The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-08-23
BIRMINGHAM PARTY MEETS STARVATION IN WAR-MAD PARIS Wallace McAdory In Letter to Sheriff McAdory De-
 scribes Conditions TEN LOCAL PEOPLE CAUGHT IN THE TOLLS Finally Secured Money, However, Reached London and Are Now
 En Route Home-War
 Described

Americans who were caught in Paris following the opening of hostilities were unable to secure money on American draughts and checks. As a result, in a far away land, they faced for the mo- ment. actual poverty.
 Wallace McAdory. in a letter 10 his father, Sheriff W. K. McAdory, describes graphically those conditions. He is a member of the party chaperoned by MT. and Mrs. Carlton P Smith. Others in the party having residence in Birming- ham are MT. and Mrs. J. G. Whitfield, Mrs. Gus Schillinger, Louis Schillinger, Jr., Berney Crook, Miss Rose Owen Me- David and Miss Leila Smith.
 The party, at the present time, is en route home, none of the members being any worse for narrowing experiences. The letter of young McAdory to his father, which gives the only obtainable ade- quate description of hardships which Americans were forced to endure fol- lows:
 Banks GO Up''
 Talk about exciting times, we have been having them lately
 We were at The Hague when Austria declared war on Servia and all the banks went up
 Soldiers in Holland were all ordered to mobilize, and we were told that it would be absolutely impossible for us to leave there after 9:S0 a. m. the next morning. 'Carl could hardly get enough money cashed to pay our hotel bills. We caught the last train amid all kinds of excite- ment, and talk about a train running. We moved about. I hardly remember even seeing Brussels as we passed through.
 "Nonein party had cent of French money. We could hardly get taxicabs to carry us to Tremyille hotel in Paris and it cost just sl1 to get there with all the party. No one would cash our checks and none of us had any money. We saw Cousin Ellen Dickerson (daughter of MT. ". B. Dickerson) and she came to our relief dhey are living in Paris tenn porarily).
 'The Tremville hotel was closing up and so we had to walk about three miles to Bellevue hotel because we did not have car fare. There we found dinner awaiting us which consisted of one sardine, one piece of bread, a CID of cof- fee and a glass of water That's all For breakfast we had same proportion of rations and that hotel had even gone up over $1 a day for each person.
 Our prospects didn't look very bright so we moved to Pension, at least that is what it was called l would not even try to feed dogs on what we tried to eat for four days there, and the rooms had an awful smell. In the meantime we were try ing to get some checks cashed but found 1t impossible. Lots of millionaires were in even a worse fix than we were. Carl met Tracy Lay of Gadsden. who is vice consul, and he helped us out in several ways that no one this side 1,a fff hot Finally we Gould get our American Express checks cashed and as three ladies had some We could pay part of our bills. Carl's check just could not be cashed at first at all The proprie- tor of the Pension raised his price so We moved again to a place where some ate indoors and others ate out of doors. This was a palace compared to other place and eating out even, though we were only allowed $1 day, was simp- ly heaven. I have lost at least 10 pounds in the last week. Things kept getting. better and better, and now We are all right financially France de- clared martial law. That meant per mission, see your passports. closing of every store, house. etc, after p. m. People had to wait in line for hours getting permission from police to re- main in Paris after time limit set for foreigners getting out.
 Standing In Line
 "One lady at our hotel stayed in line II hours and through heavy rain and even then had to go back the next day and start all over again to get per mission. Women tainted and men grew weak and fell on their knees Carl and MT Whitfield managed somehow to get ours and saved the ladies from wait ing in line The same waiting process had to be done when leaving on train. Di. Swan and wife-a millionaire by the way-waited in line almost the
 
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