The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1914-09-18
Frankfort Zeitung on 1.-THE American
Guest"

Mr.. R. w. Tinsley, of Hartford
Ky, was in Germany when the war
began. AS illustrating the kindly
spirit shown by the Germans toward
the Americans who were in Germany
at that time, he has sent the Even
ing Post an editorial which was pub
lished in the Frankfurter Zeitung
August IA. under the caption 1.-THE
American Guests" The article reads
whoever has ever had the oppor-
tunity of travelling in the United
States will never forget the hospi-
tality that he met with there every
where. The sincerity with which the
American receives even the transient
foreigner has indeed astonished ev-
cry traveller in America. Hospital
ity' is really not a sufficiently strong
expression for the American kind
ness; for. if only to permit terms of
familiarity and unity, the foreigner
is taken into the home of the Am
erican. Today, more than ever before.
is the time and opportunity to re-
member this thoughtfulness. For
thousands of Americans are at pres
ent sojourning in Germany, many
of whom find themselves in GER
tain condition of restraint, for their
A. tho TINA IN no
off, and until a safe journey home
offers itself, many will be lacking
in means.
Not as if the Americans had I'M
dertaken their European trip with
out the necessary financial precau-
tions. They all had good letters of
credit. But. unfortunately, most of
them are payable on English houses.
Now if German bank gives up
money on such a letter of credit
then it is impossible for it to col
lect the amount in return, because
the English are making no payments
whatever to Germany. Therefore the
German banking institutions did not
know at first just what they should
do concerning such American re-
quests for money. From a purely
legal standpoint, they are evidently
not obligated to make payments in
the cases just described. In spite of
this, hardly a single great German
bank has completely refused to COM
ply with the wishes of the Americans.
even in the days of greatest excite
ment. To start with, even the most
prudent made at least small pay
ments. Many banking houses held
still more liberal views, and made
payments, whose return payments
are not to be thought of within any
reasonable time. And quite a num-
Der of cases are known in which
American tourists without letters of
credit and without securities have
been paid many thousands But this
has always been in the case of trav-
elers whose names and credit were
known.
I'VE believe that in Germany no
such things will happen as in other
countries. when millionaires, as Mr..
Vanderbilt. remains for a time actu-
ally without means of subsistence.
This advance to meet the Americans
in financial matters is, in our opin-
ion. the only right thing to do, but
this alone is not sufficient. Some of
the Americans detained here against
their will are depressed through the
agitation. Everyone that has visited
an American consulate in the last
few weeks will be able to corrobo-
rate that. Therefore. beyond rend-
ering financial assistance, the Ger
man people should do all that is in
any way possible to entertain these
guests. II would set a very worthy
precedent, which would no doubt
be largely followed, if herssand there
wealthy German families should give
the foreigners free admission to their
homes. Such a step would be richly
repaid. We are not thinking now
of the material gain. but of the pure
ly cultural, human advantage of such
4 resolution. For the lodging OF so