"
Haldane mumbled something that sounded like "that is very
satisfactory." At any rate, he nodded an affirmative.
By this time the positions had changed somewhat, and Churchill drew
Tirpitz aside. Churchill spoke German only indifferently, so they
conversed in French and partly in English. I heard Tirpitz say:
"We could bottle up the Baltic in twelve hours. Russia would not have
a chance to stir. Of course, in the event of any outside situation
arising, we shall look to England to take care of such new conditions.
That seems to rest clearly with your navy."
Churchill became a little cautious.
"There is a certain contingency that might arise," he said. "Suppose,
under stress of circumstances the United States should take a definite
stand against us in this matter?"
The reply of the Admiral was the very expressive German
word--_Quatsch_! He further intimated that the United States was so
interested in its own internal affairs that it would not be drawn into
the question, and that in any event its navy would be needed for its
own immediate protection. He had a disposition, however, to put the
entire situation up to Churchill.
Kinderlen-Waechter and Moritz were deep in the Balkan question, and I
sensed then the coming Balkan imbroglio.
"Without doubt," Moritz said, "we will bring that to an issue within a
few months." I knew he meant that Austria would precipitate the
Balkan question.
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