The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-09-13

to take US home but they could get from
the coast into Switzerland just as essil!
as We could get 10 any seaport Mis-
Richards and Miss Emma Grams, o
Washington. had offered 10 share will
adelphia, sailing September 5. and whe'
kilograms began to arrive We received
one from the company saying It would e
kept for US, which was a comfort.
Soon after a very imperfect train serv
ice TO Paris had been established an
other came that the date Of sailing hac
been changed to August % and We were
obliged TO start at once. BY that tint
the stampede had begun and trains wert
crowded. We had been required to TAXI
passports at our consulate for which We
were charged s. and they were good fol
only six months, while in the United
States 81 secures one covering two years
After about 2,500 people had 0aid they
were suddenly issued without charge
but no money was refunded We IHc
to stop over night at Berre to havi
them vised by the French minister at a
cost Of 81 more and the British at S
cents. making the entire expense nearly
s.
On n Slow NTrRin.
The usual time from Lucerne 10 Gene
is fve hours, but We were on the trair
twelve-why we could not learn. as mt
information on any subject ever was I'M
parted. We started with our trunks, de
termined not TO let go OF them until r''m
PEELED to. They came safely - Geneva
where we spent the second night, and we
booked them through 10 Paris without OBJ
lection. 1t was at Geneva that we hst
the worst experience of our Ives. The
train was not to leave until p. m. tut
we were advised by station officials tc
get in line early. The report was that
there would not be enough places and
that FIRST and second-class passengers
probably would have 10 ride ii third
class cars on wooden seats.
We took our place near the head Of the
stairway at 1880. as did many Other
women. who feared they would not be
able to get through otherwise. and stood
there with the sun beating through the
glass skylight until 1:So. A rope wa:
stretched and the space between it and
the wall was patrolled by soldiers, Their
presence alone prevented the women
from being trampled under foot by the
men who crowded in from the sides and
back. paying poriers to jam the women
right and left and push in with suit
cases 1t was only by holding fast TO each
other that the women could keep theiI
feet. As il came near time to let US 60
through the tunnel we saw that the men
were forming into a flying wedge" 10
beat us to it by main force. We called
the attention Of the soldiers to il and not
until one OF them put his hand back 10
draw his pistol was the scheme rrustra-
ted
When at length the start was made the
scene was lndescribable. The men went
over the women rough shod with porters
and baggage. dragging OF their hat:
and wraps, upsetting their lunch baskets,
scattering bags OF fruit and breaking
bottles of milk. We did not see one act
OF kindly helpfulness to women, not
even to those with children, and these
were all American men! Many of them
had been for weeks playing the role of
gentlemen at the hotels in Lucerne; the
leader was a man Of some social posi-
ton in Chicago. They intended that II
anybody stood all the way to Paris. or
occupied uncushioned seats. IT should be
women.
We did net ask that they should give
up the seats that they had paid for. or
sacrifice themselves in any way. but only
that they should take their proper places
in the line and give the women a fair
chance. On all the long trip to London,
however, 1t was the same story-elbowing
and trampling the women-even the old
and feeble-at the frontier custom house.
at the lunch stands en- route, and in the
awful crush at the boat in Boulogne.
Never again do We want to hear the
word "chivalry'-it is nausesting.
The rest Of US cared for the hand lug
gage, while Miss Richards dashed through
the crowd and secured a compartment,
into which We climbed. disheveled and
breathless, but thankful TO be alive. We
had purchased tickets for a through