DRAMATIC DASH.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 290, 7 December 1937, Page 5

DRAMATIC DASH.

KIDNAP ATTEMPT.

WANTED TO TRY KAISER. i U.S. COLONEL LED PARTY. (Special.—By Air Mali.) , LONDON, November 18. ] To-day it is possible to tell facts of an almost unbelievable war story —how i 'eight Americans tried to kidnap the Kaiser from Amerongen, in Holland. They wished to take him to Paris to face ] his trial. i They got as far as the next room to the Kaiser, but they only succeeded in kidnapping his favourite ash-tray. The men were led by Colonel Luke Lea, of the 114 th Field Artillery, A.E.F. Each man, carefully chosen, came from Tennessee. They made two trips to Holland. The first on December 6 ended on December 28, 1918, when the party reached the Dutch frontier. The party returned to France and started out again on December 31. They had a car, arms and money. Their idea was to cross the frontier, dash to Count Von Bentinck's hoiiHo at Amerongen, where the Kaiser wae staying, kidnap the exile, and drive to Paris. Once in Paris they intended to go to President Wilson's residence and hand over their captive. Allowed Uniforms. Lea hoped the Kaiser would stand his trial as instigator of the war. At that time there was great feeling against the former monarch. The party reached Liege, Belgium, where they tried to get Dutch passports. I They were unsuccessful. Thirty miles further on their car broke down. But they obtained another from the colonel of an American regiment. Then they made for Brussels, where they managed to obtain passports from the Dutch Government—passports that described them as being <>n official business, allowed to wear uniforms, says a

The Dutch Minister supplied a laissezpasser that stated that the men were on official duty for the United States Government. From Brussels the men made for the Dutch frontier. The armed guards at the barbed wire, machine-gun protected frontier station let them thnwigh without a word. They pressed on toward Amerongen, picking up an interpreter on the way. Looked Worried. As dusk was falling the car came to a halt. The one bridge they had to cross had been washed away. But they found a ferry and went on. The ferryman refused to await their return. A few minutes after eight on .January 5 they arrived in Amerongen and drove to Count Von Bentinck'e house. The sentry outside was ordered by Colonel Lea to open the door. He did, impressed by the strange uniform. They were taken to the oflicer of the day, demanded to see the Kaiser, and were ushered into the house. There, in the library, a fire burning, they were asked to wait. A few minutes !ater a man entered. . It was the count, and he looked worried. He asked what they wanted. They said they wanted the Kaiser. Von Bentinck asked what they wanted with him. Drank Champagne. But they refused to explain that to anyone but tie monarch. Von Bentinrk left them. They heard voices in the next room. The Kaiser was speaking. They heard a telephone conversation. There were delays, and the eight men sat drinking champagne. Then the count ' returned and asked them further detail*. ' He left again, but came hack with the burgomaster of the town. At last they learned the cause of the delay. Outside was a detachment of , Dutch soldiers, machine-guns trained on . the entrance to the house. They looked ; like German veterans to the Americans. Behind the soldiers was a crowd of excited townspeople. The Americans '|decided to leave. No effort was made jlto detain them at the time. t A little later, when the loss of the 1 Kaiser's ash tray was discovered, telephone cnlls went out to intercept them. • But in spite of a long delay at the ! ferry they were safely across the front tier. Whrn the story came out Lea . was severely reprimanded by General i Perching, but there was no court-