The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1879-01-19
GERMANY UNDER SIEGE
THE PLAQUES AND PERILs OF THE PASSPORT
SYSTEM AT BERLIN.
London Daily News. December aI.
Oar Berlin correspondent writes ::

Oar Berlin correspondent writes:
A part of the Berlin press is nuch
offended at what it calls the false or exae-
gerated reports that are spread abroad
about the vexatiops and diff culties of
| travelling now in Germany. 1 have not
eeeu many of the reports in question, but
those which have seen were not exag-
gerated. In regard to Berlin in particular
my advice to Englishmen would certainly
be to stay away, unless they nave urgent
business or have provided Themselves with
abundant papers and are not ruff ed by dai
ly, not to say hourly, pulice visits. No
appearance of respectabillty, no probabiii-
tles of good character and lawful business,
take the place of the lost formal and exact
papers of Identification aud legitimati0n
when travellers have to deal with the DO
lice under the new system. The rigor even
extends to the provinces, although the OBJ
legation of passports had not been formally
introduced except in Berlin aud only
about a week ago "a English gentleman
of faultless demean0r and excellent antece-
dents had to send to the embassy here in
great haste to get passport and escape
the threatened expulsion. II this sort of
thing is possible in the interior what must
be the severity of the officials here at Ber-
lin A capital case has come to my know
ledge and as it illustrates not only the |
petty rigor but also the amazing stupidity |
of some of the under officials, it deserves |
to be recorded. An elderly lady, the wild
ow of one of the first scholars Of America, |
is living here with Der SOD, who is pursu- |
ing his studies at the University and learn.
ing authorized Socialism of Professor Wag-
ner. AS she came to Berlin before the re-.
of the passport system she ia
legally and strictly not affected by it.
the police have utterly ignor-
woman as remorselessly as il they suspect
ed in her the possibility of Charlotte
Cordsy or a Lucrezia Borgia. One SER
geant of police has made himself pRrticu-
larly active in probing the dark secrets of
the lady's past career, bat his learning and
being inferior to his zeal he
one day became the hero of the following
passport, which, however, as o student,
he is obliged to deposit with the authori-
lies of the University, receiving in ex
change a students card as it is called.
This he one day showed to the sergeant
Who had been again urging upon the .
mother the expediency of her expanding a
,uinea for passport if she wished to en-
oy the advantage of living in Berlin. The {
ard, as a scholastic document, was nRtu-
ally in Latin, and certified that the bear
r. Mr.. So and So, was student in the
Universities Berolinensis." The grave
fficisl scrutinized the instrument with
uzzled and suspicious look. "What does
hat mean Z" said he, pointing to the above
lords. The young American explained
hat they were Latin for "Berlin Univer-
ity." "What, that thing" continued the
ergeant - "that Der o linen sis, that
lands for Berlin; but why is that 90
neref" 1 am afraid my young friend
lughed directly in the face of the law.
Whether the unfortunate lady has since
OF her passport or has been expelled as a
angerous character 1 cannot cay; bat her
xperience is such as may befall the most
,nocent person who comes to Berlin IN
rovided for the state of siege. At the
lme time there is something to be said on o
le other side. 1t is not only self-evident
lat the German authorities have a perfect
ght 60 impose such regulations as they =,
lease upon travellers, but it is also unbap- d
lily true that mary EPglishmea-other