The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-09-14
Exclusive. Service The survey Press

Bureau9
 If there could be any, bright spot in the dark cloud which has suddenly enveloped Europe it is the quick and effective way in which Americans have organiezd to help their felIoW-country- organized to help their oW-country- try women, during the appalling month of August. There were probably about 100, 900 Americans in Europe at the time when war followed s1nnmed1ately upon mobilization. They had no warn ing The situation came upon them with the suddenness and unexpected ness of an earthquake.
 Sudden Plight of Americans.
 It is quite evident from the English and German ~White Papers that dip 1omats were alarmed when Austria served her ultimatum upon Servia~ The European financial world' un- doubtedly had some sense of danger a day or two before the cloud burst, but the average American, traveling for pleasure, seldom reading and sell dom able to read the local papers, had no warning. Unthinkable as was a general European war, equally un- thinkable and linconceivable was the situation which Immediately deVel- opend.
 ERepIete as the press seems to have been with stories of stranded Ameri- cans, it is not possible for those who did not witness the situation to re- alize it. Letters of credit and other forms of credit became Immediately va1ueless. Paper money was refused outside of the country of issue. Eng fish paper, French paper, German pa per, with which most Americans who travel provide themselves, was val ue1ess outside of the country of its is sue. Nothing but gold and silver went, and gold and silver disappeared almost immediately frofn circulation The A paper of the country in which he happened to be. was without money.
 All Communication ceased. The trains ran only for soldiers; the .tele- graph and telephone could be used on Iy for governnl ent m messages; com munication with friends was fmpos- sib1e;. automobiles could not be had because the government impressed Ifthem all. Even cabs and horses dis appeared from the streets of many European cities. To the able-bodied American with ample resources ex- perienced in European travel, speak ing the important continental lan- guages, with European friends, the situation was anxious enough. To the inexperienced student or teacher, with no amount of ready money at hand, and without the ability to com municata with friends, the situation was terrifying.
 Quick Organization.
 Here was an opportunity for Amer jeans to get together and to. use their. power of quick organization and in ventiveness in, dealing with a situa- ton entirely novel and calling for immediate action, and if ever there was a demonstration of these quail ties that demonstration was com plete Wherever Americans were, be it in Germany. France, Austria, Italy, Switzefland,~ Scandinavia, .or elsewhere, they got together. They pooled their resources, however scan ty. They counseled together as to what to do, and so far as my knowl- edge goes land it is fairly extensive) they succeeded in obtaining trans portation to. the nearest important city, and there they organized as only Americans could, for mutual help. This organization usually grouped itself around the American Ambassa- dor or the American Consul. In some instances the Ambassador or the Consul took, the initiative in calling an American committee to it's aid. In others the committee formed after ad- vtsing wit the American srepr resenta- tive In all instances, so far as am l aware, cooperation between such committees and, the nearest Ameri- can representative was complete Wherever Americans happened to. be Kat the hnae s4tlaA aarthnzza4ze,' ea=A-