New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-08-30


banking methods, and IN some IN
stances extraordinary ways had TO be
vsed. A credit Of 100000 was OBJ
tanned at the Bank Of England by send
ing that sum IN gold by our Treasury
Department 20 designated Enghsh
bank IN Ottawa, Canada.
Ranged from Few Dollars.
when ~ is realized that these de-
posts in the state and Treasury oe-
partments ranged from a few dollars
upward some idea will he given OF me
| tremendous work involved M N''
/ work. Extraordinary means had TO oe
/ taken 10 identify the rsyee, TO ascet-
| tain as nearly as possible his Wn"t'
abouts. and 20 determine the method OF
/ giving him the benefit Of the money
deposited here for HIM 90.
"The Tennessee and the North caro-
lima. the ships Of the navy above al
luded TO. landed az Falmouth, ing
land and the money sent by the bank
crs was so disposed Of that their cor
resrondcnts in Europe Immediately
began cashing the drafts Of the Amer
leans through their accustomed aEc"-
] clos The express companies hke"ISe
bccan having travellers checks.
las soon as thousands OF names
/ could no cabled TO Europe and dlStrlD-
uted 70 the various consulateS 'heIe
those for whom money had been oepos-
tied in the State Department ana III
the Treasury Department began 10 re-
ceive the sums deposited lor mem
i The officers, under the direction OF we
Assistant Secretary OF war N"O
reached England on the naNal Sn'ps'
were Immediately dispatched 10 eNeIy
csDi,al in Europe with sufficient sums
s.aa ia ~ a.
cans who could not otherwise be pro,
,,;Jod FOR those who had exhausted
choir ready money and had no letters
81 credit or travellers checks. 30 soon
as conditions made It possible 10 40 so
funds for similar uses were pIaV'u
with each embassy and consul
..In the mean time the Ambassadors
and consuls were in constant commuhl
cation with the government mere ahI
we're constantly giving information ana
receiving directions. As a result orueI
was brought out of chaos ana IL was
asccrtaiued where the Americans, WeIc'
i'm which directions they couIo p
moved. and where transportation "ou'u
be available and when.
MANY Of the transatlantic transpor-
lotion companies. which for the hrSt
week or so suspended their sallngS'
resumed operations, among them the
French liners and the lines running
from England and some Of those from
southern ports. In consequence ihe
nroblem then Immediately pressing
was 70 get the Americans from those
countries where transportation 10 TINS
countrv was not available 10 ports
where il was available.
"Since that time there has been
steady flow Of Americans from all IN
terror congested points on the Oohu-
nent TO seaports, where u Is H!eIe
matter of a comparatively snort I"e
before they can secure transpoI'aliou /
home. Wherever II was evident 'Has
there would not be a resumption %
regular sailings sufficient 10 tahe CaIV
of the Americans, the consular ageh-
cies waro directed 20 secure ships for
this purpose.
Ten Ships Obtained.
"I'p to the present time ten or more
sbins have been thus secured at places
where the existing transportation 1acI.
tiles were insufficient, and thousands o.
Americans will be brought DacH on
these boats. Those who were able 10
nav for their accommodations dld So
those who were not presently ape Du'
who would be when they reached 'hls
/ country. had their passage money guar
anteed BY the government, and thoSe
who were actually destitute were taken
care Of by the government.
at is not. Of course, suggested thai
under these extraordinary clrcum-
stances there were not unfortunate de-
I Laws. mistakes made and annoying and
/ Gisconcerting incidents; mere state
ment of the existing conditions carries
with II the conclusion that tins would
he inevitable; but, on the other hand,
consideration Of the existing cOndi-
lions demonstrates that no provision
was nossible in this case, that the stu
s+ion had TO be accepted and dealt with
as IL was found, and that all was done
that could be done under the clrcum-
stances
at illumines the situation TO know
that a, least fifty thousand inquiries
have been made at the State Depart
mont concerning 10000 Americans IN
Europe. With respect TO each one OF
these 5000 Americans In Europe there
has had TO he a separate card prepared
and placed in a card index. OF these
"a 600 people about 10000 have been
communicated with-that Is, located IN
Furope and their condition ascertaned
and the information conveyed to the
inquirers.
Sailings for All Soon.
Eve were fortunate in being able TO
locate so many. because the Americans
were constantly moving from place TO
Mace in their endoavor TO reach a point
of embarkation, and their friends and
relatives here were able 10 give US
only the vagueSt sort of clew TO their
whereabouts The forces available to
the ambassadors and consuls for going
out hunting up Americans were eX-
tremely limited, since from me be-
ginning their Offices have been literally
swamped by the work cast upon them
by the war.
"They were not only burdened by the
extraordinary conditions affecting
American interests and American citi-
zcns abroad, but were called upon 10
represent in the different capitals prac-
tically all other foreign nations who
customarily have representatives there.
The military attaches and some forty or
more officers attending foreign military
exercises and schools were utilized IN
relief work in addition to those who
accompanied the Assistant Secretary
of War on the Tennessee.
"Our most recent information rs
hat there viii be at least forty sail
ings fiom British ports within the
next SIX weeks, and many from French,
Dutch, Italian and Spanish ports.
Al the time when it appeared that all
the customary lines OF steamers were
10 suspend sailings the board Sc: about
providing transportation, 10 be pre-
4 1 i /