Excerpt from The First Horror of the War, Vol. 4
In April, 1914, while making an extensive tour through South America, I was about to return to New York from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I accidentally ascertained from the American Consul that Prince Henry of Prussia was expected to arrive at Rio de Janeiro, aboard the Kronprinz Wilhelm. Being anxious to see the Prince, I cancelled my reservation on the Lamport & Holt liner, Vandyke (which has since been sunk by a German submarine), due to sail the following morning for New York. Within a few days, the arrival of the German fleet was greeted by the boom of the cannon from the fort at the entrance of the beautiful bay of Rio de Janeiro, and salutes fired from the Brazilian rnen-of-war. The battleships, Kronprinz Wilhelm, with Prince Henry of Prussia aboard, the Kronprinzessin Cecelia, and a flotilla of gunboats, entered the bay. The leading German-American business men and bankers tendered a reception to the Prince, his attaches, and the officers of the German fleet. I attended this reception, was introduced to the Prince, whom I interviewed briefly, and it was apparent to me after listening to his address, which dealt principally with the deep concern of the Kaiser for his subjects who resided in South America, and the replies made by the leading German citizens of Rio de Janeiro to Prince Henry"s address, in which they expressed the loyalty of the Germans to the Fatherland, especially those who had settled in Brazil, Uruguay, and the Argentine Republics; that the purpose of Prince Henry"s tour through South America was to carry on the German propaganda, the object of which was to impress the German residents, also the officials of the Latin-American Republic with the supremacy of the Central Powers.
A few days later a banquet was given by Prince Henry to a number of prominent officials of Rio de Janeiro, also the representative Germans residing in Brazil. Through the courtesy of the United States Consul, I attended this banquet on board the Kronprinz Wilhelm. Little did I think as I sat at the festive board and listened to the addresses of the principal speakers, and heard the strains of the "Wacht am Rhein" played by the band aboard the German battleship, that I, in a short time, would become an eye-witness of the stirring events that were to follow upon my arrival in England. You can imagine how deeply mortified I was to miss the steamer on which I had engaged passage and to ascertain that I would be delayed at least a week before the departure of another boat. I inquired at the shipping offices if I possibly might secure passage to Liverpool aboard one of the tramp steamers which was taking on a cargo of beef. I strolled towards the dock and persuaded a boatman to take me aboard a steamer anchored in the bay. Upon my arrival on the ship I was informed by the first mate that the captain was ashore and could evidently be found at a tavern called the lolly Buccaneers. I went ashore with my friend, the boatman, who by the way, conversed with me in Spanish. After considerable difficulty.
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