Grand Forks daily herald., 1914-10-21
NED PORTER, FORMER ''U'
STUDENT, WRITES Of war
lContinued from Page 81

territory (the ''dastardly attack" men,
toned by the consul), but most SEEM
ed occuted with gazing at the towers
of the cathedral, close to whose sum-
mits. 1t was said, men had been plac-
ed with rifles and machine guns to re-
rife. The most persistent referred to
the blowing up of bridges round
about. and an attack by a French
aeroplane with bombs ON q town not
very far away. I cannot remember
the name now. Spies. of course. were
sought for everywhere. We had been
viewing the splendid interior of the
ed and informed us that four Russian
spies had been taken almost under
our eyes. In the nave of the cathedral
ITSELF One was disguised as q monk
the others as nuns. Needless to say.
people were discovering" Russian
ana @ French spies all over Germany
that day. The police had hard
time getting those away from the ex-
cited populace, for once outside the
cathedral. missiles began to fly at
good rate. Rather inconsiderate, as
the probable fate Of the unfortunates
would be a blank wall at sunrise, un-
less they had a very clear case. Ger
mans do not triae with such matters.
(We impressed this so strongly on a
prosperous looking American gentle
man whom we met carrying camera
conspicuously slung outside his over
coat that he started to put 1t under
his shirt.)
Great German War Marching.
AS we sat in the Dom Atuomat TAX
Ing last meal Of the good things
with queer names one gets in German
cares, we struck up a conversation
with our German vis-a-vis. He was
one nf fhnQo n1e
dressed men with that hard-as-nails-
IN business look that one gets accus-
toned to among German-Americans.
ana pleasant company withal. He had
been in business in America for years
made money In New York and lost
1t IN the San Francisco earthquake,
ana was now in business in Cologne.
He was under no obligation to fight,
but there was the ring of absolute
conviction in his voice when he said
That Germany couldn't endure this In
solent aggression of Russia's. and that
ne had volunteered. think he voiced
the general attitude. The people were
ed good. and the harvest the best for
years. But when. as 1t seemed to
them, Russia modified as sort Of
challenge, and then wantonly broke
the peace by attacking the Germans
without any active provocation or ex-
Guse. s while the reports also had the
French doing the same. the nation
was stirred to its very depths. Small
blame to them. say I. Until got out
OF Germany and saw the diplomatic
correspondence, was inclined to
agree with them. When they did de-
clare war. the people were epthusias.
ttcally confident. They furnished the
for the working Of the vast military
machine and when the kaiser, as it
were. threw the clutch, it swept
grandly forward in a resistless torrent
of war.
Even the socialists" said our Au-
tomat acquaintance, with deep content
in his voice. i've always been afraid
they know this is just war. and they
have come forward here to a man.
II only England keeps out now, it will
be all right
those early days Of strife:-What
would England do?
Personally, we thought it better to
go there and inquire. Seven fifteen
found us waiting on platform No.
for the Flushing express. Train aft
er train dashed up and was sent off
with the regularity of clock work.
Ours was due next; then things be-
gan to lag. For three blessed hours
watching the anxious faces of Eng
lish people hoping to get out in time,
the surging crowds of Germans leav-
ing Cologne. the packed troop-trains
numbering through without a stop;
the huge piles of luggage stacked be-
tween platforms. the snappy efficient
movements of the officials in handling
crowds and trains. the easy move
ments of the soldiers as they thrust
up a loaded rifle to emphasize the
command to "Schliessen das fenster,
bite" (close the window. please). No
train was allowed to have a window
open. lest anyone should throw ex-
plosives onto bridge or the track.
We made Goch in short time,
comparatively, and then waited about
six hours until morning. Then the
German military came through. One
man, apparently suspected, was given
a rather close examination, and when
the officials back was turned, prompt
ly beat it. I saw the soldiers running
wildly over the fields after him. They
didn't get him, however. My law
notes were the subject Of suspicious
scrutiny, but Snow says that his hon.
est and open countenance got them
through. Anyway. they passed. I
was glad not to be taken for q spy.
Two Frenchmen had been shot as
such at sundown In that same place.
They actually detained one old chap,
bIt hA rAiOined ua n fAuv bo,,r~ 1otae