Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1916-12-12
WILEY DESCRIBES COMMANDMENT OF
BUCHAREST BY ENEMY AIR CRAFT
Reign of Terror Follows Declaration of War; People
Maddened by Fright as Bombs Scatter Death Among
Them Reported Dead by Newspapers on Way Over

IuTLHeT mlSAdp ana stayed lneTe unLl
October IL. We came homo by way o.
Russia and Sweden and sailed from
Gutenberg, Sweden! On board was
the American Olympic athletic team
which participated in the Olympic
games at Stockholm and incidentally
took every event. bringing back 1876
cups. trophies of their prowess.
| We were forty-five days travelling q
distance that in normal times takes
about eleven. Searching at all from.
tiers is severe and often causes TWEEN.
ty-four hours delay. 1t is almost an
impossibility to secure accommodation
in Russian hotels and the trains carry
only one sleeping car with a capacity
for about twenty-four people and 500
applicants for the same. We slept one
night In hotel and two In train.
Each town you stop in for twenty-four
hours calls for visit to the police to
have your passport stamped.
Failure to have this stamp means
being sent back where you came from
to obtain it. No one is allowed to
leave Russia with over 500 roubles
about $3.50. Any surplus is taken, a
receipt given and draft sent to you
at your destination when 1t is conven.
lent for them to do so)
Think Little OF Americans.
Perhaps itamay be of interest to my
readers to learn how Americans and
our country are looked on abroad.
Suspicion firstly and contempt and
hatred in some places. In Germany
they are not even allowed to travel
through. To> provincial Americans,
the, Judgment of>warring nations may
be matter of indifference but the
more thoughtful citizens cannot ignore
the portentous possibilities involved in
this changed attitude. No one who
has travelled in Europe during this
world crisis can question the fact that
the United States no longer enjoys the
respect and goodwill of the world as
heretofore. An American citizen
abroad has not as much prestige as
the meanest citizen of the smallest
South American republic.
Those who affect indifference to this
matter may well be reminded that the
very preamble of the declaration of
imposed upon this ma.
tion as nation, moral Responsible. |
ties and practical obligations and a |
decent respect for mankind. It would |
serve no useful purpose at this time |
TO analyze this attitude of the different |
groups of nations. 1t is enough to say
that one group has for this country a /,
deep feeling of resentment and hate
While the other passive contempt
Another group, the neutral nations,
1ave sense of bitter disillusion and
disappointment in the feeling that
hey looked to this country, the great
.st OF neutral powers for leadership in
he interest of neutrals and looked in
'ain. / have often previous to the cleo.
ion criticized our foreign policy but
since the American people have nut l.
heir stamp Of approval upon the last
our years, we must accept and abide |,
~ their decision.
But the American people cannot be
warned too long or too often that when
his war is over and belligerent ma.
ions are bleeding to exhaustion and
america is rich and prosperous and
Ter territory free from the devasta.
Ion Of war, that the powers abroad are
lot likely to look upon us with a
riendly eye.
Willingly or unwillingly. we have
rown fat at the expense Of the war
ing powers. We have raised hatred
nd jealousy that it will be well not to {
ntagonize. 1t may be well to keep in !
lind that in the future nations will
OF stand alone but act in groups. On
Y our country will stand alone. can.
OF advocate too strongly the subject
preparedness. | sincerely believe
nat some day We will be called on to .
efend this nation. The man who, be- +
ewes that this will be the last war is
n incurable optimist. In my opinion
is only the beginning of series of s
tanic struggles In which We will NOT b
e allowed to remain a passive spec
ltor. We will be forced to meet the
est trained and equipped armies of
lie world. I
Let lis not be caught as We are now '
ut when the time comes be ready to Il
eet any nation man for man and
Tell for shell.
William Wiley.