New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-08-01

old habitation after the worshippers
had gone-the old lady Of New Eng
land, who, with the late lingering spir--
itual pluck of the breed, starts TO travel
and improve her mind at sixty-the
tutelary genius Of Cooks.
Matter of Good Taste.
| did not discourage her by telling
her Just what she was going to run
against if she wandered far in Europe.
She had travelled only from New YORK
TO Bordeaux and from Bordeaux 10
Paris; and that is comparatively simple.
But might have spun her tale.
Colonel Roosevelt discouraged the
American tourist on the grounds OF
kindness and good taste; the govern
ment discourages him on the grounds
Of patriotism, since every American at
home is one American the fewer TO get
into trouble. could put up an
equally strong plea on the grounds OF
comfort and personal convenience.
Let us take for example an ordinary
TIP from London to Paris IN war
time. The neutral alien, upon arriv-
ing at London, has already registered
with the police, giving particulars OF
his age, residence, origin and business
III London. That does not usually m
volve visit to the police station, be-
cause the hotel attends to the matter
Tor him. Great Britain. with a shade
of her old easy tolerance in such mat
tiers, is not nearly as strict as Con-
tlnental nations However, an in
spector of police usually calls on nm
in his first week of residence to in
ouire politely but narrowly into his
intentions. Otherwise the alien is not
troubled until be prepares to leave
London.
If his papers are all in order so far,
he proceeds to the French Consulate,
or rather to a special consular office,
opened for the use Of travellers. by
necessity or design this Office is short
banded Perhaps the French are try
ing to reduce travel by making it hard.
The Office opens at 10 o'clock. If the
traveller reaches it by quarter TO ~,
say, he finds himself already late.
There is a line stretching for five or
six doors along the block. When the
doors open a polite but firm London
bobby lets in eight or ten of the crowd
and shuts the doors again. So he
works them along all morning. The
he gets inside the door before the
office closes for luncheon. If he is
shut outside when the doors close he
must resign himself to going without
p meal or TO coming again some other
day, for ii he falls out he goes back
20 the end of the line.
Like General Confession.
Arrived at last in the bureau of
passports, he treats with two func-
tionaries, enc a policeman, the other
a soldier, sent over from Paris to in
spect applicants for passports. The
ensuing ceremonies resemble general
confession. He must describe the bust
ness which takes him to Paris, must
show his credentials, must tell where
and why he has travelled since the
war began. The military official has
a large book, wherein are entered the
names and records of all known per-
sons who should not for any reason
travel to France. He looks that over
before at last he gives the word and
lets the applicant proceed to the next
process.
Here the average American aPpli-
cant who has travelled previously IN
the war zone strikes his first snag.
In peace times there were four main
French ports for travel from England.
In the order Of their proximity TO the
English coast they were Calais, Bou-
logne-sur- Mer, Dieppe and Havre.
Calais and Havre, the first an Anglo
Belgian supply base ard the second
an English base, were closed tight
against civilian travel last February.
As between Boulogne and Dieppe,
most sane travellers prefer the for
mer, since the Channel passage TO
BoulOgne takes only an hour and a
half, while that to Dieppe takes four
hours. One is not disposed to linger
on the Channel in these days of the
benevolent German blockade But it
is especially provided in the rules that
any one who has been in Belgium,
Germany and Holland since the war
began cannot enter via Boulogne.
which is also British base of
sorts. All such must go via Dieppe.
Now, some Of US have legitimate bust
ness in or near Boulogne. Take my
own case. ! had a pass and a COM
mission 70 visit and describe the base
hospitals in and about Boul5gne. But
| had been in all three Of the prohib-
tied countries in the first north Of
the war Questioned, | admitted it,.
One is fool TO lie to officials now
sdays. since there is a busy little Sc
cret service which has often the most
surprisingly accurate information
upon humble personages. So, after
running the gauntlet so far, | was
rejected. | had TO go to the French
Minister and get kind of special dis
pensation before they passed me 10
Boulogne.
Receives Three Papers.
Since then. by the way. there is a
new order which prohibits all persons
whatsoever bearing American passports
from entering France via Boulogne.
This disability and others Of the same
kind arise from the use of fraudulent
American passports by German sDies.
Early in the war an American passport
brought special privileges from all ma
tions. Now il is an object Of sus-
picion. Understand. | do not blame the
Europeans for this. Lody and Muller
were not the only spies who carried
our papers-most of the others are
probably still at large and busy.
Having satisfied the police, the appli-
cant receives three papers first. his
own passport, vised, then a French
passport. which bespeaks for him the
courtesies of the republic. and finally