The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1914-12-23

'hh'H hfliu'ls lpbhtN NJ Iur mo
mont, and thon came the bitten-off
words, "kommen Sic nit" and with
tho eight bayonsts describing a
circle about me JUST THREE
INCHES from the outward peri
motor OF my ralncoat.
was taken 10 little shack
whore ! was informed the "Kom.
mandant" would question" me.
The kommandant was most
regal persona regular "Graustnrk"
hero with long. sweeping military
capo OF pale gray broadcloth swing
1 Ing imperiouAly about him. and iusi
grazing tho sparkling spurs fixed
upon his elegant riding boots.
lie spoke most excellent English
and said he was very sorry that the
language Of America wasn't differ
ent from tho language OF England,
as II would avoid confusion"
Ho handed me back my passport.
my letters and the other documents
had given him 20 establish my
Identity. and asked for "sometlrinr
else"
( | had an inspiration least I
came 10 know later that II was an
inspiration.
] had In my bag letter OF intro
duction from Amos Pinchot OF New
York TO Ambassador Gerard IN Der
lin. ! produced Il.
The kommandant took II and be-
gan 10 read aloud.
Honorable James w. Gerard,
American Ambassador 10 Ger
many.
"Wilhelun Pistx. Berlin.
Dear Jim
The kommandant dropped the let.
ter "Mein Colt" he said "Your
friend calls Herr Gerard Dear
Jim Jai You may go"
bad been the single object Of
suspicion In all thosc many coaches
and the minute slammed my door
tho train started
I For an hour We rode through the
night. and then we got OF ut Wesol
Tho clock on tho station platform
said Il was 10 minutes past , a. IN
The train for Berlin-"der Zue
mach Herlln"--f was told. would
pass at $50 in the morning.
Three hundred people troopef
into the tiny waiting room and be.
I gan 10 taik--the FIRST TALK these
/ people. practically all ~ whom were
returning 10 the fatheriand" from
England. had freely had since the
war started.
The German flew so thick anf
fast that would have been left
hopcicssly behind but for the slim
blonde girl who had been in IA.
compartment next to mine.
She translated rapidly for me
and then suddenly we discovered
that all eyes were on us.
"He speaks English" they all
! cried
But the slin blonde Girl told Their
that | was an Amcriean--that mo-
only had been passed at Goch be
cause OF my excellent credentials
but that the kommandant had asked
her 20 see mo through. and that. In
addition. abe KNEW me for ar
American indisputably because OF
my accent.
Il have lived three years in New
Jersey" she said. and know the
/ Americans are our friends"
With that she took from her
purse q clipping from the New York
Stats Zcitung and. mounting a
chair. began 10 read In German a
poem by a German.Amsrican cele.
brating the brotherhood OF the two
nations.
When she had finished three
cheers we're given for tho Ameri.
cans And for the rest OF the night
was a hero.
Tho $50 train that took re nom
Vessel to Muelheim-on-Ruhr gave me
no glimpse Of Gormany-for went
TO sleep
a kindly guard pulled my foot
until | was awake and conducted
me across the tracks TO the platform
whore | was to wait for the "Schnell
rug mach Berlin"
An express train TO Berlinl
We have four express trains
every day from Cologne 10 Der
lin" the guard said proudly. The
war has had little effect with us
Germans. During the month OF
mobilization things were put about
little. but everything Ia practic