Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1908-03-11
AN INTERNATIONAL
DIFFICULTY.
IOriginal.]


lively sixteen and fifteen. Their IA
Tiers little farms adioined, and they
went to school together. Hans was q
tall, dark eyed young fellow, with fine
frame, though not yet properly filed
out. Gretchen looked out Of pair of
mild blue eyes, and a heavy coil of
hair the hue Of fax 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 consultation
with his father, told Gretchen that be
was going to America. An uncle had
written from there that If Hans would
come out lie would give him a place In
his brewing business and help him to
make fortune. The offer had been ac-
cepted. 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 it had been determined that
he should go 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
ing to America she turned pale, made
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 If 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 block
of the stock Of the brewing company
that would make him rich and he
should, If competent, be its manager
AT the end Of the time Hans had com
piled with the conditions and proved
himself well fitted for managers pc
sition.
Hans and Gretchen had correspond
ed and pinned for each other, and at the
expiration of the ten years Hans went
to Germany. He found Gretchen a
lovely woman, though still a 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
a son. But alas the hoy was born
with a club foot.
When Hans and his family were
about to sail for America an officer
served a 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-tha If he re
manned more than nine months in Ger
many he again became German cit
izen and liable to military duty.
Here was a misfortune. To remain
In Germany for the purpose of hang
ing around barrack for several years
would be equivalent to giving up q
fortune in America. Hans knew that
the law on this subject was inexorablc
and was about to write his uncle re
linquishing 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 n German
citizen. This gave him 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 all
respects a desirable citizen. Little
Heinrich Becker's club foot was an
lnsurmountable 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 memorable as
the law respecting army service In
Germany, though the reason for 1t is
more humane.
It seemed that the only plan for the
Becker family would be to go back to
Germany. But If this plan were adopt |
ed the husband and father would reach |
German shores shortly after the ex-
piration of the nine months period |
which would make him liable to mill |
tary duty. Hans began to wish that
the nations of the world would unite |
under one government so that he |
might be citizen Of all lie WAS /
wanted in Germany, where he could /
not make respectable living, that The 1
emperor might be prepared to ii"1' /
the powers; he was kept out Of The /
United States, where fortune await
ed him, because his son happened toI
be born with club foot
However. Hans Becker, had become
an American and did not complain of
the exceptional injustice of just laws.
1t was suggested to him that he go to
Mexico with his family, from whose
border he could easily enter the United
States But he disdained to break the
law. He determined to send his wife
and boy back to Germany, to have his
boys foot operated on by surgeon
and then bring mother and child back
again. 1t happened that on the day
they were to sail the head Of the emil
grafton bureau at Washington visited
Ellis island, where emigrants are re-
ceived. The case was referred to him,
and he decided that little Heinrich
Rocker might become one of the 90