Part 7 (1/2)
Further amazing and incriminating letters are before me as I write, and I shall print more of this secret correspondence in order that readers in Great Britain may know the depths of Germany's villainy and the exact methods by which Russia has been betrayed.
The official _dossier_ concerning the crimes and conspiracies of the arch-scoundrel is astounding. It becomes increasingly amazing as one turns over its voluminous pages, its confidential reports, its copies of telegrams dispatched under fict.i.tious names, since obtained from the telegraph bureaux of Russia, and its originals of secret instructions from Berlin.
In the latter one finds the subtle hand of the notorious Steinhauer, the head of the Kaiser's spy-bureau, the fair-bearded, middle-aged Prussian who accompanied the German Emperor to Buckingham Palace on his last visit to London, and who was one of the select party of German motorists who came to tour England with Prince Henry of Prussia at their head.
It devolved upon myself to accompany and watch that tour very closely.
Even then one department in Whitehall had not been chloroformed by the dope of the Sleep-quietly-in-your-beds Party--a department in the formation of which I had had some hand. Steinhauer I had met in Germany, though he did not know me, and when he came to England with His Imperial Highness, as Herr Eschenburg of Stuttgart, driving his big red ”Mercedes,” I considered that it was high time to keep a strict eye upon him--which I did. What I discovered of his movements and of his a.s.sociates has been of greatest advantage since the outbreak of war.
No more expert spy exists in all the world today than ”Herr Eschenburg of Stuttgart”, whose real name is Steinhauer, known in the German Secret Service as ”Number Seventy.”
The _dossier_ here placed at my disposal shows that Herr Steinhauer visited Rasputin in Petrograd four times before August, 1914, while his underlings arrived at the house in the Gorokhovaya many times after the two Empires had come to grips.
Rasputin, in his unique position as autocrat aver the Autocrat, felt himself the personal agent of the Kaiser, and as such seems to have somewhat resented Steinhauer's rather arrogant orders. Indeed, he complained bitterly to the German Emperor, who, in reply, propitiated the Siberian peasant by explaining that he was so occupied by the campaign against his enemies that he left all matters of detail to ”our trusted and loyal friend Steinhauer, whose actions and orders are as my own.”
On August 28th, 1916, there arrived in Petrograd a pretty dark-haired young Dutch woman named Helene Geismann. She presented a letter of introduction to Rasputin that evening at his house, and was promised audience of Her Majesty the Empress at noon next day.
The monk was at Tsarskoe-Selo when the young woman called. It was a meeting day of the higher, or Court Circle of the ”sister-disciples,”
such seances being held at five o'clock each Friday afternoon.
Three new ”disciples” had been initiated into the mysteries of the mock-pious rascal's new ”religion.” Their names were the Baroness Zouieff, and Mesdemoiselles Olga Romanenkoff and Nadjezda Tavascherne, the two latter being of the n.o.blest families of Moscow, and all moving in the Court entourage.
Nicholas II was away at the front, therefore Rasputin on such occasions ruled the Empire, and actually signed with his own hand orders and appointments, as His Majesty's representative. When the Emperor was absent the dirty, unkempt peasant, who called himself a monk, usurped his place in the Imperial household.
Through this unprincipled scoundrel and blackmailer Germany was cleverly working to undermine and effect the fall of the Muscovite Empire. No expense was being spared, nor were there any scruples. Germany intended that the Russian defensive should crumble.
When the Empress received the young woman Geismann, an emissary from Berlin and the bearer of several doc.u.ments, including an autograph letter from the Kaiser, the ”Holy Father” was also present. The superst.i.tious, neurotic Empress could do nothing without the advice of the man who had by his mock-piety and his sensuous ”religion” so completely entranced her. She, like her weak, narrow-minded husband, had become completely hypnotised by the dissolute charlatan, in whose hands lay absolute power.
When the Kaiser's messenger presented the secret letter to the Empress, she also handed another to Rasputin.
This was found among the contents of the safe in the bas.e.m.e.nt of ”Grichka's” house, and is in German, as follows:--
”_Strictly private and confidential_.
”General Headquarters in France, Montmedy, August 10th, 1916.
”Your excellent service to our Empire has been reported to me by Herr Steinhauer. I congratulate you, happy in the knowledge that the Empress Alexandra has, in yourself, such a good and wise counsellor. You have done much, but there is still more good work for you to accomplish.
”Your friends must see that there is an increasing lack of material and ammunition, that information reaches Berlin regarding orders for guns, explosives and automobiles placed in England, in order that we can watch for them near the Finland coast, and destroy them. Disasters on railways, in munition works and elsewhere are advisable. Steinhauer is sending you six trusted agents to effect these. Your friends must afford them official protection, and they must be also afforded opportunity.
”I have also sent certain suggestions to Her Majesty the Empress which she will discuss with you. Your two most dangerous enemies at the moment appear to be Prince Yuri Lvov, who has a great following, and the man from Tiflis, M. Cheidze. If their activities could be ended, you would be in far less danger. It may be possible for you to arrange this. Consult with the Empress. It is my Imperial will that the payment arranged between us shall be doubled from this date.
Salutations.
”Wilhelm R. and I.”
Could any letter be more incriminating? The Kaiser, with his constant appeals to Almighty G.o.d, was suggesting outrage and a.s.sa.s.sination to his paid agent--the man who, aided by the Prime Minister Sturmer and the blackmailer Protopopoff, held the future of Russia in his unwashed hands!
For half-an-hour the young Dutch woman, the Kaiser's secret messenger, was kept waiting in an ante-room while the Empress consulted with her ”Holy Father.” Then at last Her Majesty handed the woman an autograph letter to take back to the Emperor William. All that is knows of the contents of that note is that it contained a promise that Germany should triumph.
What chance had poor suffering Russia against such crafty underhand conspiracy? Every one of her proposed military movements were being betrayed to Germany long before they were executed, and thousands of lives of her fine soldiers were daily being sacrificed, while the arch-traitor Rasputin continued his career of good-living, heavy-drinking, and bi-weekly ”reunions.”
At these meetings the blackguard usually crossed his hands upon his breast, and with appalling blasphemy declared himself sent by the Almighty to deliver Russia from the invader.