Evening star., 1914-08-18
EARWARDEC[ARED
IN THREE CAPITALS
Amerian Tourists in European
Trouble Area Have an Un-
usual Experience.
STORY OF TRAVELS TOLD
, BY ARTHUR S. BROWNE
Party of Which He Is Member
Reaches London Minus Bag
gage and Funds.

To be in three great European capitals
at intervals when the news of a declara-
ticn Of war was received in each has
been the very unusual experience of q
Washington man. Arthur s. Browne. at
torney. with Offices in the Washington
Loan and trust building. The party. OF
which Mr.. Browne was one vas in Paris
when war was declared between Austria
and Servia- The same persons were In
Berlin when war was declared by Ger
many against Russia and France. and
they arrived m London. by taking the
last train to reach the Belgian frontier.
Just in time to be in Trafalgar square
TO hear the announcement of EnSland's S
declarataion Of war against Germany.
Much anxiety had been felt by friends
aand relatives of Mr.. Browne and Of the
others in the rarty, consisting of two
men and four women, which was happily
relieved when the State Department re-
ceived word some days ago that he had
registered in London. The graphic story
Of their experiences on the continent De-
fore reaching the British capital is con-
tanned in a letter received from Mr..
Browne today by the editor OF the star.
Relates Their Experiences.
The day that Austria declared war
against servia, July 2s. we dined at
Marguery's on the Boulevard des
Bonnes Nouvelles," says Mr.. Browne,
"and saw an expectant and excited
throng crowding the boulevard. all
animated by the prospect Of an oppor-
Our taxis subsequently had great diff
Guilty In moving through the crowd.
The next day no gold was obtainable In
Paris. q circumstance which concerned
us but little, as our stay was near It's
end.
Thursday morning. July 80. we left
on the early Berlin express. We regis
tered our baggage through to Berlin
to avoid the customs examinations at
the Belgian and German frontiers. AS
we planned breaking the journey at
Cologne to avoid night travel. we took
with US small handbags with just the
bare necessities for single night.
The train was crowded with Ger
before France should get uncomfortably
patriotic. and the Cologne streets that
night, on q smaller scale, repeated the
scenes OF Paris.
Arrival at Berlin.
The next morning we continued to
Berlin, arriving after in the even
Ing. AZ soon a. we had dined We
went to Untsr den Linden. to ind q
dense multitude wildly and Mostly ex-
cited. That day tho kaiser had given
Russia six hours to explain the pres
enee Of troops on the border. and the
answer was hourly expected. The crowd
remained in the streets all night, and
the cheering and patriotic songs pre-
vented any continuous sleep.
Saturday we carried out our program,
securing our compartment to Dresden
for the following Monday afternoon and
and edmiring the orderly and well built
city, its gsrdsns and monuments, Dur
ing our drive we met the kaiser's auto
mebile rushing for the imperial palace
and caught glimpse Of him as he passed
the cheering pOpulace on the sidewalk.
During the day We encountered many
motor cars occupied by officials in gor-
aeeus apparel. all bound for the palace.
We reached the piats in front Of the
palace Just a. the guards were changed
largest crowd yet seen. all hoping for
the appearance OF the kaiser on the bal
cony. as had been the case the previous
day.
I'VE could gather little Of what was ac-
tually happening. since the censored
press published only ofacial news. mainly
proclamations asking for patriotic trust
in the fatherland. God and the kaiser.
streets-RussiAn troops had crossed the
border: French aviator had dropped a
bomb over Nuremberg. and Japan had
declared war against Russia. What we
really knew was that the American en-
bassy was besieged by anxious citizens
seeking passports: that the government
had issued a proclamation to the effect
that no letters would be forwarded unless
i'll the German language and unsealed.
and that our registered baggage had not
arrived.
a steamship acquaintance became
frightened. especially since he had heard
that the Hamburg-Amertcan liner on
which he had engaged passage home
that night. carrying with him our letters
written to our friends at home in the
only Language which We could use.
had bravely stated in my letters to my
rumors afioat. but would continue our
trip. believing that only Austria and
Servia would be involved.
Search for Missing Luggage.
= Our party was dependent in Berlin
on the Smith College German Of my
friends daughter. Jeanette. So on
sunday morning she and went to the
baggage room at the FFiedrichsstrasse
railroad station in search Of the miss-
ing luggage. Chaos was no name for
It. A hundred people were climbing
over and through the disorderly pile
searching for their possessions, but
mainly in vain. During the hour we
were there l observed only one person
who found his belongings. Finally. as
the result of Jeannette's German and
my Hberality. we located an official of
authority who Investigated and told us
that our luggage was still In the from
tier customhouse at Herbesthal, over
four hundred miles away. He finally
wrote out for mo a telegram from the
Gepackefertigung or baggage official OF
Berlin to the corresponding offlcial OF
Aerbesthal, demanding that our lug
gage be forwarded to Berlin. This
telegram was duly censored and trans
mftted AZ the result Of Jeannette's talk
with the telegraph man. and my re-
spect for Smith coNeEe was greatly
THE rest Of the day we spent in q
motor car trip to Potsdam and Sans
Souct. One saw innumerable bands OF
troops marching on their way to the