New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-05-23
By SVEN HEDIN.
BN = Nv IIIsDI+'s
From with IN. German Armies In the West.

TFrom with the German Armies In the west
published b, the John Ian. Company. N.s YORK;
We walked up the Rue du Cert. Al
the corne. of this street and the Dlgue
de Mer. the road fronting the sea,
stands the Hotel Littoral The former
street lies a few metres lower than the
I igue de Mer, which is perched on the
dune skirting the sea. The streets are
paved with granite slabs. Inc last
bit of the Rue du Cert forms sllBht
rise. Up at the corner OF the Hotel
Littoral q group of officers were stand
ing in animated conversation, point
ing to the west and buslly using their
glasses We went up 20 them wonder
ing what was up. The British squad
ron lay in its accustomed place 10
westward and west-south- ives tward,
perhaps a little closer IN than usual
about seven or eight kilometres away.
DESTROYER had Just detached itself
from the rest and was making full
speed for Ostend, parallel with the
coast. as close as possible TO the shore.
Presently another destroyer appeared,
follovinp in the wake OF the hrst.
What could they want, those humans
Strong language was heard 1t was
niece of consummate impudence TO
come steaming right under our noses
like this. Evidently they were recon
NOTHING bat what lnsolence; tney
must have known that we had occupied
Ostendl Aha they suspect that there
are submarines and destroyers IN the
inner harbor, and they want to see
whether they can detect anything from
outside.
Bold Destroyers Outside.
We'll. whatever their intentions are,
we NAV as we'll go upstairs and get
ready for dinner. | stepped on TO my
balcony. feeling convinced that by this
time the destroyers would have turned
back or gone out TO sea again. buU
MOI They kept on the same tack as
before. and at speed which made the
foam break over their bows. My
neighbors. Bess, Haak and Kubler,
were also out on their balconies with
their glasses. Astounding lnsolence,
heard them mutter. There Will be
something doing presently, ! thought
TO myself. and went in 70 stow away
nv diaries. sketches and photographs
in a handbag. Once more | cast =
/ glance at the pold destroyers outside.
Beneath my balcony | heard an oHicer
shouting out orders IN stentorlAh
voice 10 the effect that the street was
TO be cleared and that not man must
/ show himself on the front, except the
sentry at the Littorsl, but moment
later, he, too, was called IN lor
Decking. ,,I
Ny friends had disappeared; ! looked
into their rooms, they were empty;
Then | took my glasses and hurried
downstairs. Captain Lieutenant bess
had warned his colleagues against re-
naming on the balconies and ne
/ thought that | had gone down already:
! In the elegant, csrpeted vestiou!e OF
the hotel, where sofas, tables ana
/ chairs stood in little groups between
the huge green plants, officers hurried
10 and fro, and il was plain that some
/ thing unusual vas pending. Are they
going TO shoot" | asked Bess. On
/ yes, they are going TO shoot all right
! ne answered with stoical calm.
Swiftness and Precision Astounding
Through the glass doors OF the vestl-
bule | could see clearly what was go
ing on at the end of the Rue du Ceri;;
Admiral Won Schroeder was IN commahd
and | caught sight OF Captain Iagert
and his men Of the naval brigade hur,
rying 10 bring up the two 6-cm. naval
J guns and their ammunition carts
which we had seen a moment ago al
/ the theatre there was no other aruI-
/ lery available in the town for the mo-
ment The street had been cleared OF
| civilians, and there were no military