The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1914-09-09
FROM THE SEAT OF WAR.
Rev. Rex Wheeler Writes Interestingly
of European Travel.

OF European lIaVel.
The following letter from Rev. w. r.
Wheeler, who, with his wife, was caught in
the war maelstrom, is addressed to his par
ents at Endeavor, Hon. and MS N. p.
Wheeler, and gives a graphic idea of what
all European sojourners had to put up with
when the great war broke out
GENOA, ITALY, Sunday, Aug. 16 1914.
DEAR FATHER AND MoTHER.-We are here
in this port, from which Columbus tried to
sail for America. He couldn't get accom-
modations in the form of credit and ships
for the voyage at first, as you remember,
and we are rather in the same position.
But he finally reached his goal, and we ex-
pect to do the same, ultimately.
l will try to give you in outline our ac-
tons since the war broke out, two weeks
ago. We were on our walking trip over
the Grimsel Pass to Interlaken, where there
were no recent newspapers. We heard all
sorts of rumors; saw Swiss soldiers leaving
for the frontier, etc One paper Aug 2
Germany said Germany had modified and
was about TO declare war on Russia and
France. Thinking we had better hurry
our trip and get to some point of real
knowledge, we arranged to hire rig from
hotel where we had stopped for the night,
to drive to Interlaken, or at least to the
Meiringen, on the way to Interlaken. Next
morning they walked us up telling us the
government had wired for their one re-
naming horse, and they couldn't give us
the rig. There was chance to get two
seats in the Diligence, the stage that car
ries mail and passengers over the pass, 46
miles from Goeschenen to Meiringen. We
walked three miles and then did catch it
and rode to Meiringen ana thence by rail-
road and steamer to Interlaken. There the
town was mostly deserted, people had gone
mainly to Bern and Geneva to be near the
English and American Consuls. We were
advised to do all sorts of different things.
A Holland officer with his wife was trying
to get back to his country as the army was
mobilizng. He had wired three times and
gotten no word. He could get out through
France or Germany, he said. We read Of
the declaration of war of England, as we'll
as of Austria and Germany. If possible,
we wanted to get back to England, and so
went to the railroad station to ask about
trains to Paris. The agent said the road
was "geschlossen," The only way out
of Switzerland was by way of the
Simplon Pass into Italy We did not wish
to stay in Switzerland as the banks were all
closed, and the food supply might soon be
short. The hotel service was very poor;
the proprietor, porter, and sixteen out of
twenty walters at our hotel having already
gone. The Swiss army calls for all able
men between Is and 60, and that's quite
inclusive. Furthermore, we couldn't
cable to America, so it seemed the best
plan to try the Italian door, though several
people warned us that we would lose our
baggage, or would be held at the border.
Some Yale men we had met decided to try
getting over into France some refused to
move.at all. But G. and decided on Italy,
and packed up that night putting the
most important things in our suit cases in
case the trunk was held up. l mention all
these details to show you some of the
mental processes we went through. We
left next morning, there being only one
other party of Americans on the train, and
they were in charge of an Italian con-
ductor. We passed many trains loaded
with Swiss soldiers who yodled and sang in
fine fashion. We had to change three times
but were allowed to enter the Simplon Pass
on the border without any attempt to stop
us. Soldiers with fixed bayonets were on
guard at every station and one held me up,
poking his bayonet at me because did not
show my ticket. was a bit worried about
our money as l could get no Italian money
though l tried hard. paid for our tickets
with some Swiss gold and then had 20
francs q dollars in silver left, and 10
francs in Swiss paper which was of practi-
cally no value in Italy. Fortunately had
gotten little extra at Zurich before we
started on our walking trip. There were
hundreds of "Dagoes" in the train who had
been sent over the border from France and
Switzerland, l bought some sandwiches
and apples and we were fairly comfortable
on the train. We talked with some inter
esting people as well as we could in our
limited French and German; with an Aus
trian officer going to Munich who told of
the French invasion of Belgium, and with
Spanish family who had been at the Ex-
position at Bern. The Exposition did not
last long after the war broke out. We got
through the customs all right, and so into
Italy, where things seemed more peaceful,
fewer soldiers and less excitement. We
reached Milan at ten, being four hours late,
but otherwise the trip wasn't bad.
The next day l wired mother we were
safe, and then went to look up money.
The Banca Commerciale Italine was open
and long line of excited Americans was
waiting at the '1etter of credit" depart
ment. They were paying 500 on American
Express checks and American letters of
credit, and $50 on English securities. Later
they would give this only every other day.
But on the whole that bank did the best of
any other bank in the country and all the
Americans were mighty grateful. l asked
about cabling and with the help Of one of
their directors, worded the cable to you.
The telegraph Office said it took about four
days for cable to go and return to America
and that they were not guaranteeing any
message. We had 500 left in the letters Of
credit besides the Swiss money, so we
moved from the Palace Hotel to a cheap
one and prepared to wait. Milan is the
| strongest financial center in Italy and we
thought it would be the best place for
credit. Iwent to meeting of American
men that afternoon where F. w. Wander
bilt, Nicholas Murray Butler, President of
Columbia, the American consul, and the