The Washington herald., 1914-09-13
Former Herald Reporter War Refugee
WORKED WAY HOME AS STEWARD ON SHIP
Tells Plight of Americans In Italy

I ClptSSd M6ldlQd was SeiGCleu n GUM
mittee was appointed to assume charge
| of the ARRANGEMENTS, and a report soon
Twas made that the prices Of accommo-
! dations would be as follows: Single
! berth in de luxe cabin, 1900 and up;
single berth in first-class cabin, 800 and
up; second-class accommodations, $50;
/ steerage accommodations. 500. There
! were 10000 American tourists in Switzer-
land clamoring for TRANSPORTATION home.
Scores wired for steamer reservations.
| One wealthy tourist paid $4,000 for a
/ single berth in a de luxe cabin. Scores
! paid sums that went above the 8, 900
mark. In Genoa there were more than
! 1000 tourists who had registered for
, transportation back to America. Those
| whose funds were low declared they
would be content with any kind of ac-
commodations-anything. just to get
| back home.
There was the fear that prices in
Italy would advance, but this disqui-
.etude was dispelled when the government
! issued a proclamation specifying maxi
mum amounts to be charged for various
articles of food.
Tourists coming to Genoa from var
! iOus parts Of Italy brought the same
word with respect to the attitude Of
Italians toward the European war. The
universal feeling in Italy is against sid
] ing with Germany and Austria. A rep
! resentative of the great marble works at
Carrara, who has hundreds OF Italians
under him. told me that If the Italian
government should order the army to
take position along side OF the Germans
and Austrians, a revolution would be
precipitated in a twinkle. And this is the
sentiment that came from all parts Of
the peninsula. The Italians hate the
Austrians. II they fight at all. they
will align themselves with the allies.
CnrpathIa to Sail.
"on the afternoon of Sunday. August
Is, We were gathered in the consulate
awaiting our afternoon morsel Of news.
Shortly after o'clock DR.. Jones brushed
into the room, his hands as usual, full
of papers. He leaped to the top OF a
table so that all could see him, and with
out formalities announced he had just
received word that the Cunard liner
Carpathia was sailing from Naples on
August IS for New York. He said that
the accommodations probably would be
little rough, but added that there would
be no class distinctions, and that even
those persons travelling in steerage would
have first-Class food and full privileges
of the decks. He concluded by adding
that the vessel was in need of a few
stewards. and that this offered an OPP
portunity for any penniless persons who
were willing to work their way back TO
the States.
His words appealed to me- for al
though l was not exactly penniless, l
was next door to il. l had my passage
from Southampton to New York, but we
learned that sailings from that port had
been discontinued, and the steamer
agency at Genoa reported that the COM
pany was unable at that time to refund
the money. on account OF the war The
consul-general was receiving unavailable
passage tickets in partial payment for
accommodations on government-charter-
ed vessels, but even had l resorted TO
this method. l should not have had
sufficient funds to procure even steerage
accommodations For at the time l had
less than $50. l had a hotel bill that grew
with remarkable rapidity, and l was
wary about cabling for funds when l
realized that cable charges had to be
prepaid. and that those who had cabled
DAYS and days before were still without
word or coin from the other side. So,
when Jones got OF the table I pushed
my way through the crowd and caught
him by the arm when he was at the far
end of the corridor near the door to his
private office.
DR.. Jones' I saluted him, how
about this steward stunt"
Hustle down to the Cunard office as
last as you can MAKE IL, ne tlreQ 0aCk
and hurried into his office.
u hustled to the office as he had
directed me. It was Sunday, but the
office was open. The agent in charge
telephoned to Naples, after I had made
by business known, and after a few
minutes stepped from the telephone booth
with the information that three stewards
were needed. I told him 1 would take
the next train for Naples, and as 1 hur-
ried out of the office I ran into a young
man whom l had just seen at the con-
sUlate. He told the agent he was Harry
Cahill. of Boston. and that he too,
wanted to work his passage back to the
States. l told young CahiIl I would see
him at the station. and took a cab FOR
the consulate as l had been told by the
Cunard agent that I would need evidence
OF my American citizenship before being
permitted to book as a member OF the
crew.
Passport Is Obtained.
1T was after o'clock y hen l rushed
into the consulate and inquired Of DR..
Jones if he could prepare an emergency
passport for me. Ordinarily a deal of red
tape and the payment Of a fee are as
ISOLATED with the ISSUANCE Of passports,
but all these formalities were waived at
the outbreak of the war.
" What evidence have you of your citi-
zenship?' Jones asked me.
Absolutely none I replied.
- Where do you come FROM
% Washington
4" What is your business
Newspaper reporter
&" What paper were you last connected
With
e The Washington Herald
You're all right. old man.. he con-
cIuded, I once was in the newspaper
game in Washington myself And he
pulled out a passport form and began TO
fill in the color of my hair and eyes. the
shape of my head. the nature OF my fore
head. the complexion OF my face, and
other points of identification.
AT 9:25 o'clock young Cahin and I
pulled out of the Genoa station for Ma
pies. together with fifty or more Ameri-
cans. who were intent upon trying to
get home on the Carpathia. AS We left
We saw further signs OF mobilization.
The station was thronged with Italian
soldiers
Monday evening we reached Naples
and went direct to the Cunard agency.
The chief steward of the Carpathia
signed US on for e. month
and told US to take our luggage to the
aft glory hole ! didn't know exactly
where that was, but we were certain
aft meant the rear of the vessel. so
we started in that direction with the
hope of eventually falling into the glory
hole which proved to be a large room
in the stern of the vessel under decks
with fOrfrr irnp he