The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-09-12

I was told I should need special per- init to visit the principality of Monaco. So went to the little Marie and joined throng of patient Italians lowering like bees round an elderly policeman. The poor policeman scratched his shaw en head (we all shave our heads now to 1 look like soldiers). He was very slow, very painstaking. full of suriy good na- ture.
 A youth presented his paper and the old man began to copy heavily. But you are not fifty-nine years of
 age" he objected in pained surprise.
 No I am eighteen. That is my fath- CTS doeument''
 Now you have made me waste a sheet.
 You will have to do the best you can with
 this. If you are stopped, so much the worse for you. How tall is yoar fathers must put that down" But, beg of you, can't you really give me a permit for myself2 My father
 doesn't want to go to Nice" No, no: you must come again tomor-
 row and bring your right papers Gets His Description At Nice you provide a photograph.
 which receives an official stamp. Here
 an Italian laborer is not expected to have
 a photograph. sc he is described. I de-
 termined to be described. It must be
 fun. It might even be rude. Anyhow, I
 should see myself as French policeman
 saw me What was my height? tr,,. Int fat ipt n
 metres offhand
 "Ah., you have different measures in
 England. Let us say above the medium
 height.
 I find have an uncovered forehead (does that mean baldnessD. ''reetilin-
 ear nose" small mouth. a round chin,
 an oval face and blue eyes. I could not
 have told all that myself. My tram was held up close to the from tier of the iprincipality 'Ilalti' cried an officer in gray ducks. What Is it?" the conductor asked sleepily
 "Yoa are reouisitioned to take 24 sol
 diers back to Nice. They have to collect cattle"
 At what time?"
 Now"
 
 Anyhow this resolved the doubts of two French soldiers who wanted 10 go to Beausoleil but were in great fear of being carried across the frontier of Monaco. That Is always out of bounds for them. much more so now in time of war. AS it was, I did see one soldier take short cut across few yards of the princess ter ritory. but no international complications arose from the violation of neutrality. Scene of Desolation. I was astonished at the scene on the top of the hill. For sheer. forlorn deso- lation I have beheld nothing to compare with Monte Carlo in time of war. This buzzing hive, this center of wild dissipa- tion, this haclSneyed scene of melodrama had acquired all the silence and gloom of Pompei
 Outside the casino I was informed by a placard on the closed shutters that owing to "the events the building would not be opened till further notice, the read ing room was transferred to the Cafe de Paris, deposits could be recovered at ths bank in the Galerie Charles III. In the big square there were 12 wax figures arrayed on the benches. l am sure they were wax figures. for they never spoke or moved they waited and waited-for nothing. A big blackboard waited for war telegrams that never came. Inefe was lunch at d ilttle coiiec HouSe in the condamine by the harbor. Here l was seized at once by the nervouse at mosphere of the princpality. At the next table was a lady who spoke with what seemed violent German accent. I watched her suspiciously, for at Nice German batting is the great sport of the hour. The soberest citizens rush sudden ly amok and collect crowds to chase and belabor man who has the wrong hat S,1t nf we mistrusted Monaco We know that the prince has sent e2000 to the prefect of the Seine for the families of French soldiers; we have read his highness' stir ring speech to regiment at Beausoleil; we have seen the red proclamations on Monte Carlo walls ordering off the ene- mys subjects flor reasons of public or der" But we know he is a friend of the Kaiser, a cousin of the chief of the Ger man staff. We suspect him of tolerating spies. We murmur of annexation. She Resented Suspicion. So I watched my neighbor. and saw she resented it. The proprietor addressed her sympathetically as Madame la Com tesse But that did not soothe her. Be-
 tween the courses she threw up her hands and screamed that such things were 'un- heard of.
 What things7' ventured to inquire. Why, this infamous atmosphere of sus- picion. (My suspicion. perhapso For days and days she had been pushed about
 at police stations, had haunted the ante chambers of consulates clamored for papers that were always deferred How l was she to get out of this accursed coun- | try without permit? Some people make their own troubles and I pointed out to
 her that she had only to enter a train and proceed to Italy. No one need worry
 about papers down here just now. least of all worthy Dutch woman who only ] desired to depart
 | All the same. Monaco Is certainly suf- fering from reaction against Germans | At first their expulsion was the meresr