On the morning of the 25th of October I paid Bucher a visit at his lodgings. He complained that the Chief now occupied himself too much with press matters. Instructions of this description came from Varzin almost daily, and sometimes three or four together. No one in the office understood anything about them, neither the sons, nor Rantzau (who was paid for that purpose, but who, nevertheless, could only take down dictation from the Chief), nor Holstein, who was a mere “bungler,” and least of all Rudolf Lindau, who “is quite incapable, has had no political or journalistic training, and can merely play the amiable, tell good stories and go out walking.” He had been brought into the Office by family influence, which also kept him there. “In Japan he made the acquaintance of Brandt, our Chargé d’Affaires, through whom he obtained a connection with the Intelligence Department of the general staff. He afterwards (if I rightly understood) accompanied Brandt to St. Petersburg, where he was presented to the Grand Duchess Hélène, who recommended him to Bismarck. The latter sent him to Harry Arnim in Paris as a Press Attaché. He afterwards received an appointment at the Foreign Office--again on an exalted recommendation. The Prince knows that he is entirely unfit for the duties which he has to perform, but the Grand Duchess protects him; and so, although he has been virtually shelved, it has been done in such a way that he appears to have control of press affairs.” Bucher said that Count Bill is on very intimate terms with Paul Lindau ... with whom he had been in Hungary. Herbert had yesterday, on the instructions of his father, written Bucher a four-page letter, which he showed me, asking him, Bucher, to make a “journalistic onslaught” upon the Progressist candidate Klotz on account of his election speech. Rantzau, however, had been unable to obtain the most indispensable of essentials, namely Klotz’s speech, and, in fact, knew nothing whatever about it. One of the Chancery attendants, however, was cleverer, and remembered that it had been printed in pamphlet form and distributed by the thousand. This man arranged to procure a copy.