The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-22
THE PRUSSIAN SIDEWALK.
An American Girls Experience oil
Curbstone Schrecklichkeit.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SuS-Sir: !
feel constrained to reply TO the astound-
ing letter addressed to got By william
hoffman and printed on August is. The
writer Indignantly denies the statements
made by the correspondent signing him
self "Ammi Wright" concerning the
rude treatment to which he and his
friends were subjected In GERMANY anu
he states -unequivocally that such ac-
cusatlons are wholly without foundation.
being In fact gross calunn.cs invented
for the sole purpose OF insulting ana
llbclllng the Sons of the Fatherland.
Judging from his name, ! infer that
William hoffman Is himself a native OF
Germany, consequently In common Win
his brethren he is imbucd with the
Deutschland ueber allies spirit TO the ex-
clusion of everything else. He fgoths az
the mouth at the mere idea OF anybody
daring to assert that the as
a nation are III hammered. o
writer he tierCely remarks, referring
to "Amni Wright says they left Ger-
many because they were tired OF being
elbowed off the sidewalk by superior
young men IN uniforms and upturn"d
mustaches. doubt that II
ever happened Did ANN, Wright
ever see Il? Did you ever see TT Does
he, or you, know OF any one who ever
saw II? ! doubt It,"
Permit me to say In reply that during
my own residence in Germany some
years ago ! not only saw the sort OF
thing frequently but have myself on
more than one occasion been the object
of the distinguished consideration melted
out to the foreign passers-by by the
German officers. / WAS AT that time a
young girl and In the habit OF taking a
daily walk down the Prayer strasse, the
principal street of Dresden, and II was
no uncommon occurrence TO be ap-
preached from behind by an officer. or
a group OF officers. roughly seized By
the shoulders and calmly deposited In
the gutter, that the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS."
might have more plc or the rather
CONSTRUCTED s.dcw ak for their personal
convenience. Conversation vac never
Interrupted as they dashed VIGOROUSLY
along the t~horOughfar". / or my giri
companion were casually thrust aside
as might have been any other object that
impeded their progress and r~e,cGated
TO the middle OF the street or the gut
ter, without SO much as a hastily NUT
tered "cHtsohuld!gen."
ON one oCNHsioU | reCo,lcCt II was
even worse. a gay band OF blue UNI
formed Ch,ans came dash nC and Clank-
ing down the street behind ", and as
they drew near one Of them, eSpy!ng
my two long bra!ds OF hair. whipped
out a pair Of scissors and before ! could
say Jack Robinson" shipped off the
ends Of my pigtails. with their attached
bow Of blue ribbon. and consigned them
TO his pocket, marching on to the accom-
pan.mtnt Of a hilarious ou,burst from
his companions, who. IN common with
himself. evidently regarded this act Of
brutality as a bit OF exquisite humor.
| went home that day In tears, and ever
ACte-wagd in my walks abroad when |
happened to hear officers approaching
In the rear | hurriedly took the iult.a-
tive OF stepping off the sidewalk into the
gutter beforehand. infinitely preierring
10 20 there OF my own free will and ac-
cord rather thar be ANONYMOUSLY
landed In the mud by a superior force.
Mr.. hoffman will kindly observe that
I am writing this over my own sig
nature and not whHt he is pleased to
call a 'cowardly non de pune |
am not therefore to lee claSsed with
those whom Dr. johnson hated. Will
merely add that during my residence in
Germany ! gradually came TO regard
bad me and uncoutA behavior gen
orally a. something one has to expect
and endure without either establishment
ur resentment. simple PHRASES OF the
national temperament that does not con-
Germ itsnlt with the rights and privileges
Of others. and ignores the ordinary
courtesieS of Ne which ia civilized COM
muu,ties are supposed 20 prevail
Murquise CLARA l.ANzA.
WAsHl%GToN. - G., August %,