Evening star., 1915-06-04
SEARCH ALL EUROPE
SEEK|NGD.C, WOMAN
American ConsuIs Unable to
Locate Wife of Nathan
FaSSman.
GOES TO SISTERS WEDDING
IN AUSTRIA; DISAPPEARS
Work of Bureau and Its Agents
Abroad of Great Value and
Efficiency.

Mysterious and untraceable disappear
ance of Washington woman IN the
vortex of the war Of eleven nations in
Europe and the daily visits of her hus-
band to the State Department. hoping
against hope that he nay learn some
thing OF her whereabouts and present
condition, is one of the pathetic cases
under the observation cf the consular
bureau.
The entire war area of Europe has
been searched by agents of the United
States government in vain for some
trace of Mrs. Nathan Fassman, whose
husband is dealer here in mechanical
toys.
Mrs. Fassman went to Krczwcyze,
Austria, last May to attend the wedding
of her sister. She was preparing to re-
turn to this country when the war
broke out. Fassman thought. of course.
that she would at least be able to come
with the other Americans who We're
caught there in the early days OF the
war and who were being looked after
by this government She did not return,
however. and all efforts to trace her
have failed.
The town of krczwcyze is on the bor-
der line separating Austria and Russia,
due west of kamoniski-Bodolsk, Rus
Sia.
Fassman's brother left Brazil in the
early days of the war to go to Ger
many to enter the military service
and Fassman fears that the RUSSIAN
secret service may have become cogni-
zant of the fact and has in some way
induced his wife to cross the border
into Russia and are holding her until
the war is over.
He believes she is alive, but her dis
"
iety he regards as more terrible In many
ways than il he knew she had dled ana
been accounted for.
Consular Value.
Many problems presented by the war
have strikingly illustrated the wonder
full value and efficiency OF the United
States consular service and the con-
sular bureau, by reason of the fact
that it has it's consular Offices in every
nook and corner of Europe and has
been able fortunately to render ines
timable service to the people OF TINS
country.
tudinous duties thrust upon 1t by cit
iZens of this country. but by reason OF
the State Department representing 1ne
allied nations in Germany and repre-
senting Germany in the allied countries
il also has the troubles of other ma
tions to bear. The clerks In the con-
sular bureau are working until later
hour in the evening and there is also
a night force, so that the office Is never
closed.
The cases with which the consular
bureau has to deal. however. are not
all sad There is the episode OF the
English officers at Baden. These Of
flcers, lords. dukes and earls. retired
army officers, had been in the habit of
wfntering at Baden and there having
their gout, their liver troubles and
their other ills looked after by the Ger
man physicians and at the Same time
being benefited by the waters. Along
came the war. All other Eng1fshmen
fed at once from the wrath to come.
Not so the old veterans. They we're
rolled around in their chairs and sat
about as usual. recounting their ex-
four corners Of the world as though
such a thing as war were far remote
from their lives.
Suddenly 1t dawned upon the German
army officers thereabouts that these
old fellows were actually going to con-
tinue along as though Germany were
in loving accord with Albion. There
appeared at Baden a German officer
and placed the old boys under arrest
1t was a beastly shame. they said.
Of thing was not new IN their line
Call war ZINE.
Why" they said. this is pihie. We
couldn't be enemies of Germany in any
active way We are just here taking
our usual turn at dear old Baden and
we don't care a rap about the bally
old war"
But the German officials only saw in
them English army officers. and their
temperature reached fever heat at the
very sight of them.
A cavalier attitude on the part OF the
English officers finally gave way to in
dignation, and the upshot of 1t was
they were all lodged in a fortress near
Berlin as prisoners. They let out a
roar and wrote home letters that
stirred Burke's peerage into action and
the State Department was besieged
with pleas for action.
Ambassador Gerard was asked to get
action in the interest of the English
government. To the great surprise of
the English government itself the old
veterans were released. thus quite un-
consciously refuting the charge that
the Germans had no tenderness in them.
Sometimes the consular bureau runs
into naive diplomatic questions. Some
time ago the German ambassador re-
quested the State Department to Sc
cure the release of German citizen