The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-12-04
Karl Schulze.


Ellis Island as likely to become a
public charge. Mr.. Post reversed the
ruling when two persons who heard
of Schulze's predicament offered him
work.
New York, Dec. A mental and
physical wreck because of fear that
his deportation from America means
death, Karl Schulze, a deserter from
the German army, at Ellis Island,
waiting to ne sent back as an uude-
SRA ble ito Europe, has finally been
allowed to enter the United States.
1.-THE story of his escape from his
regiment-the king of SaXony's light
infantry-the help given by a French
girl with whom he was in love and
the risks he ran in getting from the
interior of Belgium to Rotterdam,
reads like a drama Of the movies"
He deserted with 10 other men
because, he said, there was not
enough food to go around and that
the men were starving
.. Here is his story as he told it to a
reporter on the deck of the NoorI-
erdyk, to which he was brought under
guard from the ships brig.
TT seems l have escaped from
death in the trenches or starvation,
only to be taken back and shot as a
criminal Had L known of the United
States immigration laws and regula-
lions tat surround stowaways, L
never would have endured the hard
ships did to desert the army.
Il know there is nothing meaner
or more contemplate than desertiOn.
But / could stand it no longer Our
regiment was in ignominy because
every battle in which it had engaged
had been lost Our comma nding Off
Ger had been denoted and sent back
and the king of Saxony's light in
fantry was covered with shame
81 was a private and had been with
the regiment for two years before
war broke out. We We're at the siege
and capture of Liege, the first vic
tory to the German colors. From
then on we never won anything.
After three days battle we
were repulsed, but were told that we
were nearing Paris. This went on
for weeks We lost count of time,
and one day at the approach of what
proved to be a serious defeat for our
arms, we were told that Paris was
CTly a few miles distant. The signs
identifying the towns were torn down
and we were kept in ignorance of orr
c&sct locality.
ave waited there for weeks Half
rations was the order of the day AMI
there v as no food, and the men wore
on the verge of rebellion. Only the
thought we would soon be in Paris
kept the regiment together.
Half of the regiment agreed to
desert 1 know of 10 men who got
TO Holland, as 1 did. My escape was
due to the love OF a Belgi3n-French
girl whom 1 had met when we first
enteSeo the town. She aided by lend
ing me beI clothes, and as laundry
girl managed to make my way
from the fighting line to the Dutch
frontier.
.-Seven times I was held up and
subjected to the ribaldries of Ger
man soldiers. Fortunately they did
not penetrate my disguise and after
three months of hardships I man
aged to reach Rotterdam. There I
had friends and they gave me clothes
and money and helped me to steal
aboard the Noorderdyk while she
was coannS-
II lay in the coal bunkers for two
DAYS A party from a British cruiser
boarded US in the Downs. but they
did not find me- When l felt that all
danger was past l went on deck and
gave myself up. Since then 1 have
been given odd jobs to do in exchange
for the food I have eaten. The ships
Officers and crew have treated me
WE'LL