The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1914-09-03
GERMANY DOWNCAST
Minneapolis Man Recently Returned
From Cologne Describes COndi-
ton Caused by War.

Picturing a German soldiery bid
ding downcast farewell to their low.
ed ones, Karl Scheurer, 633 East Sew.
enteenth street, member of the Min
neapolis Symphony Orchestra, who
arrived in Minneapolis yesterday
from Cologne, Germany spoke of Ger
many as a nation thrust unwillingly
into war, says the Minneapolis Trib-
une.
Mr.. Scheurer was in Cologne on
July 20 when an order to mobolize
was issued by the kaiser. Every man
on the first military reserve list of
the German army received a telegram
telling him to secure his equipment
and report for active duty.
"The order fell like a pail upon the
nation" declared Mr.. Scheurer. "a
sense of depression, growing for days
seemed suddenly to fall. For days
before, crowds had thronged the down.
town streets to read the bulletins dis
played hourly. On July 80 crowds
completely blocked traffic on the main
streets of Cologne. A week previous,
regular soldiers had been given leave
of absence to see their families. This
had been taken as first indication of
the approach of the crisis. But even
then men hoped. Germany had been
near to war before but the conflict
had been averted.
"The kilograms snatched away the
last hope. They were supposed to be
delivered secretly. Early in the morn
ing the news was on every lip that
the reserves had been ordered to mob
iiize. By noon it needed no word to
tell the story. The sober faces of the
men who had received the messages
and the tears of the women told the
tale more eloquently. A few of the
younger men started to cheer or to
sing national hymns. The older men
and the women frowned them down.
They realize the terrible gravity of
the day and saw only the awful
slaughter and sacrifice
"At p. m. l hurried to the station
to engage transportation to Holland.
For blocks the streets about the sta
ton were damned with men and wo-
men of every nation of the earth seek
ing passage across the border. Sol
diers were on their way to the border.
They carried the kilograms ordering
them to the front. They were given
preference.
"For a time I gave up all hope of
ever getting across the border. Only
by the rarest luck was l successful in
a place on one of the out
bound trains. All my baggage was
lost save my violin, which l carried in
my hand. On the train all class dis
tinction was forgotten. Ordinarily
men of means would travel separately
from the poorer tourists. On that day
jostled with peasants and
were glad of the chance.
81 purchased a ticket from Cologne
to Amsterdam. At every station in
Germany soldiers entered the cars
looking for deserving reservlsts. 1t
was their order to shoot all such.
"Many were taken from the cars
but 1 understand that instead OF be-
ing killed they were simply taken
back and ordered into service. No
train was allowed to go further than
the border. There the passengers were
ordered off and still guarded by SOL
diers, were made to wait until other
trains from the Holland side could
transport them to Amsterdam. Many
Of the travellers were hungry. While
going through German towns they
had not been allowed to open the car
windows and no food was allowed
in to them. The cars were
kept closed for fear of spies or Rus
slams throwing bombs from the
train.
"At Amsterdam 1 telegraphed for
passage on the Holland American line
steamer sPotsdam.' Here was for
Lunate also in securing the last CABIN
available. 1 paid double the ordinary
passage. Later men and women were
willing to pay any price for room IN
he steerage. We sailed from Rotter-
lam. Men from every nation OF the
world were on board. Most OF theiii
,ad lost all their baggage. The boat
sailed with one third or It's crew oi
new men. The rest had joined Inc
Holland navy. The boat, the Oldest OIL
.be line. carried close to 1,OOO passeh-
,ers and sailed at its own RISK.
1--WE had no trouble reaching New
York We saw German and Englsn
;chooners but they did not moiest us.
When arrived in New York l was
'tranded financially. 1 had $500 IN
:erman money but bankers woulo
rive me only 500 for it. The follow
NO day they would not take 1t at any