The Washington times., 1914-08-30
REFUGEE PROBLEM
:: IS NEAR SOLUTION
Arrival of $500 More Ameri-
cans From Europe Cheers
!. State Department.

The arrival of $3.50 Americans at
New York yesterday on the steamers
Olympic and Adriatic. raising the total
OF Americans returning from England
since August ) TO 45OO and advices
from Ambassador Page, at London. that
15.oC0 more will sail this week. en-
couraged the Federal Relief Board
members today in the belief that the
refugee problem soon will be solved.
Among the latest arrivals are Mrs.
Ollie James. wife of Senator James of
Kentucky, who was in Berlin when war
was declared, and Senator Oliver of
Pennsylvania, who was in Switzerlan
with his family. II. B. EIgin. Jose ,)h
B. kingsbury and James b. Leslie
were other Washingtonians returning.
Ambassador Page has notified the
State Department that London's relief
fund is almost exhausted. Arrange
ments Will be made to hasten cable
transmission of the lists of names of
Americans for whom deposits have
been made at the Treasury Department
at the rate of about $4,000 a day foI
the last week. Payment of these de
posts cannot be made in London until
The names and descriptions of refugees
10 whose credit the money has been de-
posted are received there. The last of
the cabled lists will reach London early
this week.
Routes to America Open
Secretary of War Garrison. in a
statement summarizing the work of the
Federal Relief Board. of which he is
chairman. declared that the situation
is so greatly relieved at the present
time that Americans anywhere upon
the Cont .nent can get money, if they
need it. and transportation and pas
sage home, if they want it" Secretary
Garrison. answering criticisms regard
ing the boards methods in succoring
stranded Americans, said:
Without the slightest warning this
country was confronted by a tuation
which was without precedent. was en-
urely unique. and for which it neither
had, nor could have had, any pre-
arranged machinery
Secretary Garrison said that ten ships
have been engaged by American repre-
sentat.ves on the other side of the At
lantic TO bring tour. sts home from
places where other transportation facili-
ties were insufficient. There will be
forty sailings from British ports with
in the next SIX weeks. he said. and
many from Holland French. Italian,
and Spanish ports. If these are not
sufficient to bring all Americans home,
lnS army lIdHSpOrlS al Newport News
are available. though the plan of send
ing the transports over at this time has
been given up.
Assistant Secretary of War Brecksn-
ridge, who is in Austria arranging
transportation for Americans there,
cabled the relief board that he will
send a special train out of Budapest for
Berlin tonight. Previously he had made
arrangements in Berlin for the trans
portation of Americans out of Ger
rany.
Tell Thrilling Stories.
Washingtonians returning tell thrill
ing stories of their experiences. Mrs.
Ollie James arranged to go from Berlin
to St Petersburg at the outbreak of the
war, but instead the train was diverted |
Nto Copenhagen. After four days she |
WAS able to get passage on a small |
freight steamer. the passengers of which |
were hept in a high state of nervousness
by reports that mines had been strewn !
Through the English channel. Senator |
James l'oarded the Olympic from a reve- |
nue cutter when it reached quarantine |
II. +. Elgin. Joseph B. kingsbury and |
James 3. Leslie three Washington /
young men. who returned on the Olym- |
pic and reached home last night were |
in Nun e-nburg fifteen days and We're ar
-ested four times. We finally decided" |
said one Of the party in relating the |
experience. to do as most Young Ger |
mans 90. probably because they are all |
going TO war. and have our heads clipped |
close. Arrests were not SO frequent |
then They also raised small mus |
taches. affected by young Germans.
The three Washingtonians said that |
generous aid was extended to stranded |
Americans by Mr.. and Mrs Christian |
Heurion, of Washington, who were in
Nuremhurg when they were there. Tn"y |
gave American money and aided in pro- !,
vding transportation facilities to get
their stranded countrymen into Hol-
land.
Ad:-icos reaching the State Depart
ment report that Misses Mary and |
Grace Griffin. 0f Washington. have |
sailed from Naples.
Washing Safe.
Mr.. and Mrs Walter Stilson Hutch
ins. Of Washington were in a party
reaching London Yesterday from Ger
many.
Mr.. Hutchins was At Innsbruck. Aus
tria. AT the outbreak oC the war and
went Immediately to Munich. where he
remained three weeks In a London
interview Mr. Hutchns declared that
all but 600 of the 2.Onl Americans who |
have been marooned in Munich have |
left for London. and those remaining /
prefer TO stay in Munich.
War Will End Monarchy,