guaranteeing my integrity, accompanied by -a request that every possible facility should be given to me. This -produced an official <i>volte face</i>. The courtesy remained the same, but -there were full and adequate apologies. The French authorities seemed -genuinely distressed at the inconvenience they had caused me. Indeed, -nothing could be more kindly and courteous<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[Pg 224]</a></span> than the treatment I -received at Pontarlier. In spite of the delay that these men had caused -me, I respected them for their thoroughness. It is better in war time -to err, if error there must be, on the side of caution.</p> - -<p>I doubt if I could have written these friendly words at the time. I -was feeling too irritated to recognise virtue in anyone, least of all -in a French official. There was no train until five o’clock the next -afternoon, and that, I was informed, was an omnibus train, stopping at -every station between Pontarlier and Dijon.</p> - -<p>By taking it rather than wait for the later express, I was informed, -I should save two hours on the road to Paris. The Hotel de la Poste, -at Pontarlier, had long since been asleep, but I aroused it, delighted -at the opportunity of myself being able to inconvenience somebody -else, and I spent a wretched night of chagrin and worry. Would there -be further difficulties? Should I ever get to London? Should I for any -possible reason be detained in Paris? It<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">[Pg 225]</a></span> must be remembered that I had -a great story burning in my brain. None but a journalist can understand -that instinct which prompts a man who has obtained “good copy” to dash -for the nearest point where that copy can be turned into print.</p> - -<p>Only those who have moved about in war time with documents and maps in -their possession have the least conception of the difficulties that -arise with the authorities, who naturally have every reason to be -suspicious.</p> - -<p>It was at three o’clock in the afternoon on January 25th, exactly a -week after the historic Banquet at Nish, that I reached London, and -without a pause proceeded to the offices of <i>The Daily Mail</i>, where I -had scarcely sufficient strength to write the account of my meeting -with the Kaiser at Nish. I then made for my hotel, enjoyed a luxurious -bath, and a long, long sleep. I was utterly exhausted.</p> - -<p>It must be remembered that I had been travelling continuously for a -week, that is, from the evening of the Banquet at Nish,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">[Pg 226]</a></span> January 18th, -until three o’clock on the afternoon of the 25th. In Serbia and Austria -all the sleeping-cars had been requisitioned by the authorities, which -added greatly to the fatigues of travel; but I had the satisfaction of -knowing that I had carried out my instructions, and had brought back -what I had been told to bring back—a living story.</p> - -<p>I have had the satisfaction of opening the eyes of the British public -to the strange migration of Germans to the Near East. I can tell them -with a conviction, that with me is almost passionate, that unless the -Allies obtain a smashing victory, the German occupation of Asia Minor -will threaten England’s hold on India, England’s hold on Egypt, the -Russian security in the Caucasus, and will open up to Germany a vast -granary that will completely destroy the effect of the British Blockade -and alter the whole history of the world. I am not an alarmist, I am a -journalist who has seen many strange things, things which no other man -of either a neutral or Entente Power<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">[Pg 227]</a></span> has seen, and being a journalist -I understand to some extent the relation of cause and effect. “You will -never convince England of her danger,” someone recently remarked to me. -“But why?” I asked; “what possible object can I have in exaggerating -or lying? I am not a politician, I am not even an Englishman, and -certainly I feel very deeply the danger the Entente cause is running, -owing to the spell of apathy that seems to have fallen upon certain -sections of the public.” My friend’s reply was a smile.</p> - -<p>It has been a great pleasure to me, too, to be the instrument of -showing how a highly organised newspaper can act as an effective means -of obtaining information for a nation at war. The police of this -country have long since recognised the value of the Press in detecting -crime, and I think the Government will now have an equal respect for -the journalist as a secret service agent, albeit an honorary one. I -know of at least one newspaper that has a most wonderful organisation -in the enemy countries for <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">[Pg 228]</a></span>securing information, and that organisation -is not excelled by any Government of the Entente Powers.</p> - -<p>One word of warning to British officials at present occupying posts -as Consuls and Ministers. They must appreciate the fact that this -war concerns their country’s very existence, and they must not allow -themselves to be lulled to a false security by mendacious statements -that appear in the press. One distinguished English diplomatist in -a neutral country, a man whose name is well known in the diplomatic -world, said to me only a few weeks ago, “And do those silly Germans -really think they are going to win?” and his remark was accompanied by -a superior and incredulous smile.</p> - -<p>“Why, of course, they do,” I replied, “and unless England wakes up -perhaps they will.” I felt annoyed with the man.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">[Pg 229]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER XIII</h2> - -<p class="bold2">THE GERMAN MENACE</p> - -<blockquote><p>After Thoughts—The Great Factor—National Service—False Ideals -as to the German Soldier—The Danger of Under-estimating Germany’s -Resources—Great Britain’s Helpers—Crush the German—“Wait Till -We Get to England.”</p></blockquote> - -<p>Now that I am back in London quietly meditating on my recent -experiences, I cannot help feeling ill at ease. I see in my mind’s eye -once more, just as if I were sitting at a kinematograph show, those -thousands of young, sturdy-looking Germans on their way to the Near -East. I see the magnificent new bridges and the reconstructed tunnels -in Serbia. I hear the crowds at different stations cheer the Balkan -Express on its way back to Berlin. “Are people in this country,” I ask -myself, “fully aware of the seriousness of the present situation? Does -the Government of this country fully realise that unless the British -Fleet be left to show its might in cutting off what<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">[Pg 230]</a></span> is the food of the -German War-Machine, the war itself cannot be brought to a successful -issue?”</p> - -<p>Great changes have taken place since I left London at the beginning of -November. On my return I find that National Service has been adopted by -the Government and accepted by the people. To me this was the best news -I had heard for many months. A step nearer victory, I told myself.</p> - -<p>At last the British people have realised that compulsion to defend -the country of their birth is no disgrace, and they have learned that -it in no way threatens their personal liberty. The French and Dutch, -to mention two countries famed for their love of independence and -liberty, never have and never will consider it against their freedom -to be compelled to learn how to defend themselves in the hour of need. -An Englishman does not consider it a disgrace to be compelled to pay -his rates and taxes; why should it be regarded as anything but an -honour, and a very great honour, to be compelled to defend the greatest -freedom<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">[Pg 231]</a></span> that subjects of any country have ever known—to give up his -life for his Motherland?</p> - -<p>The adoption of the National Service Scheme has caused me the liveliest -possible satisfaction, but there is still another danger to be met -by, not only the British people, but the British Government itself; -that is, the under-estimation of the power and resources of the German -menace. The misleading statements which for the past year have figured -in many English journals, to the effect that men of fifty and boys of -fifteen are sent to the front on account of the exhaustion of German -man power, have done incalculable harm in convincing thousands of -people that the end of the war is at hand, and that the end will be -victory for the Entente Powers. The Germans have now been fighting for -eighteen months, and they are very far from being beaten.</p> - -<p>A man may, to his own entire satisfaction, come to the conclusion that -given the Spring and sufficient munitions that the German resistance -will crumble. The <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_232" id="Page_232">[Pg 232]</a></span>German resistance will never crumble; it will fight -as fine a defensive campaign as it has fought a series of offensive -campaigns. To under-rate an enemy is to undermine your own chances of -victory.</p> - -<p>Shortly after my return to England I was talking with a Frenchman who -for some time has lived in this country. He seemed to be convinced that -the Germans had only old men and boys in the trenches in France, and -that they were a mere army of cowards.</p> - -<p>“If that be the case,” I replied, “if they really are an army of -cowards who throw down their arms and hold up their hands as soon as -they are attacked, then why does not the glorious French Army hurl them -back across the Rhine?”</p> - -<p>To this my friend made no reply. I relate the incident merely to show -how many excellent people hypnotise themselves into the belief that -the Germans are cowards. Any British “Tommy” who has participated in -an attack on the German trenches, or who has helped to hold the lines -against a German onslaught, will confirm me in my<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_233" id="Page_233">[Pg 233]</a></span> opinion that the -Germans are very far indeed from being cowards.</p> - -<p>It will aid the Allies nothing to underestimate German cunning and -German efficiency. I firmly believe that in the long run Great Britain -can hold out far better than her foes; but Great Britain is not -fighting alone, she has to consider France, Russia and Italy, and -finish this fight with the utmost possible expedition.</p> - -<p>It is incumbent upon this country to put forth its entire manhood, -as well as to husband all its resources for the great struggle that -is looming in the very near distance. In short, all must wake up to -the great German danger. Away with kid gloves! Away with all thought -of the Hague Convention! Fight the reckless, ferocious, wild animal -which has broken loose over Europe, fight it with every weapon at your -disposal! If Great Britain allows this animal to conquer it, there will -be no pity, and the glorious British Empire will be a thing of the -past. Those thousands and thousands of young men of the Empire from -every corner<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234">[Pg 234]</a></span> of the globe who have died on the battlefields of France -and Gallipoli shall then not have died in vain, and the most glorious -monument to the memory of those fallen heroes will be the complete -defeat of the brutal Hun.</p> - -<p>This is not the hour for seeking personal glory, but it is the moment -for searching for efficiency, be it in the field of battle or on the -Government benches in the House of Commons.</p> - -<p>Britons, as well as neutrals, who love this, to me, dear old country -and all that it stands for should give their all to crush Germany. The -blunders that have been made are for the most part almost excusable -blunders. No one can expect that in a short time a country that has -always been anti-militarist can turn into a highly organised military -power. The Germans themselves have taken some forty years to achieve -this. I repeat, Germany is still very far from being beaten. Personally -I firmly believe in the eventual victory of the Allies, but only if -every man according to his ability throws<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235">[Pg 235]</a></span> the weight of his influence, -his money, or his life into the scale. Then, and then only, shall we -see the German War Machine break down, one part after another, and once -more peace shall be restored to a Europe torn with strife and soaked -with blood.</p> - -<p>France, Russia and Italy are merely Great Britain’s helpers. Great -Britain is the real opponent to German Militarism. She is the great -store-house from which supplies and munitions pour, and without which -her Allies cannot continue the struggle. It is she who is fated to be -the great factor in the crushing of German ambition, and its mad lust -for world-wide domination. Germany is to this century what Napoleon was -to the last, a menace to individual and national independence. It has -been seen what German Kultur did for Belgium and Serbia. “Wait till we -get to England!” is a remark I have heard from German lips, uttered in -a tone so significant, so sinister, that I have involuntarily shuddered.</p> - -<div lang='en' xml:lang='en'> -<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK <span lang='' xml:lang=''>MY SECRET SERVICE</span> ***</div> -<div style='text-align:left'> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will -be renamed. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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