Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-09-10
Collecting Tourist Loans.
By Frederic J. Haskin.

| When the European war broke out
| the unusual conditions that were de-
veloped placed many American citizens
who were travelling abroad in positions
of financial embarrassment. It was
| necessary that those citizens be brought
home, for their presence in war zones
| offered all sorts of complications. So
Uncle Sam loaned them the money.
Now he is asking for its return. In
fact, he has been asking somewhat
urgently for a good while He has six
extra clerks officiating as collectors Of
the tourist fund, jogging delinquents.
giving receipts for sums paid. While
! the old gentleman is inclined to be
lenient with his nieces and nephews
| under the present circumstances, while
he is philosophical and an optimist, in
sisting upon a belief that the general
public is honest. the facts in this case
are worrying him a bit. for not half
the loans have been returned, and col
lections are slowing up all the time.
The government acted with great
promptness in aid of it's citizens a year
ago. AS soon as the need was known
~he United States treasurer was au-
thorized by act of Congress to provide
| 81 100000 to meet it. He was also au-
thoriZed to serve as agent for private
| individuals who wanted to deposit
| money upon which friends or relatives
| more than 5000 such deposits, aggre-
| eating 1888, 900, and the State De-
partment was cabling abroad informa-
| ton as to whom 1t should be paid
| Not all this money was called for.
Up to the LIST of August about 81 100000
of the fund.- received from private in
| dividuals had been paid to those for
whom they were deposited. A part OF
the balance had been returned to the
depositors because the persons for
whom 1t was intended either had left
the country before its arrival or could
not be located. A considerable sum is
yet to be accounted for by the different
foreign Offices through which it passed
but further reports are coming in
daily, so it is expected that each trans
action soon will be closed up.
This money was distributed under
the direction of the Department OF
State, chiefly through
| Method of the American ambas-
| sador in London and
oAseAAoutAoA' the different consul
lar offices in the various cities of Eu-
rope. With each deposit made was
given a infinitely detailed description
of the person for whom 1t was intend
ed, that Identification might be easy
For instance, Matilda Stout. a buyer
sent by a Chicago firm to Vienna to
purchase a certain kind of feather mil
lnery. was described by her employ
ers as "a tall and attractive blond
speaking with slight lisp" Another
Matilda Stout was found to be short
brunette who also possessed the lisp.
The Two Matthias did not get mixed
up in the transfer of funds, as did
many other individuals having the
| same name. A young music student
from New York state was paid 4,O0I
lGerman marks in Berlin, while another
man of the same name was paid $50 in
London instead of the 81 900 he was
]expecting When the music studen,
reached home he wrote to the United
States treasurer, telling him that he
received an equivalent in German mon.
ey of ten times the modest sum his
parents had been able to send him He
desired to know why such philanthrop,
had been extended to him. When the
mistake was explained he promptly re.
funded the 1000 marks, which hat
been kept intact
Another man, who received from the
American ambassador in London LOO
intended for some one else, made ne
EFFORT to trace its source, but spent Il
freely. When the mistake was dis
covered It took some months to locat.
him in this country, but he has beer
| brought to account. and Is now repay