ELLIS COUNTY CAPITAL ARNETT OKLAHOMA
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STARTLING EXPOSURE OF INNER LIFE OF KAISER AND CROWN PRINCE AS
TOLD BY COUNT ERNST VON HELTZENDORFF TO WILLIAM LEQUEUX
EDITORIAL NOTE — William Le-
1 Queux who here chronicle for hi
friend Count Ernnt von Heltzendorff
the latter revelations of the Inner
life of the Imperial German court ha
lonir been recognized throughout En
rope n the possessor of Its innermost
secrets
The English “Who's Who” any of
films “He has Intimate knowledge of
the secret service of Continental coun-
tries and is considered by the govern-
suent (of Great Drltnin) an anthoriiy on
such matters9 Another authority sayss
“Few people have been more closely as-
sociated with or know more of the
optoundlnflr Inner machinery of Ger-
many than he
LeQueux probably has more sources
of secret information at his command
than any contemporary In civil life and
for the last six years the British Gov-
ernment has made valuable use of his
vast store of secret information through
m specially organized department with
which LeQueux works as a voluntary
assistant
Count von Heltzendorff became an In-
timate of LeQueux several years prior
to the outbreak of thewari he has been
living in retirement in France since
August 1014 and It was there that Le-
Queux received from the crown prince
late personal adjutant permission to
make public these revelations of the
Inner life of the llohenzollerns— that
the democracies of the world might
come to know The real but heretofore
hidden personalities of the two domi-
nant members of the autocracy they are
now arrayed against
THE MYSTERIES
OF FRAU KLEIST 8
THE clever Intrigues of Frau
Kleist were unknown to any
outside the court circle at Pots-
' dam She was Indeed a queer
personage “only less of a personage
than his majesty” as Prince Bulow
declared to me one day as we sat to-
gether In my room In the Berlin
Schloss
Frau Kleist was the court dancing
mistress whose fastidious judgment
Jiad to be satisfied by any young debu-
tante or officer before they presumed
to dance before royalty at the state
toalls Perhaps she was seventy Her
a-eal age I never knew
Truly Frau Kleist with her neat
waist and thin refined face was a
very striking figure at the Berlin
court The Intricacies of the minuet
and gavotte as well as those of the
old-world dances In which she delight-
ed were taught by the old lady to
Prince Joachim and Princess Victoria
Luise both of whom always went' In
womenfolk elbow each other In order
to secure the notice of the all-highest
one who In that green-upholstered
private room wherein I worked with
him often smiled at the unseemly bus-
tle while he calmly discriminated
among men and women according to
their merits
It Is In that calm discretion that the
emperor excels possessing almost un-
canny foresight
“I know ! Frau Kleist has told me !"
were the words his majesty used on
many occasions when I lmd ventured
perhaps to express doubt regarding
some scandalous story or serious alle-
gation Therefore I was confident that
the seventy-year-old dancing mistress
whose past was a complete mystery
was an Important secret agent of the
emperor’s
And what more likely? The kaiser
as ruler of that complex empire would
naturally seek to know the truth con-
cerning those who sought his favor be-
fore they were permitted to click their
heels or wag their fans and bow the
knee in his imperial presence And he
had no doubt with that innate cun-
ning appointed his creature to the po-
sition of court dancing mistress
Emperor’s First View of an Airplane
On October 17 1908 I had returned
with the emperor and his suite from
Hamburg where his majesty had been
present at the launching of one of Herr
Baffin's monster American liners
was seated at the side table in his
private room in the Berlin Schloss
taking down certain confidential in-
structions which he wished to be sent
at once by one of the imperial couriers
to the commandant of Posen
Suddenly Von Kahlberg my col-
league entered with a message and
handed It to his majesty The kaiser
at once grew excited and turning to
me said:
“The crown prince sends word from
Potsdam that the American Orville
Wright is flying on the Bornstedter
feld We must go at once Order the
cars And Von Krahlberg inform her
majesty at once She will accompany
us no doubt”
Quickly I placed before his majesty
one of his photographs — knowing that
it would be wanted for presentation to
the daring American — and he took up
his pen and scrawled his signature
across It
Within a quarter of an hour three
of the powerful cars were on their way
to" Potsdam the emperor with Herr
A LETTER FROM THE CROWN PRINCE'S PERSONAL ADJUTANT
TO WILLIAM LEQUEUX POSSESSOR OF THE
! SECRETS OF EUROPE
f Veneux Norton
par Moret-sur-LoInsr
Selne-et-Marne
February 10th 1017
My lenr IQucuxi
I have Just flnlNhed reading the proof of yonr article deaerlhing
iny life n an oillcial at the Imperial court at PotNdnin and the two or
three ft 111 nil error you ninde I have duly corrected
The gross candnl and -nlly Intrigue which I have relnted to yon
‘were ninny of them known to yourvelf for a the Intimate friend of
IuIniv the ex-crown prince of Saxony you were before the wnr
cloudy associated with many of thoe at court whose names appear In
tliene nrllde
The revelation w hlch I have made and which yon have recorded
here are hut n tithe of the dlMcloKure which I could make and If (lie
world desires more I shall be plensed to furnish you with other and
even more startling details w-lilch you may also put Into print
My service as personal adjutant to the German crown prince Is hap-
pily at an end and now with the tftaohcry of Germany against civili-
sation glaringly revealed I feel In my retirement no compunction In
exposing all I know concerning the secret of the kaiser uud his son
With most cordial greetings from
v Your sincere friend
(Signed) EHSST VOX IIELTZEXDOItFF
deadly fear of her caustic tongue and Anton Reltscliel — a high German offi
overbearing manner
'The emperor never permitted any
daubing at court which was not up to
a high standard of excellence and all
who sought to dance were compelled
to pass- before the critical eye of the
eharp-tongued old lady in her still
silken gown
’Whence she had come or who had
cial at Constantinople — and Professor
Vnmbery in the first car the kaiserin
with her daughter Victoria Luise and
the latter’s ober-gouvernante (govern-
ess) with one of the court ladies In
the next while in the third I rode with
Major von Scholl one of the equer-
ries On arrival at the Bornstedter feld It
been responsible for her appointment was already growing dusk and a great
nobody knew One thing was quite
cc tain that though at an age when
usually rheumatism prevents agility
yqt she was an expert dancer
The old woman lived in considerable
style in a fine house close to the
Glienlcke bridge at Potsdam beneath
the Babeisberg a power to be reckoned
with by ail who desired to enter the
court circle
Regarding her many strange stories
were afloat One was that she was an
ex-dancer the mother of the famous
Mademoiselle “Clo-Clo” Durand pre-
miere danseuse of the Paris opera and
another was that she had been mis-
tress of the ballet -at the Imperial
opera in Petrograd in the days of the
Emperor Alexander But so great
mystery were her antecedents that no-
body knew anything for certain 6ave
that at the age of nearly seventy she
had access at any hour to the kaiser’s
private cabinet I have often seen her
whisper to his majesty strange secrets
-which she had picked up here and
there — secrets that were often trans-
ferred to certain confidential quarters
Those at court who secured the be-
nignant smiles of Frau Kleist knew
that their future path in life would be
full of sunshine but woe betide those
upon whom she knit her brows In dis-
approval Frau Kleist kept her pretty
house and her big Mercedes car upon
the secret money payments 6he re-
ceived from those who “for value”
begged heb favors With many young
officers the payment to Frau Kleist
was to open the back door to the em-
peror’s favor
We in the Neues Palais (New Pal-
ace) knew it But 6urely it did not
concern us for all of us looked askance
at those who strove so strenuously nnd
eagerly for “commands” to court func-
tions and really we were secretly glad
if the parvenus of both 6exes were well
bled before they were permitted by
Frau Erna to make their obeisance be-
fore royalty
The palace world at every European
court is a narrow little world of its
own unknown and unsuspected by the
man in the street There one sees the
worst side of human nature without
any leaven of the best or even nobler
side The salary-grabber the military
adventurer the pin-hbeck diplomat
the commercial parvenu and the scien-
tist together with their Jewel-bedecked
disappointment awaited us The crown
prince rode up to inform us gravely
that the flying was over for the day
At this the kaiser grew angry for he
had been out once before upon a wild-
goose chase only to find that Orville
Wright had gone home declaring the
wind too strong
At his father’s anger however “Wil-
lie” burst out laughing declaring that
he was only Joking and that ull was
in readiness Indeed as he spoke the
aviator came up and I presented him
to his majesty
Then while he stood alone in the
center of the great sandy plain Mr Or-
ville Wright clambered into his ma-
chine and rising made many circuits
high above us
The emperor stood with Herr Reit-
schel and the shaggy old professor
straining his eyes with keenest inter-
est It was the first time his majesty
had seen an airplane in flight Much
had been promised of Von Zeppelin’s
invention yet the German public had
until those demonstrations by the
American aviator taken but little heed
of the heavier-than-air machine At
that time indeed the emperor had not
taken up Von Zeppelin and it was only
after seeing Orville Wright’s demon
strations that he entered with any en-
thusiasm Into aeronantical problems
High above us against the clear eve-
ning sky wherein the stars had already
begun to twinkle tjie dating American
rose dipped and banked his machine
droning like a huge gadfly much to the
interest and astonishment of the em-
peror “Marvelous !” he exclaimed as i
stood beside him with the empress on
his right “How Is it done?”
The sight of a man flying in the air
maneuvering his machine at will rising
swiftly and then planing down with
the engine cut off was one of the most
amazing spectacles the loyal Potsdam-
ers had ever seen Even the emperor
with ail his dreams of world power
could never for a moment have fore-
seen what a 'great factor airplanes
would be in war
At last Wright came down In a
Spiral banked slightly steadied him-
self and then came lightly to earth
ithln a few yards of where we stood
having been the first to exhibit to the
emperor how completely the air had
been conquered t
Afterwards though it " had now
grown dark the emperor by the pow-
erful headlamps of the three cars
thoroughly examined thd American’s
nirplane the aviator explaining every
detail
From that moment for months after-
wards the kaiser was constantly talk-
ing of aviation He commanded pho-
tographs of various types of airplanes
together with nil literature on the sub-
ject to be placed before him Indeed
he sent over to Britain in secret two
officers to attend the airplane meetings
held at- Doncaster and Blackpool
where a large number of photographs
were taken and duly found their way
to his table '
The Dancing Mistress’ Visit
I have recalled the emperor’s first
sight of an nirplane in flight in com-
pany with Ilerr Anton Reitschel and
Professor Vambery because of an in-
cident which occurred that same day
Just before midnight the emperor was
giving me certain instructions to be
sent to Carlton House Terrace when
the door opened without any knock of
permission and upon the threshold
there stood Frau Kleist
“Have I your majesty’s permission
to enter?” she asked 4
“Of course of course” replied the
emperor turning in his chair “Come
In and close the door It has turned
quite cold tonight Weil?” he asked
looking at her Inquiringly '
The court dancing mistress hesitated
for a second Their eyes met and in
that glance I saw complete understand-
ing “May I speak in confidence with your
majesty?” she asked advancing into
the room Except the court ladies she
was the only female at court whom
the sentries stationed nt the end of
the corridor allowed to pass to his
majesty’s private cabinet
But Frau Kleist had access every-
where Her eyes were the eyes of the
emperor Many a diplomat financier
military or naval commander has been
raised to position of favorite because
lie first secured the good graces of the
ex-ballerina And alas I many a good
honest man has been cast out of the
Potsdam circle Into oblivion because
of the poisonous declaration of that
smiling bejeweled old woman'
“Of what do you wish to speak?” in-
quired the emperor
“Of the Reitschel affair”
old woman’s low reply
At her words the kaiser
slightly and dismissed me
myself out and closed the door upon
the emperor and his clever female spy
That she should have at that late
hour come from Potsdam — foi looking
down into the courtyard I saw the
lights of her big Mercedes — showed
that some underhand work was in
progress
By handling as I did hundreds of
secret reports which reached the em-
peror I had learned much concerning
Herr Anton Reitschel and from old
Von Donaustauf master of ceremonies
I had also been able to obtain certain
missing links concerning the intrigue
Reitschel a burly round-faced fair-
haired Prussian of quite superior type
held the position of chief director of
the German-Ottoman bank in Constan-
tinople Ilis duty for the past three
years had been to conciliate the sultan
and to lend German money to any in-
dustrial enterprise in which any grain
of merit could possibly be discovered
lie had been singled out taken from
the Dresdncr bank nnd sent to Con-
stantinople by the kaiser in order to
play Germany’s secret game in Turkey
specially that of the Bagdad rail-
way — and to combat with German gold
Great Britain’s diplomacy with Tewfik
Pasha and old Abdul Hamid in view
of “The Day” which the emperor had
long ago determined should 6oon dawn
As old Von Donaustauf had put it :
“Our employer Intends that notwith-
standing Britain’s policy in -the near
East Germany shall soon rule from
Berlin to Bagdad Ilerr Reitschel is
In reality charged with the work of
Germanizing’ the Ottoman empire”
That I already knew by the many se-
ret reports of his which arrived so
constantly from Constantinople
Truly the game which the emperor
was playing in secret against the other
powers of Europe was a desperate one
On the one lmnd the kaiser was mak-
ing pretence of fair dealing with Great
Britain and France yet on the other
his agent Herr Reitschel was ever
busy lending money in nil directions in
order to secure favor in Germany’s in-
terest Yet a further game wns being played
namely that while the kaiser was mak-
ing pretence of being the best friend of
the sultan Abdul Ilamid visiting Con-
stantinople and Palestine building
fountains endowing institutes yet he
was also secretly supporting the Young
Turk party so as to effect the sultan’s
downfall
IIerr Anton had been paying a num-
ber of flying visits to Berlin and had
many private audiences of both kaiser
and sultan 1
Suddenly nil of us were surprised by
the announcement that the kaiser’s fa-
vored civilian in Turkey had married
Mademoiselle Julie de Lagarenne
daughter of Paul de Lagarenne son of
the great French sugar refiner and
secretary of the French embassy at
Rome A week after that news was
spread I met them both in Krnnzler’s
in Unter den Linden and there he in-
troduced me to a pretty dark-haired
vivacious younjf Frenchwoman who
spoke German well and who told me
that her husband had already given
in her name for presentation at the
next court
That was about a month prior to
Orville Wright’s flight nnd the mid-
night visit of Frau Kleist to the em-
peror Truth to tell the old woman’s men-
tion of Herr Reitschel’s name caused
me considerable misgivings because
three weeks before I had gathered cer-
tain strange facts from a secret report
of a spy who iu Constantinople had
been set to watch Herr Reitschel’s do-
ings That spy was Frau Ivleist’s son
The kaiser trusts nobody Even his
favorites and most intimate cronies are
spied upon and reports upon those fa-
miliar blue papers are furnished regu-
larly In view of what I had read in
that report from Karl Kleist I stood
amnzed when at the grand court a
week later I had witnessed nerr Relt-
schel’s French wife bow before the
emperor and empress and noticed how
graciously the kaiser had smiled upon
her
Nearly three months passed
The Trip to llmenau
Herr Reitschel often came from Con-
stantinople and frequently brought his
handsome young wife with him for he
was persona grata nt court To me
this was indeed strange iu view of the
reports of the ex-opera dancer’s son —
who by the way lived in Constanti-
nople in the unsuspicious guise of a
carpet dealer and unknown to the
bank director
The latter had assisted by his wife’s
fortune Inherited from her grand-
mother purchased the Schloss Langen-
berg the splendid ancestral castle nnd
estates of the princes of Lnngenberg
situated in the beautiful Thuringian
forest nnd acknowledged to be one of
the most famous shooting estates in
the empire It was not therefore sur-
prising that the emperor -to mark his
favor should express a desire to shoot
capercailzie there — a desire which of
course delighted Herr Reitschel who
had only a few days before been dee-
orated with the Order of the Black
Edgie
One afternoon in midautumn the em-
peror accompanied by the crown
prince and myself together with the
suite arrived by the imperial train at
the little station of llmenau where of
course Reitschel nnd his pretty wife
big circular old-world room in one
of the towers of the castle dealing
with a flood of Important state pa-
pers which a courier had brought
from Berlin two hours before Papers
followed us daily wherever we might
be
About midday Doctor Vollerthun was
ushered in me — a short stout gut
tural-speaking man of about sixty
rather bald and wearing big round
gold-rimmed spectacles I quickly
handed 'him over to the major-domo
About three o’clock that same after-
noon a light tap came at the door and
I saw my hostess standing upon the
threshold
She wns quietly but elegantly
dressed presenting the true type of the
smart I’arisienne hut in an instant I
realized that she was very pale and
agitated Indeed her voice trembled
when she asked permission to enter
Since her marriage I had many times
chatted with her for she often came
to the palace when her husband visited
Berlin I had danced with her I had
taken her into dinner nt various houses
where we met always finding her a
“I am ready to do anything — any-
thing for my dear husband's sake” the
handsome young woman assured me
tears welling in her fine dark eyes
“In that case then please leave
the matter entirely in my hands” I
said
That same night about ten o’clock
tlie emperor entered the room to which
I had just returned to work
“Send Frau Kleist to me” he
snapped “And I will summon you
later when I want you Heltzendorff”
Frau Ivielst ! I lmd no Idea the wom-
an had arrived at the castle But I dis-
patched one of the servants to search
for her nnd nfterwnrds heard her high-
pitched voice as she ascended the
stairs to hold secret counsel with ills
majesty f
Below I found tlie fat fair-haired
little doctor from Augsburg who wns
still an enigma but eager to see his
imperial patient
Suddenly one of tlie imperial flun-
key’s bowed at tlie door commanding
tlie doctor to the royal presence and
he left ine hot nnd Hurried
Had tlie emperor called tlie unknown
Ion
with the head and underforesters and creet in revealing anything” I declared
all sorts of civil officials In black coats again quite frankly
and white ties bowed low as the all-
highest stepped from his salon The
kaiser was most gracious to his host
and hostess
The emperor had complained of a
slight cold -and in consequence just
before we left Berlin I had been In-
structed to summon by telegraph a cer-
tain Doctor Vollerthun from Augsburg
who was a perfect stranger to us all
hut w-ho had I supposed been recom-
mended to the emperor
While the emperor and his host were
out stpoting I remained alone In a
bright nnd very intellectual cornpan- doctor into consultation with Frau
Kleist?
Inquiries I had made concerning the
doctor from Augsburg showed that he
was quite a well-known specialist on
mental diseases and he had also writ-
ten a textbook upon bacteriology and
the brain Why had the kaiser sum-
moned him? He required no brain
specialist
“We leave tomorrow nt noon” the
emperor exclaimed brusquely when an
hour later I was summoned to his
room This amazed me for our ar-
rangements were to remain three days
longer I recollected Madam Reit-
scliel’s words
“I do not feel at nil well” his majes-
ty added “and this Doctor Vollerthun
orders me rest nt Potsdam”
In silence I bowed and then ven-
tured to refer to what was uppermost
in my mind
“May I be permitted to speak to your
majesty upon a certain confidential
subject?” I begged
“What subject?” snapped the em-
peror “Your majesty’s negotiations with
the sultan of Turkey Frau Reit-
schel has learned of them but she is
eager to come before you and take
I an oath of entire secrecy”
The kaiser’s eyes narrowed and
glowed In sudden anger
A Woman’s Oath
“A woman’s oath !” he cried “Bah I
Never have I believed In silence im-
posed upon any woman’s tongue —
more especially that of a bora enemy I
I appreciate your loyalty and acumen
Von Heltzendorff but I have fortu-
nately known this for some little time
nnd in strictest secrecy have taken cer-
tain measures to combat It Remem-
ber that these words have never been
uttered to you ! ' Remember that ! You
are adjutant nnd I am emperor Un-
derstand ! I fully appreciate and note
your royal report but it is not woman’s
sphere to enter our diplomacy except
as a secret agent of our fatherland
Let us say no more"
Ten minutes later being dismissed
I wandered back through the great 6i-
lent echoing corridors of the ancient
castle to my own room A great human
drama greater than any ever placed
upon the stage was now being en-
acted The emperor was plotting the down-
fall of the Turkish empire and the
overthrow of Islam in Europe Be-
tween the all-highest one and the real-
ization of those plans for world power
stood one frail little Parisienne the
vivacious well-meuning Madam Reit-
schel I
Next day we left the Schloss Langen-
berg but before doing so we heard
with regret that our charming little
hostess had been suddenly taken ill
during the night and the kaiser as a
mark of favor had ordered his doctor
Vollerthun to remain behind to attend
her That Ilerr Reitschel wag in great
distress I saw from his face as he
stood on the little platform at llmenau
Back in Berlin I wondered what was
In progress In that far-off schloss in
Thuringia but a week later the truth
became vividly apparent when I read
in the Staats-Anzelger an announce-
ment that Frau Reitschel the young
wife of tlie famous Anton Reitschel of
Constantinople had been seized by a
sudden nnd mysterious illness and had
developed iusanity to such a hopeless
degree that it had been necessary to
confine her In the Rosenau private asy-
lum at Coburg
In a second I thought of the dancing
mistress nnd the mental specialist
from Augsburg
Foor Madam Reitschel! She died
early in 1913 a raving lunatic Her
devoted husband having served the
emperor's purpose had been recalled
to Berlin where bereft of the kaiser’s
favor he predeceased her by about six
months broken-hearted
tCop right 1S17 William LeQueux)
Shg quietly closed the door nnd ad-
vanced to the table from which I had
risen
“Count von Heltzendorff!” she ex-
claimed in a low strained voice- “I — I
have come to seek your aid because —
well because I’m distracted and I
know that you are my husband’s
friend” she exclaimed in French
"And yours also madam” I said ear-
nestly “My husband is out with the emper-
or!” she gasped in a curious unnerved
tone “And I fear oh I fear that we
are in great peril — deadly peril every
hour — every moment!"
“Really madame I hardly follow
you” I said
“My husband whom I love devoted-
ly has done his best in the interests
of his emperor You count know the
real alms of the kaiser in Turkey
These last six months I have watched
and have learned the truth I I know
how when the emperor went to Con-
stantinople five months ago in- pre-
tence of friendship toward the sultan
with Professor Vambery as interpre-
ter he practically compelled Abdul
Ilamid to give him In return for cer-
tain financial advances those wonder-
ful jewels which the Empress Cath-
erine wife of Peter the Great gave in
secret to tlie grand vizier to secure
the escape of the Russian army across
the Pr-uth I know too how he
laughed with my husband nt the clever-
ness by which he is fooling the too
trustful Turks I — ”
“Pardon madame” I said Interrupt-
ing her nnd speaking In French “but
is it really wise to speak thus of the
emperor? Your husband is I fear
guilty of great indiscretion in mention-
ing such matters”
“I am his wife count' and he con-
ceals little if anything from me”
I looked the pretty young woman
straight in the face in fear and re-
gret Instantly I realized the serious dan-
ger of the secret being betrayed to
France
“Madame” I said “If I may be per-
mitted I would urge that the emper-
or’s diplomacy neither concerns your
husband as an official nor yourself
It is' his own private affair nnd should
neither be discussed nor betrayed”
“I know” she said “That is just
why I have ventured to come here to
consult you monsieur ! You have been
my good friend as well as my hus-
band's and here today while the em-
peror is our guest beneath our roof I
feel that I am in greatest peril!”
“Why?” I asked with considerable
surprise
“The emperor has already learned
that I know the truth regarding his
secret” was her slow reply “By what
means his majesty disedvered it I
alas ! know not But I do know from
a confidential quarter that I have in-
curred the emperor’s gravest displeas-
ure and hatred”
“Who is your informant?” I inquired
sternly eager to farther investigate
the great intrigue
“A certain person who must be name-
less” “Have you spoken to anybody of the
emperor’s secret plans In Turkey or
of his possession of the Empress Cath-
erine’s jewels?”
“I have not uttered a word to a sin-
gle soul except my husband I swear
It”
“Your husband was extremely indis-
“I fully admit that But what can
I do? How shall I act?” she asked in
a low tense voice “Advise me do’V
For some moments I remained si-
lent The situation was difficult
“Well madame” I replied after re-
flection “If you are really ready to
promise the strictest secrecy and leave
the matter to me I will endeavor to
find a way out of the difficulty — provid-
ing you — good German that you are
by marriage — will take before the em-
peror himself an oath-of complete
secrecy"
A Dig From Diggs
Biggs — rd Join the church If It
wasn't so full of hypocrites
Diggs — That needn't deter you
There's always room for one more