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

discover. IL only repeats in other
terms the language of the native pass
port and the French passport. ii does
however. add an "avis important 10
tho effect that "tho fact of having rem
dered himself in any other locality
than that indicated hereabove exposes
tn bearer TO some measures OF rigor'
Finally, another set of clerks stamps.
dates and vises all these papers. Inc
applicant is instructed that he must
use the privilege within three days.
II ANYTHING happens TO delay his trip
he must return and 20 through the
mill again. Finally. he pays 10 shll-
lings to the cashier and retires TO re-
fresh himself after a hard DAYS work
By the way. this is not all Tor inc
British subject. lie must 90 through
similar mill at the Home Once. The
American. however. must visit the
French Consulate for new vises be-
fore every trip he takes to the CONT
nent. have made the trip three times
since February; and after this and
similar experiences il seems to me That
much of my six months IN Europe |
spent standing in line.
As TO Baggage Inspection.
The process of baggage search has
been altered somewhat of late. | hear;
but | will describe il as things went
when last | travelled from England TO
France. One was warned to present
himself and baggage at the victoria
Station at least an hour before tram
time. Having shown American pass
port, French passport nd annex at
the gate. the voyager passed on TO lit
tie bare loom. where he found himself
alone with an inspector. OF this room
opened another, where woman IN
spector waited to search the suspects
Of her own sex. Myself, ! always went
through this inspection without much
trouble. | merely had TO show all the
papers in my possession and TO give
my word that | had no more. To carry
any written communication between
France and England is now an offence
punishable by fine and imprisonment.
An exception is made OF credent. ais
letters Of introduction and the Ike.
Persons under suspicion for any rea-
son, and especially foreigners with
Notwithstanding accent, were often
searched infinitely as TO both clothes
and baggage.
After which the traveller gets into
his compartment of an English traln
as perfectly appointed and smooth
running as of old years. and travels
for two hours through the incredibly
green and gracious south country Oh
England until he reaches Folkestone.
Several ports used to send forth
passenger boats TO the Continent be-
fore the war, notably Dover, from
which one made the famous Calais
Dover ffty-minute passage. Dover and
the other southern ports were closed at
the beginning of the war. and for con-
venience of the inspectors all passen-
ger traffic starts at Folkestone.
Yankee Accent Uncorked.
Before reaching Dover the passenger
has filled out a Decentralization card CIV
ing particulars about himself. AT the
pier the passengers, whether for
Dieppe, Boul)gne or Holland, are lined
up and passed slowly down row OF
jnspectors. who often ask most search
ing questions. especially about papers.
Among the officials are some Scotland
Yard detectives, who give the crowd a
final overlook for spies, secret agents,
traders in contraband and trattckers
with the enemy Twice | have seen
men tanned on the shoulder at Folke-
stone and led into another room. The
first time | passed they looked at re
narrowly. for / am blond. inclined to
flesh ard wear spectacles; wherefore l
have more than once been taken IN
these times for a German. But when
uncorked my native Yankee accent the
inspectors lost interest. The pass
ports, French passports and "annexes
are inspected to see ii all is in order;
a government clerk stamps upon them
the permission to disembark, and the
passenger proceeds to his boat Usu-
ally one must stand in line at Folke-
stone for about an hour.
Then comes the adventure of crossin,
the Channel. The greater and more
luxurious passenger boats were long
ago taken of and sent where heaven
and the army transport service onl y
know. The crossing is made in little
and very fast boats. As there are only
two of these each day-one to Boulogne
and one to Dieppe-and as they must
carry, besides a good many soldiers OF
one kind or another, all the civilian
traffic between the two nations, they
are usually overcrowded. A luncheon,
plain but substantial and very good, is
served in the dining saloon. However,
on busy and calm days not half the
hungry passengers can be served.
have seen one of these boat7 so crowd
ed that only the women could find
seats, whether on deck or in the cab
ms. The rest of US stood packed on
the decks. Had we been torpedoed we
should have gone down in one strug-
Cling mass like a full net of fish. Ii
is thought that the speed of these
boats. their quick answer to the helm
and their smallness render them nearly
immune TO torpedo attack. Also, there
are other precautions. which ! shall
not describe, lest / put in peril of as
sassination those who follow after. No
passenger boat has yet been torpedoed
in the Channel-here ! knock wood.
On board, you fill out another card
for the information of the French au-
thorities. In Boulogne or Dieppe you
run the gantlet Of the inspectors
again. Again the passports are stamped
with permission TO land, and you pro-
coed to the customs and to the train.
From there on your troubles are over.
Last autumn, when the Allies were
plugging the gap between Lille and the
coast. when the Belgians were fight
ing for the last slice of their terri
tory on the User and the British for
their empire at Ypres, train service
between the coast and Paris was
irregular and jerky. Ports were closed
or opened without warning, trains
might arrive on time or they might lie
at a siding all night to let troop
train pass. Dining cars were only
memories; food was not always TO be
had even at the port and never along
the line. He who had not foreseen this
went hungry.
However. the French people, who
have adapted themselves so wonder
fully to the state of war, have straight