La Junta tribune., 1914-10-24
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The second meeting was called .
few days later. and No wers Inform
I'd that ws would all have 70 have
passports. AZ . majority wsfe short
on funds. and could not afford to
90 TO Geneva. where our American
consul II. the vice counsel from Be-
vey kindly consented To come TO Lau-
same and provide M with passports
free OF charge. The committe told
us they were trying TO make arrauge-
ments for . special train 70 take
Americans 70 Paris. and there We
could arrange for passage home.
In the meantime I was saving ev-
cry cent. ~ I knew there would be
small chance Of my receiving money
(, from homo. as I had had NO mail
since my arrival. Some OF the
Americans were destitute. and the
committee generously helped them.
After the United States battieshlp.
1 Tennessee. arrived in England. and
deposited gold In the bank of Eng
land. any American could borrow
from the United States government
by giving the committee proof that
they would pay II back.
For three weeks ! attended COM
mittee meetings. with apparently no
result. On the 2lst of August I
received notice from the American
consular service that the State De-
partment now approved Of all Amer
leans who could pay their way and
endure discomfort. proceeding 10
England through Paris. All pass
ports must be visaed by the French
consul. FASTENED TO get my pass
port visaed for the sum of ten francs.
and then began to pack. The fol-
lowing day I received notice again
from the United States consular ser
vice. to this effect: american
minister at Bern recommends that
Americans desiring To leave Swits-
eriand go In special trains to Paris
from Geneva on August 2Sth. all
baggage included. In Paris ar
rangements for transportation tD
America may be made. Passports
need not be visaed. Advise immed-
lately II you desire to go on this
train
Upon receiving this notice was
delighted. because II meant I could
travel under United States protec-
tion. finished my packing and
gave my iandlady notice that
would leave August esth. even
went so far ~ TO be vaccinatcd. In
case disease would break out among
soldiers with whom we would come
In contact on our way to Paris. Al
noon. August 2sth. the day before
was TO leave. I received the follow
Ing notice: "All special trains are
declared off In France" That. Of
course. meant that all my plans were
shattered. A. that moment Il look.
ed 10 me ~ II I would have to re-
main In Switzerland for some time
to come. with my funds rapidly de-
crcssinE. received n cabiesram
from my brother. asking me what
plans ! had. II had taken three and
n half weeks for the cable 10 come.
did not answer u because I saw
that could make no definite plan.
On August 3oth I was again In.
formed that = special train would
leave Geneva August 3ist. con.
ferred with the American committes.
asking them II could depend upon
that notice. They told me at the
present time ! could. but that they
could not assure me. ~ conditions
were changing rapidly from one min.
ute 10 smother.
An American lady. . Mrs. H.. who
was staying at the aame pension
where I was. decided 70 90 also. %
zee made arransemsnts TO leave The
next morning for Geneva. We or.
dsred our lunches. ~ it was 70 take
~ thirty hours from l.ausanne 70
Paris. Under ordinary conditions
II takes eight hours only. That ".
cning could hardly rest. wondesias
n the train would 60. or II Il had
been called Oft again. We aroes
early. and were as the depot at Z
O'Clock. rpon arriving we were met
BY the American cocmmistee. and ~
sured that the tfain Was going. In
company with other Americans. ws
left Lausanne for Geneva. and there
we werv transferrpd 70 the special
train. We checked ouf trunks
I