Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-08-04
AMERICANS TRAPPED
BY WAR PLAN RELIEF
1000 Hold jolly Meeting in Lon
don and Laugh at Predicment;
Want to Go Home

London, Aug. 4. - Dramatic scenes
were enacted yesterday when more
than 1000 Americans held a mass
meeting at the Waldorf and, amid
patriotic enthusiasm, organized to help
Americans branded in London and on
the Continent. The assemblage was
in joyous mood despite it's predica-
ment.
Nice-President f. 1. Kent, of the
Bankers Trust Company, who was
elected temporary chairman, said:
I'VE must first recognize this as the
gravest crisis civilization has ever
faced, and in order to work together
we must have a strong permanent or
SaniZation composed of committees
who can and will do big things. We
need, hrst. a committee on tr~ansporta-
ton. No steamship companies can
hnd u a~uthoritatively what is going
on. Secondly, we need a committee
composed of men understanding bank
ing laws who a go to the banks of
London and who can satisfy hotel peo-
pie that they will be protected on the
paper rendered them, because paper is
all we have, and, third, W. must have
a committee to which everybody can
apply If there is any friction.
w wish the hotel people to UNI
derstand that if they do o stand by
us now they will not stand much show
with Americans When things become
|~pleasanter."
Sense of Humor Alive
Laughter greeted this remark, show
ing that despite the seriousness of the
situation the American sense of humor
was still alive. The fourth is a gov
ernmental committee to keep in touch
with the Ambassador said the chair
man. I'VE must also have a commit
tee in every hotel, and introduce the
card system of every American here,
ca that IL Urn n re a h1n e. npa--. ia
the United States to send transports
we will be able to place you with the
greatest ease. With this organization
we can handle the situation fairly well
and meet every emergencq. The trans
p~ortation committe is likely to be
more important than the finance COM
mittee If we get home; then the bank
ers will not count" At this there were
shouts of laughter.
The permanent chairman, Theodore
HetZler, Vice-president of the Fifth
Avenue Bank. said: Don't get panic
stricken, We'll all get out" Then he
read a message from Ambassador Wal
ter II. Page, saying he had not re-
ceived a reply from Washington to
his cabled inquiry as to what was be-
ing done by the State Department.
This provoked indignant cries: why
isn't Page here?".
Other criticisms followed until
Hetzler shouted, He is at the Foreign
Office now trying to do things for us.
Don't oppose him, but help him. He
is in a situation such as never con-
fronted any diplomat in history"
State Senator Halves, of Pennsylva-
mia, said:
II am just from Paris. The Amer
leans there lave no money and no
transportation. The BOAT that brought
me here last night vas a human hell,
for the women and children. Ameri-
cans are being delivered at ports, but
have no way of getting over to Eng
land. More boats must be sent at
once. l was sorry to hear the note of
criticism against Ambassador Page.
There must not be a moment of hest
tation in our loyalty to the President
and to the Ambassador"
This was cheered loudly. Mr.. Halves
urged every American present to cable
his Senator or Congressman urging
that conveys or government transports
be sent here.
grants, or exiles( loud laughter), do
not be alarmed. The American gov
eminent will certainly work out a plan
to afford you every facility to get
back. Be calm, we all stick together
Senator Clark, of Chicago, and
James C. Watson also spoke. Three
cheers were given for the men who ar
ranged the meeting and those present
joyfully joined in singing patriotic
songs.
The following committees were APP
pointed:
Finance-Theodore Hetzler, Fred 1.
Kent and James G.. Cannon.
Transportation Joseph f. Day,
Francis M. Weld and George d. Smith,
all of New York.
Diplomatic-Oscar S. Straus. Walter
l.. Fisher and James Byrne.
Hotels-L. H. Armour, of Chicago,
and Thomas j. Stanley. of New York.
The committees have established
| headquarters where Americans may
register and obtain assistance.