The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-09-12
Englishman Was Making Moving Pictures When
 Mobilization Came
INSTANT CHANGE
 WAS APPALLING
Prosperous Holiday Center Became Dead Village 0vernight-Amer- jeans in Embarrassing
 Plight


 he witnessed the beginning of war from an eerie 10000 feet high was described 10 me today by Frederick Birmingham, the famous man with the red beard of the Steinheil case, who, daring noun taineer. recently has gained added re- nown as a cinematograph operator by Filming the inside of the crater of vesuvius and other equally intrepid per- fornnances.
 -When war broke out" he said, "I was on Mont Blanc with cinemato- graph and a caravan of eight guides. There was so much wind on the iced slopes higher up that, instead of climb ing in the darkness above the Grand Muets which has an altitude of 10000 feet we waited the dawn to what the weather would do. The guides were restless.
 About 1 a. m. while breakfasting. the cabin keeper Cachat, rushed in excitedly with telescope in his hand, saying that the streets of Chamonix were alive with people. that flags were being hosted everywhere and that long trains appa- rently crowded with troops were already on the move. War had come. Seven thousand feet below us the unfolding of the great drama had begun. This ex- plained the ringing of church bells the evening before, which we heard while ascending the snow slopes above the cre- vassed Junction. Immediately we made preparations to descend most of my guides were obliged to be in Annecy, their mobilization center, within the first 2f hours. The alarm spread like wild fire. Before we got well on the way donward porter came from Pierre Pointue confirming the news Lower down in the valley we passed ehalets, already deserted by the men, at whose w1ndows women were scanning the valley with spy glasses, occasionally drying their tears.
 Women and Children
 T descended to Les Blossoms without stopping While waiting at the station for an electric train to Chamonix, which did not come. Cachat passed me jumping into a troop train. He had closed the Grands Mules. been home for his ruck- sack, had caught up with me and ao- tually left for the front before l could move in the direction of Chamonix. At the station the women, with children clinging to their skirts, were weeping bit terly, while the men began singing to keep from crying. Many of the men had become drunk to dull the terrible ordeal Owing to the entire climbing season hay ing been ruined by prolonged deluge oi ain many of the families were already ruined and l heard of one guide who left his wife and young children witt only 30 cents to last until his return.
 At Chamonix there was great confu- sion. lone of the largest hotels emptiet its guests into the streets closed tho iron blinds, and the directors disap. reared without paying anyone. Over night teaming holiday center had beer changed into a dead village Scarcely anyone who left paid their hotel bills . and 1upCaee a V ic where.
 .Then the state of siege was declared We were shut off from the rest of the world for three days without any news All automobiles above 20 horsepower were requsitioned by the military and no one was allowed tol leave the com mune. To remain one had to get a permit de sejour
 The plight of about 30 Americans al Valiorcine was even worse. They had left the Swiss frontier at Chatelard and could not return and were refused ad- mittance into France three miles further on They were marooned between two frontier stations.
 No Vehicles Allowed
 No vihicles were allowed on the ruad s between in the evening and the next morning. Gendarmes in automobiles con tfnuay passed with captured spies. Nov and then the night air was displaced by Y reeling ahead at terrific speed leaving a dense cloud behind.
 Tn times of peril the French instinct ively revert to socialism. The first steps taken were to secure the food supply. Food was requisitioned from the hotel larders and one had the impression that everything was common property Food could be had for the asking without pay ment and scarce food, such as bread, was delivered by rations Money was of little use. An American with 1000 franc note had to ask for bread for his family, and when presented a 0-franc note in a tea shop l was asked simply to pay next year The authorities did everything DOS F sible to make stranded tourists feel at X home
 The silence began to grow terrible M On the fifth day when the rush of mobili- zation was partly over, a party of us succeeded in getting a telegram through atp the British ambassador, who, acting with the British consul at Lyons suc- ceeded In getting for an official order ] from the military governor of Lyons au- thorizing us to leave with our luggage. 5 <Qn Friday morning at o'clock we left < Chamonix on military train, our lug 81&e being in Q labelled as that ot < Britigh officers joining their regiments the authorities evidently mistaking my !. cinematograph camera tripod for a }canpon.
 Whole Wheat Fields Afloat
 The return journey was replete witt series of indelible impressions. At l., u Eayet. La Roche and Annemasse ". E changed trains. The young men alread, # lad gone to the war. but boarding oui J military train were the fathers of fam * 1lleG who, not daring to say good-by, hat # GIsappeared from home to board .h train. Many of these carried with then 4 plSt1lres of their wives and children whicl x they kissed fervently. Owing to th heavy rains whole wheat fields wer # df1oat. Near Bonneville much Of tn wheat had been cut and the fields wer covered with three or four feet of water X The misery to come will be appalling. A X xnnemasse persons literally fought fo G1aces on the train and many were lef X kehind.
 The roads in places bordering the rail & rohU stations were crowded with O, \ #31ooms bringing in hay for the Frencl cnRaIry, while hundreds of cattle wer, x 6e1nG brought forward to the slaughter E The horses had disappeared. and one sav & fold men reaping in the fields where reap nx machines had been left abandone6 H @After Belgrade, where we were agair N forced to change trains we began 10 pas, 41Suin after train of refugees, many O. Y @tH&m Swiss and Italian, going in the ap ;rooite direction. and then came glimrs, Hk5Grf7n war when We encountered mil H 4tmfy% trains returning from the Alsac, Y 8pG<3er. the cattle and freight cars benf
 n6Wlly laden with women and childrer X bo1ng war to the death the women