April 13. A secret interview with Enver Bey, who promises that

our ideas shall be carried out when his party comes into power.

Evidently he does not know that my duplicates have been stolen.

Troubles threaten in the Vilayet of Trebizond, where is an

American Mission. I fear that our emissaries and the emissaries of

Enver Bey are deliberately fomenting disorders because Americans

are not desired by our Government. Enver denies this; but it is

idle to believe anyone in this country.

April 16. Another interview with Enver Bey. His scheme is flatly

revolutionary, namely, the deposition of Abdul, a secret alliance,

offensive and defensive, with us; the Germanisation of the Turkish

army and navy; the fortification of the Gallipoli district

according to our plans; a steadily increasing pressure on Serbia;

a final reckoning with Russia which is definitely to settle the

status of Albania and Serbia and leave the Balkan grouping to be

settled between Austria, Germany, and Turkey.

I spoke several times about India and Egypt, but he does not

desire to arouse England unless she interferes.

I spoke also of Abdul Hamid's secret and growing fear of Germany,

and his increasing inclination toward England once more.

No trace of my stolen plans. The originals are in the Yildiz

Palace. I have a third set secreted, about which nobody knows.

April 21. I have been summoned to the Yildiz Palace. It possibly

means my assassination. I have confided my box of data,

photographs, and plans, to the Reverend Wilbour Carew, an American

missionary in the Trebizond sanjak.

There are rumours that Abdul has become mentally unhinged through

dread of assassination. One of his own aides-de-camp, while being

granted an audience in the Yildiz, made a sudden and abrupt

movement to find his handkerchief; and Abdul Hamid whipped out a

pistol and shot him dead. This is authentic.

April 30. Back at Tchardak with my good missionary and his wife.

A strange interview with Abdul. There were twenty French clocks in

the room, all going and all striking at various intervals. The

walls were set with French mirrors.

Abdul's cordiality was terrifying; the full original set of my

Gallipoli plans was brought in. After a while, the Sultan reminded

me that the plans were in duplicate, and asked me where were these

duplicates. What duplicity! But I said pleasantly that they were

to be sent to General Staff Headquarters in Berlin.

He pretended to understand that this was contrary to the

agreement, and insisted that the plans should first be sent to him

for comparison. I merely referred him to his agreement with my

Government. But all the while we were talking I was absolutely

convinced that the stolen duplicates were at that moment in the

Yildiz Kiosque. Abdul must have known that I believed it. Yet we

both merely smiled our confidence in each other.




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