This order was so strict that on the next
day, Tuesday, I had to have recourse to the authority of the
Wilhelmstrasse to get the Hotel Bristol to send our meals to
the Embassy.
At 11 o'clock on the same evening, Monday, Herr von
Langwerth came back to tell me that his Government would not
allow our return by way of Switzerland under the pretext
that it would take three days and three nights to take me to
Constance. He announced that I should be sent by way of
Vienna. I only agreed to this alteration under reserve, and
during the night I wrote the following letter to Herr von
Langwerth:
"BERLIN, AUGUST 3rd, 1914.
"M. LE BARON;
"I have been thinking over the route for my return
to my country about which you came to speak to me
this evening. You propose that I shall travel by
Vienna. I run the risk of finding myself detained
in that town, if not by the action of the Austrian
Government, at least owing to the mobilization
which creates great difficulties similar to those
existing in Germany as to the movements of trains.
"Under these circumstances I must ask the German
Government for a promise made on their honor that
the Austrian Government will send me to Switzerland,
and that the Swiss Government will not close its
frontier either to me or to the persons by whom I
am accompanied, as I am told that that frontier has
been firmly closed to foreigners.
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