Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1914-08-23
RABBI MERRITT TELLS OF WAR
Writes to Parents in Omaha De-
scribing Trip Out Of Brussels.
FRIENDS MADE ENEMIES
Most DepIOrabIe sight He Wit
messed Was the Transformation
of Peace Into Turmoil and
Its Attending Hatreds.

MI anu MIS- james MeTlllls lboa GtOThld
avenue, graphically describing the things
he saw while in the war zone since
fighting has started. His letter enumer-
ates some astonishing features of his
trip from Brussels to London.
We are in London. writes Rabbi Mer-
rift. again after a seven days trip with
sufficient excitement to last for years
We wrote you last from Brussels. Then
fighting was going on on the frontiers
not very far from us, but at the time we
we're under the impression that this was
mere skirnishing ON the part of the
German vanguard, and that the main as
saults OF the German forces were be-
Ing delivered against France and Russia
on their own frontiers. 1t has turned
out, however, that the battle that was
raging at Liege, only some hundred miles
from where we were at Brussels, was
one of the first determined tests of
strength Of this colossal war. Somehow
suspicion Of the seriousness of the stu
alton began to creep into the minds of
the great crowd of tourists and travellers,
mostly Americans, who had been driven
into Brussels from Germany and France.
They began to pour out of Brussels
across tho channel to England. We
rather liked the excitement of Brussels
and the sense Of being near the line of
battle. So we stayed on. Finally on
| Tuesday morning we we're faced by
rather bad situation. We were told that
on that day the last train and boat would
leave for England since England pro-
posed to declare war with Germany,
which would automatically break service.
with the continent. l went out TO get
money for the journey At the express
check offices, l was told no money
could be given out for checks Luckily
had drawn a liberal allowance the day
before.
Packed Hurriedly.
We hurriedly packed our effects. At
the station pandemonium reigned Bag
gage was heaped in masses. Foreigners
Of all nations and classes were clamor-
ing for seats in the last train that would
carry them out of the zone of trouble.
A babel Of strange voices and strange
sounds filled the air. At the last minute
We jumped into a filthy thlFd-clsss car,
crowded to suffocation, md VIC we're off
for Ostend to connect With the English
boat That boat was d sight when the
refugees scrambled ABOARD. Ordinarily
| IL carries about 500 passengers comfort
ably, but 100 people 5crambled aboard
and disposed of themselves and their
baggage picturesquely in passageways,
over decks. everywhere that foot of
space presented itself II Is three
hours channel passage from Ostend to
Dover. To say that the passengers were
panicky puts it mildly. Some of the ner-
vous were sure that wel would be sunk
by German cruisers or torpedo boats
Every time the black smoke Of a distant
funnel smudged the sky, the panicky
already resigned themselves to the fate
of prizes of war. The sep was choppy
the boat Internally crowped ana slo"
Many passengers were ravepously hungry
not having eaten for twenty-tour hours
altogether it was a weird ana eNciting
trip and when just before desk we caught
sight of the English shore ana saw the
long, low black. menacine nuns OF
! dozen warships English bulldogs, on
yuard against sudden ATTACKS, we were
nightly relieved.
England GuRTd'
How well England guards us isiaho
was brought home to us at that moment
While we were looking at the ulotiohless
hulls of the English warshtps, suddenly
on either side Of our packet two suoIha-
rine boats pushed their noses OF Oh the
vaters and showed their long Slim tor
lnodo-sbanod backs man on our
bridge gave the nroner signal. and, evil
IDENTIFY satisfied with our unwarlike looks
the submarine scouts slipped quietly OH
on the blackening waters for all the
world like giant proposes. We wer9 NOT
allowed to land at Dover, where mines
we're being sown. So We went for hah
an hour TO Folkestone harbor. and there
again there was a rush for trains lo
London. Just after We had gone up lhe
landing stair, a man behind us was ha pea
and searched as a spy. This py-huntpis
Is going on all over Europe. Indeed, 20
one In America can imagine the bittr
national hatreds that have been loosei
and the atmosphere Of suspicion that hts
been created. To me It is incomprehensr
BILE. While We were in Brussels we say
something of that spirit. number q
German business houses have been estab=
lished in Brussels. These have given en-
ployment to Belgian employees. Employ
ers and employed have lived peacefully,
and happily side by side in the best Of
nelshbOrly spirits.
Peace Turned Into Turmoil
Now comes a declaration of war fer
which these peaceful and industrious Ger
mans are not responsible, for which only
the German military clique can be held to
account, and Immediately the former
nelghbors become a bowling mob, mob
bling their former friends, smashing the
windows Of their stores and homes and
destroying their property. The treatment
OF the noneombatant in the early stages
OF this great imbroglio Is nothing more or
less than a reputation of all tho fine
principles OF civilization and a reversion
TO barbarism, and II this madness IS only
a precursor Of what is to come, when suf-
| fering and sacrifice puts a razor edge to
national passions. God knows what will
be the outcome.
The situation at best Is dreadful to
contemplate. II is complicated now that
England has thrown itself into the ring
had a wonderful vivid impression given
me OF English might upon the waters
| just a week before this European confla-
grafton broke out Coming up the chan
mel on the way from New York we passed
] SDithaad II haDDened that the great Eng