“Do not play with me, M. Petrovitch. I know all about your crew. Explain why you, a Russian subject, should have attacked what you are pleased to pretend was a Russian ship.”
“I regret to have to say that your majesty is laboring under a mistake. I am not a Russian subject.”
This time the Kaiser was fairly taken aback.
“What subject are you?”
“A Japanese.”
Wilhelm looked thunderstruck.
“Japanese!” was all he could say.
“If your majesty pleases. That being so, as soon as I took possession of the submarine, with your permission, of course it became a Japanese ship.”
“What you tell me is monstrous—ridiculous. Your name is Russian, your face is at least European.”