The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1914-09-11
PRAISE FOR GERMANS
BY MRS. SCHOFIELD.
RODE AND ATE WITH SOLDIERS ON
TRAN-Q QUESTIONED AS TO BEING
"A FRENCH SPY-TREATED WITH
KINDNESS AND RESPECT.

IA party OF nNe, ArS. ~. v. ScHOAelui
her mother, Mrs Pauline Kotosky-
two aunts, Mrs. - T.. Bailey and Mrs-
Mary Yander, and niece, Miss Susan
L. Ford all Of St Louis, have just re-
turned from Europe on the steamer
Ryndam, from Rotterdam were guests
from Friday until Monday of Mr.. and
Mrs. w. al FORD, at The Helghts,
tnis city. Mrs. Scofield j. niece of
Mr. Ford, and having only recently
been iii the countries engaged in war
has few interesting experiences 70
recount.
{ The party went first to London, then
to Paris, Brussels, Antwerp, the
Hague, Amsterdam, Cologne, Frank
furt and Kissingen. Referring TO their
experiences Mrs. Schofield says:
while w were in London and
Paris, which was about the 10th OF
July, there was little reference to war.
When we reached Brussels, however,
rumors were prevalent OF an impend-
ing war between Austria and SerVla
and the feeling was then becoming
general that If war was declared rs
tween these two nations many more
countries would become involved.
The stock exchange in Brussels was
ordered closed on the day we were
there in order TO avert panic, there
having been a decline in values the
day previous of 20 per cent.
On our arrival i'll Frankfurt, rev
! days later, mobilization had been or-
! dered by the Kaiser i'll consequence
or which the widest excitement pre-
vailed and attention was paid TO
nothing else. We had intended TO go
: from Frankfurt to Switzerland and
from there to Carlsbad, but were IN
formed by the railroad office that AZ
! would be impossible to reach Carls-
bad. III fact, train service after the
order Of mobilization became an I'm
certainty, SO all we could do was 70
remain in Frankfurt pntil we could
determine upon some plan. Having
friends in Kissingen | telephoned
there, but not knowing that only the
German language was permitted,
! smoke I'M English. Immediately the
connection was cut off and ! mad q
very difficult time to have it given to
me again. Upon assuring the oper-
!, ator,s however, that | was ignorant OF
the rule she gave me the connection
the second time, but no conversation
could be held that was not listened
To, as simultaneously with the order
VI mobilization every city, village
and hamlet was put under military
. contlol. Reaching my friends at hls-
; singer they provided us with an auto
, mobile, which was sent to FranKurt,
+ and although the chauffeur had pass
, ports permitting us to pass through
. the different villages, W. were stopp-
"a numerous times and Obliged to
answer divers questions as to who We
were, where we were from and Wnere
we were going. Arriving at klssln-
gen, mobilization was also in progress
there. Men BY the thousands from
| miles and miles around were coming
| in. some drawn by oxen and donkeys,
some came in buggies and others On
BICYCLES, many with tears streaming
down their faces but all with the
, spirit OF the Vaterland deep in their
hearts and singing the national an
| thems. All night long, wherever we
came, we heard these songs on the
streets and in the cafes After spend
Ing two weeks in Kissingen and con-
\ ditions becoming more serious each
day with one nation after the other
becoming involved, we decided TO
make a start for Rotterdam to get a
steamer for America, as no satisfac-
ton could be had from any OF the
steamship agents as to reservations.
The railroad Offices, however, would
! sell mo through tickets, only from
one station to the other and then
would not guarantee when any point
, would be reached on account OF the
=, movement of troops. We Left Kissin-
gen at 9 O'Clock on a Friday morning
and reached our first stop, WnrZburg,
at II noon. 1t was almost impossible
to alight from the train the station
being crowded with thousands of
soldiers waiting TO board the trains
for their departure TO the front. APP
preaching the president of the Wurz-
burg Station, he advised going by way
of Mannheim and taking the Rhine
boat there, to insure our arrival at
Rotterdam with as little delay as pos
sible, but informed me that there
would be no train out for passengers
for three days. Upon telling this
gentleman that we would miss the
steamer we expected to take If COM
PEELED to lay over that long, he said,
the only alternative was to make the
trip on a military train, but thaf
permission To do 20 could only be
granted by the Commander in charge,
who was pointed out to me, and who
the 1TGSlQGuI Ol ln0
offered to introduce me to. Learning
we were Americans, this officer, who
was Major, Immediately consented
to have us accompany him and desig-
mated seats for us I'm his and his
officers compartments Leaving Wurz-
burg at 2 o'clock that afternoon W.
road the balance OF the day and all
night, arriving in Ludwigshafen at
the following morning.
! On this train were one thousand
men, besides the officers. We made
numerous stops of anywhere from lO
minutes to an hour during which the
soldiers were provided with food and
refreshments OF all varieties by the
women and Red Cross nurses OF the
different towns and villages. We
were never forgotten by the officers
during these stops, who brought us
sandwiches and coffee and tea and
even a glass or wine Offering to pay,
NO money would be accepted, only fcr
the benefit or the Red Cross. Reach
ings Ludwigshafen at the early hour OF
four in the morning the Major looked
for some one to accompany US to the
ferry and succeeded in locating the
station watchman and four boys, who
NJ escorted us to the ferry, to reach
which W. had to walk about an hour
On the ferry W. met soldier who,
noticing that we wore Americans flags
on cur coats, came up to the boys