True Stories of the Great War, Volume 2 (of 6): Tales of Adventure--Heroic Deeds--Exploits Told by the Soldiers, Officers, Nurses, Diplomats, Eye Witnesses
History
True Stories of the Great War, Volume 2 (of 6): Tales of Adventure--Heroic Deeds--Exploits Told by the Soldiers, Officers, Nurses, Diplomats, Eye Witnesses
World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives
Then I was ordered to report in person to the Emperor, which I did
at Coblentz, and was questioned in great detail about the state of
affairs in Mexico. After being granted an opportunity to visit both the
western and eastern fronts, I was sent back to Berlin and given the
choice of going to Turkey or going back to Mexico. I chose Mexico, and
accordingly was sent to England, via Holland, traveling on the American
passport issued to Bridgeman Henry Taylor.
I arrived in London Nov. 4, 1914. England was then in the first and
most feverish stages of the German-spy-phobia which followed the
outbreak of the war, and for four days I thoroughly enjoyed the
sensation of tickling the Lion's whiskers, so to speak. Then the Lion
suddenly clapped a paw down and I was caught under it.
Nov. 8, 1914, I had gone down to the Horse Guards to watch guard
mounting. A crowd had assembled for the spectacular ceremony. In
the press a boy stepped heavily on my foot. I had a corn there, it
happened, and promptly cursed him in round Mexican fashion, though in
English. Recollecting where I was, I was feeling in my pocket for a
penny to salve his feelings, when out of the crowd I saw a face turned
steadily toward me.
I knew the man at once. He was the friend of a very celebrated Russian
dancer, and I had once been instrumental in exposing him, in Germany,
as a Russian agent. And he assuredly knew my face as well as I knew
his. I forgot the penny I was going to give the boy.
What should I do? The man had recognized me and would undoubtedly
report his discovery to the proper quarter. But they would have
no further proof of anything against me. According to the papers
in my pocket-book I was a Mexican officer returning from leave of
absence. True, I was traveling on a false passport. But why not?
Constitutionalist Mexico had no officials to issue passports just then,
and German names on passports were not convenient. Such a deception
might have been practised innocently enough, if I could only make the
English believe that I was not in German pay and was not in England as
a spy.
In a parliamentary White Paper (Miscellaneous No. 13, Series of 1916),
you can find this statement:
"Horst von der Goltz arrived in England from Holland on the 4th of
November, 1914. He offered information upon projected air raids,
the source where the _Emden_ derived her information as to British
shipping and how the _Leipzig_ was obtaining her coal supplies. He
offered to go back to Germany to obtain the information, and all he
asked for in the first instance was his traveling expenses."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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