Evening star., 1914-08-17
BRITISH HOSPITALITY
PRAISED BY TOURIST
Charles H. Ridenour Attests
|. Consideration Shown by
HoteIkeepers.
JOURNEY FROM HAMBURG
TO LONDON IS EXCITING
Shell Fired Over Bow Of Ship and
Party Compelled to Sleep in
Railway Station.

Strong testimony to the sympathetic
hospitality Of the average English hotel
keeper when, learning of the situation
such as the incoming American tourists
have found themselves in during the pres
ent war crisis, is given by Charles II.
Ridenour Of Washington, who was abroad
this summer and who landed last week
from the American liner Philadelphia.
Mr.. Ridenour is treasurer Of the Army
and Navy Register Company.
After an exciting and most fatiguing
trip from Hamburg, Germany, to London,
and a night spent in the Victoria station,
the members Of the party Mr.. Ridenour
was with finally were enabled to find a
hotel that could accommodate them. At
least half of the party had no money at
all and no one had very much.
1.-THE chambermaid came to our door, "
said Mr.. Ridenour to a reporter for The
Star today, land told US that the pro-
prietor had instructed her to say we
could stay there as long as we pleased.
He did not even mention the subject Of
payment either then or later. There were
real tears of gratitude in the eyes OF all
Of u.s.
Halted by Armed Soldier.
The suddenness with which the con-
ditions of war and martial law develop
ed on the outbreak Of hostilities was
graphically described by Mr.. Ride
nour. He and companion. upon ar
rival in Hamburg, received word that
the Imperator of the Hamburg-Amer-
lean line. on which they had passage.
was forbidden to sail by government
orders. some Of their baggage was
already on board the vessel, having
been sent forward by express, and he.
with three companions, had regalned
possession of it at a dock, whence 1t
had been carried by lighter. No taxi
cabs were in sight, SO that they were
carrying it by hand along the quiet
streets about dusk.
Suddenly an armed soldier stepped
he said, land although one of the
party, who spoke German. told who
we were and what we were doing. and
that 1t was not incoming, but outgoing
until he had paved over the contents
Of some Of it. One undeveloped kodak
film seemed to appeal to him as par
ticularly dangerous although even
tually he did not confiscate it. A
friendly German citizen finally pro-
cured US taxicab and we reached the
railroad station after hurriedly paying
our hotel bill. We already had heard
more or less war talk, and at the
time Germany and Russia had an open
further. It was a little startling and
disconcerting. I will admit, to be stop
ped in that way by armed men.
Huge Jam in the Station.
There was a huge jam in the sta
ton and our party. which numbered
ten. had to keep close together. Many
Of the crowd were passengers and
others seemed drawn thither by ex-
citement. We finally embarked when
the train was filled to more than ca
pacity. ], for one, stood up for the
twelve hours or more that passed be-
fore we reached Flushing. in Holland.
on the German-Dutch frontier our
train stopped for customs inspection.
but it never was held. I noticed Of
ficials walking the length of the train
and looking it and its crowd over
carefully, but they did not attempt to
open our luggage. Ny surmise was
that the job was so big it would have
cided to pass it by. This surmise
afterward found to be correct. On the
journey the train stopped just once for
refreshments. and my share was some
milk in a beer glass: others had moth,
ing. We noticed, both in Germany and
Holland, armed soldiers at every cross
roads and every bridge.
"At Flushing the whole crowd en-
barked on a little side-wheel steamer
flying the Dutch flag. Nearly every
one was sick, accommodations were en-
tirely insufficient and most of US could
not eat what was provided. Approach
ing the harbor Of greensboro. a Gus
toms boat came alongside and gave, as
afterward learned, an order to ny
a certain signal This the Dutch cap
tain either ignorantly or obstinately
did not do, and the next thing we
knew shell from the fortress passed
across our bows. A revenue boat then
came out, told us why we had been