Iron Maiden by J.T. Maicke

Author:J.T. Maicke [Maicke, J.T.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: DX Varos Publishing
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

***

“What do you have for us today, ‘C,’” asked the Honorable J.E.B Seely. Seely had succeeded Richard Haldane as British Secretary of State for War the previous year. Prime Minister Herbert Asquith, Foreign Secretary Sir Edward Grey, and First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill also were in attendance at the meeting in Whitehall.

‘C,’ which stood for ‘Chief,’ was the codename of Sir Mansfield George Smith-Cumming, a former naval officer who now directed the Secret Intelligence Service, Britain’s foreign intelligence organization. His true position was known outside of his service only to King George V and the men in the conference room. The British public and the rest of the outside world had no knowledge of Sir Mansfield’s role, since the existence of the Secret Intelligence Service was not publicly acknowledged.

“Gentlemen,” began ‘C,’ as you know from press reports, the German Kaiserin apparently conducted a series of foreign visits to neighboring countries late last summer, visiting The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Austria-Hungary, as well as Warsaw, where she met with Czar Nicholas and several of his senior ministers. During her meetings with the Austro-Hungarian and Russian emperors, she floated a proposal for a peace conference to include all the Balkan states.”

“Our ambassadors throughout Europe have reported on this,” responded Sir Edward Grey. “Clearly, neither St. Petersburg nor Vienna were interested in pursuing this initiative.”

“Of course not, Sir Edward,” growled Churchill. “The last thing the Russians, Austro-Hungarians, or most of the Balkan states want is to agree to any treaty which would tie their hands with regard to future territorial expansion. Competition between Austria-Hungary and Russia for influence in the Balkans will continue, as will Russia’s desire for unimpeded access to the Bosporus Straits. Do your people have any additional information to report on the matter?”

“Actually, we do, sir,” responded ‘C.’ “It would appear that the Empress Christiana floated the proposal fully realizing that it would be rejected by both the Austro-Hungarians and the Russians.”

“Then why did she bother?” asked Seely.

“She did it in order to portray herself as a peacemaker and to enhance her international prestige,” responded Grey. “Several of our analysts speculated as much on this matter.”

“Yes, we believe so, sir,” answered ‘C.’ “The Empress wishes the world to regard her as peaceable while she plans for war.”

This statement was met by the British ministers with stunned silence. After a few moments, Seely spoke.

“What are we seeing in the way of preparations, ‘C’?”

“Several indications have been detected, sir. For example, earlier this year one of Germany’s foremost chemists, Dr. Fritz Haber, developed a process making the large-scale production of synthetic nitrogen economically feasible. Haber’s process frees Germany from dependence on natural nitrogen imported principally from the United States, Chile, and North Africa. As you gentlemen are aware, nitrogen is a key component in the manufacture not only of fertilizer—on which German agriculture is heavily dependent—but also explosives. The Empress Christiana has ordered an immediate increase in nitrogen production. We estimate that by next summer, Germany will be able to fulfill at least half of its civilian and military nitrogen requirements domestically.

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