HOW KITCHENER WAS BETRAYED.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12065, 21 July 1917, Page 9

HOW KITCHENER WAS BETRAYED.

CZARINA SENT WIRELESS L'O BERLIN. TWELVE SUBMARINES IN WAITING FOR HAMPSHIRE. (" Tho Bystander.") It is now generally believed that tho sinking of tho cruiser Hampshire, with Lord Kitchener on board, was duo to treachery of the ex-Czarina, who convoyed certain information to her German friends. This traitress was notoriously German in her ideas and sympathies, and although pretending _ a great patriotism for Russia and visiting tho hospitals where there were wounded soldiers, in the guise of sweet sympathy, die was surrounded at Court by pro-Germans, for whom her influence has gained a very largo sharo in tho administration.

It was known that Lord Kitchener contemplated visiting Russia, but none knew tho date of his departure from England, except tho King,_ the Prime Minister, some members of the Cabinet and a few high officials of tho Army and Navy administration, all of whom couid be relied upon for absolute secrecy. A special courier had gouo ahead bearing secret dispatches informing the Russian Minister of "War of the details of the projected visit. Tho Czarina heard of t.ho courier's arrival, and prevailed upon one of tho confidential secretaries of the Minister to let her know his mission. As soon as she had learned all she wished to know, tho Czarina sent for tho noted Rasputin, and was closeted with him for so mo time. "Within three hours the Czarina's secret wireless plant at tho palace was sending the news to Berlin, and the Kaiser and tho German war lords knew the very day and hour on which tho Hampshire was to leave; England with Earl Kitchener and hi 4 staff.

To intercept the cruiser with a dozen submarines was an easy task. Notwithstanding tho efforts of the authorities in England to convey the impression that tho Hampshire struck a. miuo. it : .s common property that the cruiser was torpedoed by several submarines, which lay in wait directly in the route, and made a joint and simultaneous at tack. The few who survived drowning told tho truth of the affair, but we believe the Censorship immediately suppressed its publication, as the authorities did not know the secret of Kitchener's departure had leaked out, and wanted the public to think that th? disaster was accident and not design. Now, however, the fact that tho Hampshire was torpedoed is not denied, if ; t ia not admitted.

Petrograd knew of the Czarina's Juplioitv because of the woman's own boastful tongue and ill-concealed Germanism. So elated was she at. the news of Kitchener's death that she could not refrain from confiding to a number 01 her favourites the part that she and Rasputin had played in bringing it about. These favourites "corfided : in their friends, with the result that the whole Court, and later the public, knew of their false Czarina's treason able complicity in the matter. When tho Czar hoard how the Germans learned of their chance of destroying Kitchener, the shock almost killed him. Ho was prostrated tor days, but the giuitv and unrepentant sharer of hjs throne exerted her map;netic influiMie.i on the weakling ruler, and he recovered to lie more under her t'i "• • T< is no doubt that tho Cvtarinri has practically been a prisoner since ihu nof Kitchener, as there 'vero hundred* ot her people who swore t,o bring about her death whenever .he * pportuuity offered. At the time of the revolution tho was surrounded by a bodyguard of favourites as pro-German i>s berse.f, all of whom were scheming ro 'jrinabout a separate peaco with the Hun, anc it was no wonder that t;io Czar trembled for her safety when these p: rising were arrested by the Provisional Government. It is not at all unlikely that tho ( carina. the military secretary who c'jvulged the information, aud a certain other former oificinl will be arraigned for high treason in haying supplied the ewmy with information of military importance.