Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-13
WAR BEFUODLES
ITALIAN POLICE
Americans Find It Easy to Get
Into and Out of Jail
There.
LACK OF SYSTEM CAUSES
TRAVELLERS TROUBLE
Entrance to Country Not Difficult,
But Persons Are Soon
"Shooed" Out.
BY HERBERT COREY.
Copyright. 1879

BY HERBERT COREY.
Copyright. 1881
ROME, July 2o.-Traveling in Italy
Just now is like the wanderings OF
q blind man through mystic maze. At
every turn one runs his head against an
unforeseen obstruction. 1t is not that
the regulations are formidable, but
that one cannot discover what they are.
In one town a rule is strictly enforced
that is dead letter six miles due east.
Sometimes a regulation is published
in the newspapers and nowhere else.
AS result of what began IS a perfect
ly innocent journey l spent a good
share of my time under arrest. Reams
of literature have been added to the
archives of the Italian police. In half
the police stations of that sunny king
dom puzzle-headed coppers are prob
ably now trying to memorize my
mothers middle name and to harmon
ice my allegation that l was born in
Toledo, Ohio, with the known fact that
Toledo is in Spain.
man in Rome.
all No special pass needed. Just get on
the train and GO" l wanted to visit the
little republic of San Marine. That was
quite easy. One had but to change cars
1T FaenZa-
Your passports. signor.' said the
He was one of those small detectives
that switch little rattan canes. There
was nothing wrong with the passport,
but he stood about ostentatiously and
hA fro in
Rimini. Many small boys admired. At
Rimini several detectives arrested US.
We were in the war zone, 1t appeared.
Therefore we were potentlal Spies
Rimini has been bombarded twice lately
by an Austrian squadron from the
Adriatic, and Rimini is nervous. We
were held under close arrest in the inn
of the Leon d'Oro.
Threat of War Useless.
"You must leave on the 8 o'clock
train we were told.
But we wanted to go to San Marino
San Marine is republic. 1t has been
a republic for one thousand years. II
would be a frightful breach of interna-
tional etiquette, We pointed out, for
one friendly country to prevent the
visit of two citizens of another friend
~ country to third friendly country.
Lots of nations have gone to war for
less, we said. We did not wish to
adopt a threatening tone, but if we
were interfered with some one might
write a note about it, The police Off
GERS disavowed any desire to plunge
three friendly nations into war. 1t was
merely, as they said. that the diligence
until o'clock the following morning.
Meanwhile we must leave Rimini on
the o'clock train.
But where may we co."
They did not care. They washed
their hands of us. So that we got out
of Rimini. we might go where we
wished. Wherever we went, they said.
we would get into trouble. We went
to Bologna on that 3 o'clock train.
Next morning we were under arrest.
The police wanted to know why we
had come to Bologna. This is no time
for sightseeing. they said. Tourists
were not wanted. While we were be-
ing Intercepted we saw on the desk a
telegram from Rimini. 1t gave all the
known details about US, down to the
middle names of our mothers and that
damning error I had made as to the
true nationality of Toledo.
You must get out" said the police
men.
They didn't care where we went Not
they. 1t was no part of their duty to
arrange a tour for couple of locoed
Americans. So we went to Venice. BY
this time our consciences were be-
ginning to be bad, and we sat for nve
hours in the car without speaking to
or looking at each other. An old gen.
tleman with bristling white Whiskers
watched us suspiciously every inch of
the way. At Venice it was great
pleasure to see that he was held up
by the triple line of gendarmes at the
gate of the station, who found his pa
pers most unsatisfactory. No one spoke
to US or looked at US. We might have
been wearing the cloak of invisibility
and the slippers of silence.
The Italian System.
Next morning we were arrested 1t
appears it is a heinous thing to visit
Venice at this time. Foreigners are not
permitted except on official business,
and even Italians must have special
passes. No DEGREES had been posted
anywhere to that effect. No warnings
had been issued One is expected to
discover that he cannot visit town
by the process of visiting it and get
ting arrested. Our case was compli-
Gated by the arrival of the usual tele-
gram from Rimini. We again told our
mothers middle names and unconvinc-
ingly located the towns of our BIRTH
Then we were given typewriter orders
to get out at once.
But we began to say
Precisely what We were going to
protest about does not now occur to me-
Whatever il was, il didn't get very far.
The detectives all waved their hands
at US.
"Avanti." they said in chorus. AVIAN
ii pronto.''
The day squad of detectives was at
the station to see US off AS we left the
unfortunate officer who mad been in
command the night before was loudly
protesting to court-martial of de-
tectives that it is quite impossible for
any one to slip through his Gordon of
guards in the manner we alleged
We did, too we said, with our heads
out of the window. 1t helped soothe
our feelings on the way TO Milan. We
felt certain lack of appetite for that
officer.
Authorities in Confusion,
At Milan We wanted TO go to the
police station and present our permits
de sejour. These permissions to stay
in the country are issued at the first
city one enters, and one must ALWAYS
be ready to present them when called
on. according to the regulations. But
at Rome they declined to be bothered
by these permits. The police would no,
even litsen to us when We sought to
present them, in compliance with the
notices posted conspicuously in the
hotels. At Milan we discovered by ask.
ing that we might stay day without
offering the permits. In other cities
one can stay three days. In others |,
Ir,fx Hreyt fo