The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1914-09-02
RETURNS FROM ENGLAND.
Dr.. Rowland Gilmore Praises Effic.
iency Of British Government in
Handling War Situation.
FooDsTUFFs THERE NOT HIGH

''That which appealed to me most
was the very efficient manner in
| which the English government is
meeting the war siuation," said DR..
Rowland Gilmore, of Bemidji, who
with his wife returned to the city
last evening from Europe where they
have been since the middle Of July.
During the first few days of the
war, and Immediately following the
declaration of war with Germany.
made at the refusal of the Kaiser to
comply with the British ultimatum, y
continued the doctor, 'sfoodstuffs in
creased in price. The government
lost no time in issuing notices that
standard prices must govern and af,
ter three such warnings gave the
merchants one day to lower their
prices, telling them that unless the
order was obeyed, that the govern
ment would seize the store stocks
and take charge of all the sales, Civ
ing the surplus over to the war
widows and orphans fund.
Went Down at Once. ..
'Prices went down at once, ex-
cepting meats only, Argentina quo
tations steadily increasing. Eng
land then notified Argentina pack
ing houses that the high prices would
be paid during the war, but imme-
diately following an import tax
would be levied, and prices immedi-
ately dropped. This explains why
prices are not high, being even lower
than when we first arrived in Eng
land. -...
"Only fictitious conditions could
raise the price of wheat to the pres
ent level. The United States at the
present time has a smaller market
than before war started. The con-
sumption is not greater now than be-
fore and the waste is nominal"
Was in London.
DR.. Gilmore was in London when
war with Germany was declared.
'Within an hour after the an
nouncement," he said, more than
200 persons were arrested as spies.
Several Americans with whom I
talked in England told of their ar
rest as spies by officers of warning
governments. All, as far as could
be learned ;were freed after TREY had
showed the authenticity. of their
American passports: .S~s7
With the exception of several
days, DR.. Gilmore spent all his time
abroad studying general surgery in
the hospitals of London and Liver
pool, the principal cities visited. Dur
ing this time Mrs. Gilmore visited
with wives of other American physic-
ians and inspected museums, en-
trance to which special tickets were
necessary because of suffragettes. In
one instance DR.. Gilmore was re-
quired to post a guarantee that his
wife was not a suffragette and that
she would not do harm to the mu-
scum.
Foresight enabled the doctor to
secure gold just before the money
condition became serious, using
travellers cheques, and at no time
was he in need of money. Paper
money was worthless
Escorted By War Ships.
DR.. and Mrs. Gilmore left London
Aug. Is, and arrived in New York
Aug. %. For several days and nights
under the escort of British battle
ships, the Campania maneuc cred in
the north Atlantic in fog and among
icebergs to dodge hostile vessels. .
Resentment against the military
party in Germany is strong in Eng
land" said DR.. Gilmore. 1T is COM
mon belief that this party started
the war because it wanted to show
the necessity Of militarism. Taxes
in Germany has been high for
years and this has caused strong
Socialistic movement. The purpose
of the military party is to unite all
under the cause of patriotism
The doctor tells many interesting
tales of the war.