New Britain herald., 1914-08-25

Frenchmen and Americans alike who had never thought of using anything but taxis, were forced to use the crowded subway trains or walk. Needless to say, there were many Americans who were in serious diff faculties as a result of this crisis. One gentleman was anxiously trying to get accomm odation in a hotel with meals. The hotel where he was staying was closing up on account of the mobiliza- tion and driving him out. He had $2,00O in North German Lloyd checks. which were of no value. The steam- ship office was closed and the clerks had departed for Germany. He could find hotels willing to trust him for q room, but not for meals. It was i'm possible to get money by cable and he had less than twelve francs Tn cash. In desperation he joined the line of hundreds leading to the Amer ican consulate.
 Spent All Money Shopping. Another party of five ladies were due to have sailed the previous Sat urday on one of the German boats which had been held in port. In a last shopping expedition they had all most reached the limit of their let ters of credit, and in order to save loss by exchange they had kept very little cash on hand. They also had been driven out of their hotel and were searching for another shelter. Grant ing that they could cash the re- mainder of their letters of credit they would have had less than a weeks
 
 hotel.
 Another family had had their bag gage put off the train coming in from Switzerland at the last minute in or der to make room for some soldiers. They were stranded in Paris with sim- ply the clothes they had on. The father had White Star line checks, which of course could not be cashed. Being without baggage even he had great difficulty in finding hotel which would take him in, and he was only saved by the fortunate meeting with friend whose credit at one Of the hotels was sufficient to obtain rooms and meals for the unfortunate family.
 Most of the Americans even if SUD- piled with money and hotel accom- !.
 
 something They were afraid they wouldn't be able to get a steamship back until after the war, they were afraid the Germans would penetrate to Paris, they were worrying about some friends who were in Nancy or Cologne or Switzerland, they were afraid their hotel would close, their relatives at home would worry about at at or,f censured for closing the telegraph to private use, for stopping the train ser vice and using every available car and engine for moving the troops, for not sending a, supply of gold to the Amer ican Express company or to the con- sulate for the use of Americans. The strangers did not appreciate the situa tion. To them the all-important thing was that several thousand Americans were here in Paris; they wanted to get away at once, but while they were here they must be looked after and it was up to the French nr American government to see about 1t at once.
 Worries of Chicago Lawyer.
 Even business men lost their heads in their concern about themselves. One Chicago lawyer with his daughter had been nearly frantic ever since Saturday, telling his fears and trou- bles to everyone he could find and decided to this and then that. By Monday noon, thanks to his insistent activity, he had obtained passage on the La France, which was promised to sail the next day from Havre: he had obtained $400, mostly in English gold as he desired; he had also se- cured his paper of Identification from the consulate, and had his tickets to Havre by a special train guaranteed to run. It looked as though he had obtained everything he could wish for. Right after lunch he was wishing he hadn't bought the tickets for the La France. It might not sail after all or it might be captured by German warship; he didn't know but Paris would be safer after all. Then what would he do if the ship didn't sail and he were left at Havre? Were the hotels good there? Wasn't there chance that the town would be bom- barded by the German fleet? If he had only gone to London! There he would have been safe and could have gotten passage all right. Then these