w much his General Staff?
What of the Crown Prince and what of the neutral peoples and
their rulers whom Germany has intimidated and would fain
subjugate if it suited her purpose? These are the questions I
shall attempt to answer out of my experiences in Germany and my
contacts with the rulers of other countries in my journeys to and
from Berlin and Washington.

To illustrate the craft of the Kaiser, I believe I can perform no
better service to Americans than to reveal an incident which has
not hitherto been published. It occurred at the New Year's
reception of 1914 when the Ambassadors of all the foreign
countries represented at the German court, were ranged in a large
room at the Palace. They stood about six feet apart in the order
of their residence in Berlin. The Kaiser and his aides entered
the room, and the Emperor spoke a few minutes to each envoy. He
tarried longest with the Turkish Ambassador and myself, thereby
arousing the curiosity of the other diplomats who suspected that
the Kaiser did more than merely exchange the greetings of the
season. He did.

What the German Emperor said to me interests every American
because it shows his subtlety of purpose. _The Kaiser talked at
length to me about what he called Japan's designs on the United
States. He warned me that Mexico was full of Japanese spies and
an army of Japanese colonels._ He also spoke about France, saying
that he had made every effort to make up with France, that he had
extended his hand to that country but that the French had
refused to meet his overtures, that he was through and would not
try again to heal the breach between France and Germany!

All this was in 1914, six months before the outbreak of the
European War. Little did I know then what the purpose was back of
that conversation, but it is clear now that the Emperor wished to
have the government of the United States persuaded through me
that he was really trying to keep Europe at peace and that the
responsibility for what was going to happen would be on France.
The German is so skilful at intrigue that he seeks even in
advance of an expected offensive to lay the foundation for
self-justification.

But the reference to Japan and alleged hostility against us on
the part of fanciful hordes of Japanese in Mexico made me wonder
at the time. There were many evidences subsequent to that New
Year's Day reception of an attempt to alienate us from Japan. As
a climax to it all, as a clarificati