The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-02-13
AN INTERNATIONAL
DIFFICULTY.
[origlnal.l

Hans Becker and Gretchen Stiefel
we're German peasants. aged respec'
lively sixteen and fifteen. Their ia
TIERS little farms adjoined. and they
went to school together. Hans was
tan, dark eyed young fellow, with fine
frame. though not yet properly filled
out Gretchen looked out Of pair of
mild blue eyes, and heavy coil of
hair the hue Of flax hung down her
back to her knees The two had played
together as children and when they
came into their teens were still In
separable.
One day Hans, after a consultation
with his father, told Gretchen that he
was going to America. An uncle had
written from there that If Hans would
come out he would give him place in
his brewing business and help him to
make fortune. The offer had been ac-
eepted. Hans would soon be seventeen
years old, an age when every German
man must serve his term of military
duty before leaving the fatherland.
therefore 1t had been determined that
he should so before his next birthday.
Hans and Gretchen were as ignorant
of love as at the day they were born.
When Hans told her that he was go
hg to America she turned pale. made
q few little breath catches. then tears
began to well up in her blue eyes.
Hans, too. felt choking in his throat.
He folded her in his arms. For the
first time 1t dawned upon them that
they were lovers.
The day before Hans was seventeen
he sailed for America. His uncle. who
had made money, gave him an oppor-
tunity. He told him that II he would
remain at the business for ten years
without returning to Germany he
might have a years vacation, at the
end of which he would receive q block
Of the stock of the brewing company
that would make him rich and he
should, II competent be its manager.
At the end Of the time Hans had COM
Piled with the conditions and proved
himself well fitted for managers po
sition.
Hans and Gretchen had correspond
ed and pined for each other, and at the
expiration Of the ten years Hans went
10 Germany. He found Gretchen a
lovely woman, though still peasant,
and they were married. 1t was In the
summer. and they spent their honey
moon in Switzerland. A couple Of
months before the expiration of Hans
vacation his wife presented him with
q son. But alas the boy was born
with club foot
When Hans and his family were |
about TO sail for America an officer |
served paper on him distraining him
from leaving Germany till he had
served his term In the army Then |
Hans knew what he had not known |
before or had forgotten If he re-
manned more than nine months in Ger
many be again became German cit
hen and liable to military duty,
Here was misfortune To remain !
In Germany for the purpose Of hang
ing around a barrack for several years
would be equivalent to giving up a
fortune In America. Hans knew that
the law on this subject was inexorable
and was about TO write his uncle re-
fnquishing his interests in the brew
ing company when he discovered that
the period spent In Switzerland had
made him alien to Germany. He could
stay in the fatherland for nine months
more before again becoming a German
citizen. This gave him a leeway of
nearly two months. His wife was In
poor health, and he deferred his de-
parture for the United States till few
days before the expiration of the Sec
ond nine months period, which would
again make him German citizen.
On reaching New York he found that
If the fatherland Is jealous of her sons
leaving her shores without having done
military service the United States is
equally jealous of any one coming
within her borders who is not in al!
respects desirable citizen Little
Heinrich Becker's club foot was an
hsurmountable obstacle to his being
admitted to the national domain. In
vain his father pleaded that he would
not permit his boy to become a bur
den on the American people The law
refusing cripples is as inexorable as
the law respecting army service in