World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives, Canadian; World War, 1914-1918 -- Prisoners and prisons, German
Tager was a man about fifty years of age, who came to Berlin provided
with a passport from the German Minister in Switzerland. He was to
return to Paris, where he resided, but one day was arrested and brought
to the Stadtvogtei. He was never told during his captivity–which lasted
four months–why he was interned. For my part, I never knew any other
reason than that he had expressed pro-French sentiments.
One day he was informed that he was to leave the jail for a French
officers’ internment camp. His departure was fixed for December 7,
1915. During his short (?) sojourn among us Tager won the esteem of the
prisoners of British nationality. I was the only one, however, to whom
he confided anything about himself. He informed me one day, in great
confidence, that he was a Great Rabbi of Turkestan. Judging by the way
he pronounced his title, one would believe that his rank in Mohammedan
countries corresponded to that of a lord in England. He entreated me
not to reveal this to anyone.
Well, the British prisoners met together in a cell and decided to
offer him a luncheon at the jail on the day of his departure. It was a
formidable enterprise.
On the day fixed, a table of fifteen plates was laid in my cell. The
plates, I need hardly remark, had to be set very close one to the
other! At one o’clock, three of us went as a delegation to bring Tager,
who did not understand what the whole thing meant.
Before luncheon, I told my British comrades that it was my intention to
“reveal” to them, when the toasts were proposed, that our guest, Tager,
was a Grand Rabbi of Turkestan, and although this title meant nothing
to me or to them, I urged that they should display great enthusiasm at
my disclosure and give Tager an ovation.
Luncheon was about to end, when I got up to propose the health of
Tager. In concluding my speech, I duly informed my friends that I was
about to create a sensation amongst them. Then, amid profound silence,
I solemnly said that I deemed it my duty, notwithstanding the natural
modesty of Mr. Tager, to reveal one of his titles to universal respect
and admiration.
“Mr. Tager,” I said, “is a Grand Rabbi of Turkestan, a fact which he
always hid from us.”
On this statement, everyone stood up and united in a loud chorus of
“bravos.” Then, according to time-honored custom, one of the party
led the popular refrain, “For he’s a jolly good-fellow.” We had
scarcely got through the first part of the song when Hufmeyer, a
non-commissioned officer, burst into my cell and called on us to stop.
He was too late, however. We had then given full vent to our enthusiasm
for Mr. Tager.
* * * * *
Liebknecht was not the only one to draw upon himself the wrath of the
military authorities in 1915, 1916, and 1917.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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