An Enterprising Reporter.

Otago Witness, Issue 2761, 13 February 1907, Page 88

An Enterprising Reporter.

The story now current in Berlin about an enterprising reporter of the Lokalanzeiger, who donned the Imperial livery in ord-er to take a rise out of the Kaiser when travelling, and was, on discovery of the ruse, dropped out of the train 10 miles from nowhere — this story may be true or otherwise; anyhow, it had its counterpart, and probably its origin, in an incident which happened more than 20 years ago at Berlin, and of which the truth can be vouched for. The Hebrew financier who built what is now the palatial British Embassy out of his ill-gotten gains had come to terrible grief, and founded the Kleine Journal to retrieve his shattered fortunes. Desiring to treat his readers to a detailed description of tho Radziwill Palace, the residence of Bismarck, he sent, a reporter to the prince, who flatly refused to see him. Thereupon the reporter — a German Jew with a New York training — went to a friend of his — the master of a Guards' Band which iiad been selected, as usual, to serenade the Chancellor on his birthday — and got himself rigged up in the uniform of the regiment, as one of the privates detailed to hold the music. After *he serenade the Iron Chancellor invited all tho bandsmen to partake of some good cheer, and then conducted them over his palace, explaining its historical associations. Next day the Eleine Journal sold like hot cakes, and the Jew reporter got a rise of salary.