At the station the Ministry for Foreign Affairs was only
represented by an officer of inferior rank.
The journey took place with extreme slowness. We took more
than twenty-four hours to reach the frontier. It seemed that
at every station they had to wait for orders to proceed. I
was accompanied by Major von Rheinbaben of the Alessandra
Regiment of the Guard and by a police officer. In the
neighborhood of the Kiel Canal the soldiers entered our
carriages. The windows were shut and the curtains of the
carriages drawn down; each of us had to remain isolated in
his compartment and was forbidden to get up or to touch his
luggage. A soldier stood in the corridor of the carriage
before the door of each of our compartments which were kept
open, revolver in hand and finger on the trigger. The
Russian Charge d'Affaires, the women and children and
everyone were subjected to the same treatment.
At the last German station about 11 o'clock at night, Major
von Rheinbaben came to take leave of me. I handed to him the
following letter to Herr von Jagow.
"WEDNESDAY EVENING, AUGUST 5, 1914.
"SIR:
"Yesterday before leaving Berlin, I protested in
writing to your Excellency against the repeated
change of route which was imposed upon me by the
Imperial Government on my journey from Germany.
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