Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-07-16
sRRoFEssoR DEvRIEs, OF STATE
& COLLEGE, HAS THRILLING
y EXPERIENCE.
HELD CAPTIVE IN
4 EDINBURGH cAsELE
Educator Tells Of Experience With
!. British Officials Who Compelled Him
to Return-Ameriean Consul Comes
to Aid of countryman-Entire Trip
! Full Of Peril.

assistant professor o. uAo1SAn A1A
guages at Iowa State College. has just
arrived home with q red-hot war story
which has set Ames tongues agoins
with wonder. It Is just tale or now
the rights Of citizen Of a neutral
country were roughly thrown aside
when they crossed the wishes OF a ma
.tion at war-a tale common enough
perhaps on the other side Of the wa
ter, but Which seems strange enough
to American ears.
For several years Professor De
vries has cherished plan of finish
ing his studies necessary Tor doc
4 tors degree; to do this he would nave
to go to Griefswald university in Ger
many.
Escaped British Cruiser.
The opportunity came at last anu
in May last he set out for that place.
DESTROYS of nothing but the chance to
be allowed to carry on his work IN
peace, tho it was to be in war-strick-
en- land. He sailed from New York on
the. Danish-American liner Frederick
VIII, the owners Of which had guar
anteed to carry their passengers at
least $50 miles from the zone OF sub
marine warfare.
The Frederick VIII eluded one pur-
suing British cruiser by sheer speed,
only to fall into the hands Of another
the next day While OH tine north coast
Of Scotland. A prize crew was sent
aboard to take possession OF the Fred
erick VIII, and also to take away any
enemies of England which may chance
IN be on board. All this was done
while the vessel was flying the nag OF
Denmark nation without part III
the war but that of the innocent by
stander.
Saw Many Captured Boats.
The luckless Danish steamer was
sent to Kirkwau, in the Orkneys. here
were a number Of other neutral ves-
sells held up on some pretext or other.
In one day while in Kirkwall Professor
De Vries counted fifteen vessels flying
the flags Of Scandinavian nations
brought in for disposal by the prize
courts. The naval authorities at klrK-
wall examined the crew Of the treoer-
lex VIII and took of one man VINO
admitted that he was q German re-
servist The male passengers were
then examined in the same manner
The authoritis became suspicious Wneh
= they learned that Professor De Vrles
intended to go to Germany which MS
passport allowed him to do, and theii
suspicious were aroused still more
Professor De Vries AYERS. when they
learned that he had been born in Ger
many. tho he had come to America at
the age of and had become an Amer
lean citizen thru the naturalization OF
his father.
Passport Of No Avail.
.1 was taken off the vessel on May
49," said Professor De Vries today. Il
was detained by the naval authorities
TIL Nav 81 at Kirkwall The fact that
7 had q passport from the government
of the United States was no proof to
them that was an American citizen,
because could show no naturalization
papers. I am son Of naturalized par
ents and according to American law
that makes me citizen Of this coun-
try. They paid no attention to the let
ters that I had from Governor Clarke
and President Pearson OF the college
showing that 1 was going to Germany
for the purpose Of studying for doc
tors degree They decided that as
long as was going to Germany that
II must be to enter the Germany army.
Makes Perilous Trip.
son May 81 I was taken from Kirk
wall and sent to Strongness on
hoar. this was the first dangerous
trim that 7 had taken, for while had
been thru the submarine zone before
II was on a Danish vessel; now l. was
on an English vessel 100 times more
subject to attack, and on board all un-
willingly too. From Strongness Wen'
nv rail to Edinburgh where the nava
authorities turned me over to the mill
tarv authorities. who locked me up In
Edinburgh castle where they have con-
fined political prisoners for hundreds
of years past. Here 1 found the Ger
man reservist who had been taker
from the Frederik VIII at Kirkwall
After I had been questioned by the
commandment in just about the sans
manner that the naval authorities had
he sent me back to solitary conf1ne-
ment his last words to me were tha
he guessed that 1t would be to thu
camps for me, meaning Of course, thu
detention camp for prisoners Of war
Then he inquired If I had good sun
of money with me, and when I assured
him that ] had, he added that there
might be hope.
Consul Comes to Aid.
1.-THE American consul, Rufus Elem
ing, had heard about me in the mean
time, and came with the command
ant to see me, but he was unable t
release me from the castle. I wa
lust settling down to night in prison
when Mr. Fleming and the command
ant came again, this time to TAX
me to hotel. where I was unde
charge Of Mr.. Fleming. learned tina
IL was thru the influence Of Mrs. F1em
ing that was released; she had toll
her husband that she couldn't sleel
while an American lay in the castl
with nothing but a stone floor to IL
upon.
In the morning the consul sen
me back to the commandant accord
ing to his promise: that person sen
me back to the consul, who was final,
instructed by the British authorize
20 take away my passports becaus
i they gave me the right to enter Ger
many. In their place they gave me
certificate that was an American citi
zen, but to obtain this I had to prom
Use thatfI would return to America I'm
mediately and not try to go to German
before the war is over.
In Hands Of Police.
MY troubles with the naval IN
military authorities were over, bu
there were still the police. They 90
me Immediately, and had to go thr
the whole performance Of being ex
amined again; as told them my pas