Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1915-01-19
Conkling, Just From Hol-
land, Gives His I'M
presslOns.
A. MANS EXPERIENCE
Was Only Officer of His
Battalion to Escape
Allies Bullets.
&C. T. ROGERS.D

From enthusiasm engendered 10y pa
triotsm which was extremely apparent
at the beginning Of the European war
the feeling among the belllgerenis has
changed TO one of regret that mill
tarlsm had gone rampant, according
TO r. a. Conkling, geologist with the
Royal Dutch company who has Just
returned TO Tulsa from Holland.
The course pursued by one of Mr
ConkHups fellow geologists In the Of
flee at The Hague well eXemplifies
the situation. one morning "A few
days days after Germany had declared
war ON the French, Mr.. ConklnG
found on his desk the card Of younE
German Below his name was writ
ten "liebe volk", giving his rank i'm
the reserve army
Had Pipe Dreams.
A few weeks later he had card
from tho young officer. lie had been
ordered to the hospital on account Of
sickness at the time his army was
ON the march to Paris. The message
contained Its authors regrets that lie
would not be with his battalion when
it entered the French capital. But he
consoled himself with the fact that nc
would be we'll in time to be with the
army on it's triumphial march through
London.
The next message came over a
month later. The German had recoN-
cred and been sent back to the front
i'm France after his army had been
checked, but was again In the hospital
this time with a complete nervous
breakdown. lie described his three
weeks of he'll in the German trenches
when there was not moments res
pite from the CALLING fire of the al
lies. He was the only officer Of his
battalion not killed. In the message
he said that he had all of war that
he wanted and wished he was back
in the office at The Hague.
Enthusiasm Gone.
Such Ia the Telling throughout Eu-
rope says Mr.. ConlIling. This was the
case the fore part of December, only
after the conflict had been going on
Tor four months
Dutch Favor Allies.
Tho strictest neutrality Is observed
in Holland, the haven OF thousands
Of Belgian refugees, according to the
geologist. If the pulse of the land was
felt he estimates that three-fourths
of the Dutch would be found to favor
the side of the allies. This resulted,
he said from the condition into which
their neighbor country Belgium has
been thrown and the fact that bases
designed for big guns were alleged
to have been built near The Hague
by Germans. But this feeling is en-
tirely suppressed. No public utter
ance indicating the drift OF opinion is
I'm any manner evident.
Mr.. Coukling's compliments are
profuse on the hospitality extended
by the Inhabitants of this homely
little lowland country to their brothers
across the boundary. Public buildings
have been turned into hospitals, resi-
dences thrown open to strangers. The
refugees compose a group in which
the strictest democracy Is observed
No Belgian escaped into Holland with
more than sackful OF clothing lt
matters not how much one may have
been worh in his home, he is given
equal treatment with all the refugees
A great war loan" has been floated
TO take care of them.
Looked i'm Vain.
The Belgian army interned in Hol-
land Is handled In much the same
way as the Huerta army which
crossed the Rio Grande into Texas
during the last revolution was han
died by the United States government
Mr.. Conkling, who was in The Hague
at the time this army marched ~
membercd meetings between fathers
husbands, sons and brothers and their
mothers, wives. daughters and sisters.
As the footsore soldiers marched along
the street an occasional woman with
strained eyes on the edge would be
seen TO rush out into the street and
fall on her loved one. But there were
many who strained their eyes In vain
said the geologist. and the sadness
was too often mingled with the glad
ness of many reunitings
Tho business OF Holland, says Mr..
COnkllng, Is completely parayzed.
Essentially a manufacturing center. all
industry In tho country Of lowlands is
stopped by the lack OF raw material
Holland Is suffering from a complete
embargo placed upon her by the Ger
man and allied fleets.
Mr.. ConlNing was ordered from The
Hague to Tulsa on account OF tine bus-
mess conditions in EurOpe.