Arizona republican., 1914-08-02
England's Capital is Fast Filling With Touri S t S from Continent Who Have Abandoned Journeys Be- cause of War
ARE UNABLE
 TO GET MONEY
Express Companies Checks Which Americans Uni versally Use on Foreign Tours Now Command the Highest Discount
ASSOCIATED PRESS DIsPATCHl

ASSOCIATED PRESS DISPATCH
 LONDON, August L-London is fast filling with Americans who have teen compelled to forego their con- tinental tours. Every cross channel steamer from France and Belgium is filled with American tourists. who rn advice of ambassadors, ministers or consuls, have left the continental cities and various resorts on a min ute's notice for England. which coun- try affords their only chance of get ting home
 Inability to get money was anoth- CT incentive for their desire to leave the continent. Express companies checks, which Americans. universally use or foreign tours. cannot be con- verted into currency except at the highest rate of discount.
 w. H. Crane, the American actor, was among those hundreds who hur- redly left Paris on Friday night. He said there was a veritable panic among the Americans in the French capital ,4<4
 "On the advice of the consul, who told me if l did not get away iln- mediately I would probably be ma rooned in Paris for weeks, I hurried ly packed and rushed to the station." said Mir. Crane. There l found the Gepot crowded with Americans act ing on the same impulse. They not only want to get home, but they found their American money checks unnegotiable. Trains were damned Those who gladly paid full first class fares, but arrived late, found only standing room in third class cars but they did not complain because they were so anxious to get away
 Nobody got any sleep until we arrived in London in the early hours ot the morning We were several hours late, owing to the train being held up for the French lines to en- able the passage of trains loaded with French soldiers"
 A few of those who arrived early were able to get berths on steamers sailing for New York, Boston and Canadian ports, but majority joined the big crowd of Americans who are already filling the London hotels.
 Later boat from the continent brought another large contingent of Americans who felt satisfied until they discovered that their American checks were almost as useless iii London as in continental cities. Reg ular customers at hotels and res taurants tonight who had not gold or silver were politely invited to slgn bills for payment at some future day, as no currency could be given in exchange for notes or checks Strang- CTS were compelled to pay bills in currency Is neither checks nor notes were acceptable.
 In one famous resort of Americans here there was continual stream of men offering e5 (s25) notes in payment for ten cent drinks. asking for change, only to be told that there was no gold in the house. Some of them got a drink for nothing. but most of them were able to produce the silver when pressed. Such scenes never before were witnessed in the west ENu or London, where ordinarily notes of any country in the world are changed without demur.
 Prominent American. residents met today and organized mission to as- sist their compatriots who may be stranded on the continent through q paralysis of ordinary banking facili- ties They will send men to the continent provided with money to help Americans reach home, if the continental government will permit the agents to enter. It is believed that passports and letters from the ambassador explaining the purpose of the mission was to enable the agents to carry out the work
 Walter H. Page, the American ambassador and Irwin B. Laughlin, secretary of the embassy have gone to the country for the weeks end and cannot be reached by telephone tonight, although several important communications are awaiting them here.