A PLOT THAT FAILED

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2890, 30 September 1916, Page 11

A PLOT THAT FAILED

PLAN TO SEIZE RUSSIAN DELEGATES (fc'rom "The Times" Petrograd Correspondent.) , Tile "liusskoe Slovo," on tile basis of accounts supplied b_v JIM. Miliukov and Shiiisarev, describes how the Germans elaborately planned to capture .the members of the Russian Parliamentary Delegation en route to England', and how-' the plot ivas cleverly frustrated l by the British authorities at the last moment. ■ Wlien the members of the' Imperial Duma and Council of the Empire landed at Bergen, the old Nonveigari captain grumbled to Shingarev. "Here wo are. A second time I'd hardly consent to take sucii dangerous and responsible freight on board my. ship." ---■■• Shingarev smiled, recalling how only in April, on the way from Bergen to England', -tilie Germans arranged to capr ture the Russian Parliamentary Delegation, and how nothing came of it. Eri route from Stockholm to Bergen in one of the coaches with the Russian Parliamentarians travelled-a cer-' taih Russian lady who was proceeding to Switzerland. On the; way an unknown Gorman took a Seat- ceside her, and conversation quickly ensued. The German tjore himself like a gentleman, and offered his fellow-passenger a. thousand small services. On learning that tile lady intended 1 to embark for England in the steamer Jupiteiy together with the Parliamentary Delegation, the German became disturbed and began to dissuade the Russian, lady from mdertaking the journey as planned. .

"Don't Co by the Jupiter." "At any rate, don't go by the Jupiter (he urged). Thrive precise information that the German Admiralty has decided, with the help of submarines, to seizo the Jupiter and take, prisoner the Eussian Parliamentary Delegation. You can understand yourself (smiled, the German complacently) ■ what Homeric laughter would go up from all Europe if the members of the Imperial Duma and Council of 'the Empire, in-. stead of travelling to their friends and Allies in London and Paris, should suddenly appear in Berlin." _ The Eussian lady, upset by this report, immediately injploxed Miliukov not to travel by the Jupiter. Miliukov shrugged his shoulders, and saia that it was not in liis power to alter the itinerary already 'arranged. - But ho advised the Eussian lady, so as to avoid unpleasantness,, not to embark iu the same steamer: On parting from his fellow-passenger at Bergen the German once more warned her. "Remember," he said, "that-1- have fulfilled .my duty. { have warned you,. and you must do as you. like.!' ; ' ~ ~ . On arrival at Bcrg6n the Parliamentary Delegation learned that they were, to sail to England, not in tiio Jupiter, but in another vessel; but what had caused tliis change the Delegates were not informed.

On a British Cruiser. On the appointed day the Parliament - tarians were put aboaixt a E<jyal 'yaaht I converted into au auxiliary warship. Eight and left panted, torpedo-boats, and under their convoy tiio yacht put out into tiio open .sea.: During the whole day the vessel constantly-chang-ed her course, and at midnight came Up with a huge British, cruiser. Our • .■Parliamentarians changed ; into' this warship and under the British flag pur- . sued their jouinej. ' . ".When shall ne be at \e,\ castle? Shingarev asked ili o - captain-., of the cruiser. ' ' i'■ ■'' •• - ; .-■ ■ "At 8 : a.m.," was the repiy.- ■; , Shingare.v paced the'deck for a short time, aiid Ins;'cabin and slept soundly. .On awaking he looked at 'his . watch and , was amazed to find the houi- 6 a.m.:.. According to : t the captain's statement,...the: cruiser ought already to have been lying at anchor at Newcastle-(properly speaking, not at Newcastle,": but at a - small port . several dozens of ; versts" north thereof). 1 . ' Shiugarev hurriedy dressed, ran on / deck, and saw before him the. open. 58 "What's the -matter P" ho asked the captain. "Why; wo ought to have arrived at 8 o'clock." ------ . • ... ' "Quite 1 right," answered-the English seaman, "but during the night I got orders by wireless to chango ' our course." ... "Submarino?" asked Stongarey. "Yes," the captain answered laconically. • . •. Shingarev while standing a few minutes on the captain's bridge noticed a strange' phenomenon. The cruiser was going ahead fairly rapidly,' hut' pecuFiarly, in zigzags. Avoiding Submarines." .' "Our cruiser," the. captain explained to the puzzled Shingarev, "does 22 'knots an hour, while'e' submarine cannot do more than 10. ' The Germans can't overtake me. But, knowing our route, they can stand across pur path, and' on the cruiser's approach fire a, torpedo into \hcr. But' ivitll. a zigzag movement, when I change mv course each time, it's protty harder the Germans to hit me." After a fairly long journey the Russian 'Parliamentarians, instead of Newcastle, were safely landed at t-.ie mostnorthern point of Scotland, near the . Orkney Islands. • . • ■■. ; The Germans, concludcd Slnn^are*, to'do them, justice, have an admirable , scouting service. ' Qur , foes «ere ac- , curately informed about the day ol our tleparfcuro, about the steamer by which our journey was proposed, and,lastly, about our route. But tiio; English •ebun'tor-rosojinaissance is still better organised. „ .• . , , ... .:« Our course was changed. \\ e went, not by the Jupiter, hut on a cruiser, and we landed, not at Nowcastle,..but in the north of Scotland, and reached ; , London and Paris, not Berlin. Such is the history of how the Germans proposed to amuse Europe, and how no- . thing came of it. .