The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-08-03

Transportation Is a Serious Prob
lem.
WASHINGTON, Aug. ,. - The Unit /
ed States government yesterday extend /
ed a helping hand to the thousands or
Americans who are stranded abroad |
without means of cashing their cheeks |
or letters of credit owing to the finan-
cial stringency produced by European |
war :. |
Besides forwarding hundreds of tele-
grams to Americans through diplomatic |
channels, orders were sent by the state
department.. to all consulates, legations
and embassies TO use every influence al |
their disposal to obtain money for citi
zens of the United States.
All American diplomatic officers were
instructed to exchange letters of credit
or travellers checks for . embass>
checks or certificates. These are is
sued by the authority of the United
States government and Secretary BRYAN
said last night he was confident '|em
bassy checks would be honored BY
railroads, steamship companies and ho
tells abroad. Relatives and friends of
Americans in Europe can deposit funds
with the state department. in Washing
ton and an equivalent sum will be adj
vanced in an embassy check abroad
Americans devoid of funds will be Civ
en- loans Just as was the case in Mexico,
and an emergency appropriation win
/ be asked for to care for any deficiencies
/ in this connection.
| Secretary Bryan expressed the view
| that there were enough ships running
to care for Americans who desire to
/ leave, but said that if any emergency
arose everything necessary would be
| done by the American government to
assist them TO return home.
4 President Wilson gave his personal
| attention to the problem of aiding citi-
zens of the United States While the
state department. was asking its rep
/ resentatives abroad to determine the
most practicable way of giving finan-
/ cial assistance, the administration let
! it be known, that, If necessary, large
| quantities of gold would be shipped
to American embassies to cash chez KS
! for Americans. 1t is not expected,
/ however. that such a contingency will
arise. Mr.. Bryan suggested that if
/ American embassies run short of funds
with which to cash travellers checks
i or letters of credit the American gov
ernment would have no difficulty in
getting currency direct from the for
eign governments.
The government has undertaken to
i persuade big steamship companies to
have their agents in the United States
), accept checks or money for passage
i sent by friends here or to have them
honored in embassy checks abroad for
i steamship passage from European
points.
Americans living abroad permanent.
:, ", who are paid by monthly remit
tances from firms or corporations in
the United States, may be able 80
get money direct from the American
consulates, as arrangements are under
way to have American companies pay
their European employees through the
state department.
Transportation Problem May Become
Serious.
State department advices showed
that thousands of the Americans in
Europe had foclled to England. Tele
grams by the score poured in on the
department from relatives and friends
throughout the United States inquiring
for Americans in Europe. Such tele
4 grams were forwarded to the European
+ embassies and cousulates.
The most immediate concern of many
r of the Americans in Europe is to oh
| tain funds for sustenance. Although
S there are enough steamships now run
7 ming to care for those who desire t,
leave, officials realize that rs the wa
f becomes more complicated transporta
f ton facilities will diminish. Inasmcl
g as the Washington governments chart
r cred steamships to take American
4 refugees from Mexico, there is littl,
: doubt that an appropriation for sucl
: purposes would be asked from Con
gress.
- Many of the Americans abroad arr
school teachers who are anxious to ge
back before the end of this month fot
the opening of the schools in Sep
: TENDER. Tourists who carried Just suf
! ficient funds for their trip find them
d selves in embarrassment because of tn,
/. delay in steamship sailings and tn,
expense of prolonged stay at hotels.
n Although the United States is but
/ neutral observerAin the European war
q the manifold interests of Americans il
: Europe commanded the ineessant at
e tention of President Wilson and of
e ficials Of the government Throughout
the day. :.