The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-09-26


 Photo by Stephenson Studio
 
 poor ate the same bread and returned thanks with like sincerity. With difficulty and under registration at four different consulates we managed to get to the port Of Genoa. Four thousand Americans in a similar plight had so congested the hotels that we were glad to be allowed to camp in the attic of our accustomed stopping place. Then for II days followed the daily visit to the consul. John Jones Of Genoa, where we were served with bar ren assurances of aid and an early pass age on government transports, bulletins of warning spiced with the encouraging ad- vice to leave immediately all ending with the mocking Come back tomorrow At last we found ourselves actually anoat and leaving Genoa in little 6000- ton tub an Italian hospital ship which of course held out the consoling prospect of Italy declaring war and requisitioning both captain, and ship. Our boat, which had done service Mediterranean transport for soldiers wounded during the recent Turkish skirmish, was wholly in- adequate. One thousand passengers were packed so close that privacy was a for gotten dream, and l could easily envy the Isolation of the sardine Imagine first-class accommodations in the shape of steerage beds down in the baggage hold men on one side, women on the other; from four to 10 berths parttioned off only by canvas screens, narrow corridors presenting much the appearance of Pull man cars, floors of iron, mostly bare and screaming in coat of cheap red paint still wet enough to ruin our clothes be- fore we had learned the trick of keeping everything but ourselves in the air. A semi-darkness softened the revolting crud- ity of this human barn, but nothing could a ntr1fh hrt
 Did the war affect your passage in any waS?'' l asked.
 An incident at Gibraltar made a strik- ing impression on me Instead of steam ing toward the harbor, we gave the Dig Rock wide berth So often before I had felt inclined to laugh at that sleep- ing bit of granite, so commanding only in pictures, but this time l saw back Of the silent mask, and bowed before a new interpretation: I became fully aware that it's sole purpose was to deal out death. Not that there were any more evi- dences of Qualifications than before but I grew conscious of hundred hidden, yen omous eyes, watching our every move ment as spider would a fly. As we passed the harbor we noticed two big warships, their huge guns point ed ominously toward us. We had scarcely strengthened our course for the gates of Hercules when small, gray torpedo boat appeared, almost from nowhere, and sig naled us to stop. After rapidly .encir- cling our ship, it came within hailine distance and we heard megaphone call out: Will you follow me to Gibraltar please? l will lead you to examination anchorage Small as our boat was, one 1 torpedo boat appeared mere midget, but just the same we followed the little gnat' nleekly into port.
 We were carefully searched for spies first. Everyone had to prove his Ameri- can citizenship. Finally we were given a clean bill of health for New York It was treat to see those fine looking English officers going so quietly about their work, and their general attitude convinced us of the friendliness of Eng land to Italy.
 Meanwhile the ladies watched the boats that gathered around us. Suddenly, as if suspicion were. not quite luled, a sub marine bobbed it's head up. only to dis appear again as quickly. Signals which We could not fathom were constantly be- ing exchanged by means of flags until it was too dark to see
 No sooner had .the veil of darkness fallen over us than night was pierced with shafts of light, playing over the harbor. At frequent intervals we. too, were caught in the binding glare for a brief inquisitorial moment Finally the officers left the ship and from out of the
 
 tain. You may go. Goodnight
 '"Three-quarters of an hour away from Gibraltar dark shadow was suddenly seen the water and immediately a | searchlight was focused on our stern and bow. Instantly the light was extin- guished and we passed unchallenged by this last British watchdog. Only three times did we get news of the war. It was tantalizing to hear the excited snap ping of the wireless overhead and yet not to be able to interpret the code. Re serve was tossed to the winds after the first day out and everyone was glad to speak with the next one, but I was fre- quently called on to act as interpreter to the many would-be Americans from all over Europe.
 "As we neared New York" Mrs. Davis continued, ''we saw the magnificent big Holland-Amerika liner Rotterdam just getting up speed, when two ocean gray hounds, flying the British flag. slipped their leash and bore down upon her We were told that every ship leaving New York was searched for reservists, just as soon as they passed the three-mile limit out from United States territory.
 "Soon the pilot came on board with a bunch of papers, which we almost de- voured Shortly afterward every passen- ger on board had to be examined by health officers, who brought a tabulator on board to help them check the passen- gers off, but because the tabulator failed to count straight we had to form in line three separate times.
 ''It was a pathetic sight to see the monster "Veterland' belching out it's in- dignation in clouds of smoke, just as ready to rush back home al it was weeks ago before the enemy took up it's posi- ton outside the harbor
 "The kindness of customs officers was a delightful contrast to the dreariness of the almost improvised pier at which we landed on the Jersey side, far from the accustomed anchorage"