Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-13
Socialist Plan Helps.

Il went to buy food, If possible REQ
pie, before I arrived, had bought sup
plies pell NELL for months to come ana
riot-like were the scenes, l am tod But
here came the wise management OF the
Konscm-Verein, a cooperative society
MOSTLY socialists. which has ia grocery,
butcher shoe and household goods stores
In Basel, and sold to each OF us oVS.
$4,000 members. at old prices ioou eaS,
day excluding milk. cheese ana or eau
This certainly proved so wise ana oeil-
eficiaI that the government Immediately
followed suit, and took stock OF an Wnole.
sale and retail houses and stopped, az
once, high prices. EVeryoody mas
chance now, and one VINO ddies " or
TOO high prices is closed up at once anu
goods are confiscated, but PAID iof ny
the government. .oo,,
from Augusa to August q, IN Germany
to August II. All postal service WIN
foreign countries officially stopped, also
railroads Both postal and railroad IA
cilities are in Il limited way operating
again, but travelling is difficult. No
news from Germany is obtalhaDie- Soa
even from Swiss military sources. eS,
cent private news and be1ated oHclal
news.
French Invasion Opposed.
Last Saturday, August s. the French
army from Belfort came into Elsass'
close to Basel, to force their way TO
the rear of the German army. lmme-
diately over $4,000 Swiss soldiers were
massed here to repel any attack on
Swiss territory.
1.-The Germans had apparently retired
even evacuated Muehlhausen, tnlrty XII
ometers distant, and the frencn We're
jubilant, but, alas, too early. Inc!
,rfl .
the Germans surrounded the French:
from high hill opposite my residence
we watched in the dark night the can
non shots and saw the fire plainly. me
thunder of cannons continued ai htSnt'
Sunday morning. August 3. the Ger
mans had completely routed the french
army in a fearful hand-to-hand combat.
The French fed pell nell. leaving
10000 dead and wounded on the battie-
field 1t was a fearful battle Mueni-
hansen was cleared of the French.
French hidden in cellars and garrets.
from which they. shot, were overcome
by the determined onset of the Ger
mans, who drove the French clear from
German territory back to the fortress
of Belfort, where the guns may roar
now.
Fifteen French officers, SIS soldiers
and four cannonS were taken. Desldes
the untold wounded. Thousands Of dead
French and German soldiers sleep now
Swiss Aid Refugees.
"This beautiful little country shows its
noblest characteristics in these dreadful
times. Having trouble amply of their
own, they took care for several days of
over 10000 Italian refugees from France,
Germany and Austria. This army of
Italian men. women and children. with
few belongings, were staggering. half
starved, mostly penniless. over the bor-
der into Basel. till they were brought
to their country by extra trains"
Telling Of the formation OF associations
of American citizens for mutual protec-
ton, the writer, under GATE OF august
30. says:
''Toda, after fifteen days have passed,
and at last, after temporary relief In re-
gard to money and minor matters were
dispensed, it looks as if there are yet
chances of escape open through France
and England, or to Italy, which is still
neutral, or through German territory to
Holland, by some neutral boats. or Ameri-
can transports, as Is hoped. There Is no
certainty, but hopes: and hopes again
have been dashed, yet never the hopes
in United States assistance were despair
ed of.
Not one reader imagines how dan
gerous it is to be looked upon as a
spy, It is terrible. How many have
already been shot as spies. or being
suspected as suchi 1t is unquestfonable
many an innocent person was executed
Il was politely asked by an officer
to go along to headquarters here in
Basel few days ago. Why? Simply
because 1 was waiting for an American
physician who is stranded here, and
three men out of the crowd had tipped
me off as a French spy, who was max
ing notes for French papers. How easy
this tipping of goes! But how danger
Gus it is when you are in a country
that is engaged in war as terrible as
is this war"