Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-09-10

this city.
hours later, our train was as long as
an ordinary freight train.
1t Was Terrible
THE platforms in the Berne sta
ton were packed with Germans. Eng
lish and French, waiting for trains
to take them to their homes. 1t was
terrible! / never saw such a sight
in my life. After considerable diff
Guilty we managed to get out of the
station and to the hotel. | asked the
proprietor if he was taking American
checks and while he at first refused he
afterwards told me that American
money was the best money in the
world at that time. French and Ital-
ian money was no good at all. So that
while we could not get large amounts
at time yet we could get enough
from the proprietor of that one hotel
for our ordinary needs. Ours was an
exceptional case because in the other
hotels and in the banks that that time
(tirst week in AugusD 1t was impos-
sible to get money on checks or letters
of credit or anything of that kind.
Representatives Inexperienced
THE Americans poured into Berne
from the surrounding countries
mostly without money or passports
and for a few days the consulate was
kept open day and night to furnish
the Americans with information
which was largely misinformation
and passports. There was a great OBJ
lection made by the Americans to
the fact that they had to pay for these
passports, when ii was almost impoS-
sible to get money, and then not more
than SO at time. The American
representatives of our government
were requiring the Americans to pay
SO piece for passports. Our repre-
sentatives did all they could under
the circumstances, which at that time
was mighty little. l think this was
largely because they were inexperi-
enced, with the exception of Max j
Baehr, the American Consul at Berne
who was formerly Consul at Cuba dur
ing the time of our trouble with Spain
and was a man of wide experience. He
was a splendid representative of the
American government
Swiss Elect General
In Berne all was more or less con.
fusion, the troops from all over Switz.
erland were pouring into Berne, which
was made central camp. The Swiss
parliament was called to elect a gen.
eral for the army. They have a gen.
election of General Willie they had
such a celebration and there was sc
much cheering and marching, etc.
that we thought peace had been de-
clared, and was greatly disappointed
to find that it was only the election OF
the general of the Swiss army. They
had review of thousands of Swiss
troops on the fields of Berne, when
they and the officials all took the oath
nf alIRpiunOa n ~ n nhin1
they resolved to protect Switzerland
from invasion by foreign armies ot
any country. The parade, after this
took place, was a wonderful sight.
Then the Anxious Days
Then there followed days of anx.
iOux, watchful waiting. There was abb
solutely no news, or the little that we
did receive had been so severely CEN
sored that IL amounted to nothing
We didn't know nearly so much about
the progress of events in Europe, al
though we were in the center of ElI.
rope, as those who were In America
There were all kinds of reports in the
streets. For instance, that Paris was
in the hands of the troops and that
they weer hanging Germans to the
lamp posts; that there weer no boats
running in or out of England; that
there was a state of revolution in Ber-
lin; that London was packed with
thousands of Americans and hotel ac-
commodations were not to be had;
that the only safe thing to do was to
remain in Berne.
IAN American committee was
formed, which in few days adjusted
money matters satisfactorily 50 that
Americans were able to get money
when the Swiss themselves had diff
Guilty in getting it. The hotel pro-
prietor assured us that he would keep
us as long as his food lasted, and that
he had enough to last six months, and
we were further assured that the win
ters in Berne were delightful.
Everybody Has to Go!
~ visited the Swiss National Elk.
hibit, which had attracted great
crowds to Berne, and found in these
large buildings and grounds that there
were hardly more than 100 people
where it would take at least 25,00C
to have a comfortable crowd. All
men had been called to the front from
every occupation, no matter what
Everybody had to go.
I'VE had a number of meetings oil
the Americans, at which they were
encouraged to remain until the way
would be clear and then we were as
sured that the United States govern
ment would arrange with the French
government for special trains to carry
us through France to England. After
waiting for nearly three weeks we
learned that these special trains only
existed in the Imagination of the
American Minister and some few
members of the committee. The Brit
ish government had succeeded I'm ar
ranging for special trains for British
subjects. There were 5000 British in
Switzerland and at least as many, il
not more, Americans. The Americans,
finding that the way through France
was clear, decided not to wait on the
American government, which was
characteristic of the American-to
help themselves, so they went out in
dividually in trains to Geneva and
from Geneva to Paris (the only way
to get through).
o, Happy Day!
"The trip from Geneva to Paris or
dinarily requires about nine hours and
is made by through trains. Under the
wa schedule it requires anywhere
from ,thirty to rty-eight hours, with
numerous changes. You could expect
to be turned out of the course at any
stage, where it was oftentimes i'm.