The bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-10-13
Correspondent Tells How Ne Was
Searched When About to
Leave Country.
MINUTE EXAMINATION
Every Article Of Clothing Gets Close
Scrutiny and Ordeal is Quite
.e. Illuminating for Women r.
Of Tender Senses. ~ .sr
FRANZ HUGO kREss, in New York
Times

trying. aud rs the war continues is
gradually becoming more rigid.
A friend Of mine. who had come into
GezTnany~a few days before told me
that on reaching Warnemuende tickets
were given out, and that passengers
were examined In the >order of the
number on the ticket; so arranged
matters with the conductor Of the train
from Berlin. He told me where to
stand just before we reached Warne-
muendc, pointed out to me. when we
arrived. the man who gave out the
tickets-and received No. l.
Entering a building right by the
train, ! was told to so through a long
room, and was halted at the door Of
another room and asked to produce my
passport. After ii had been carefully
scrutiniZed was passed into another
room. There found porter with my
grips and hatbOx, and / was asked to
identify my trunk. All my luggage
was then placed on a wooden bench.
and an officer and suboflicer came over
to take charge Of the examination.
Search Was Thorough.
never pack MY trunk; it had been
packed by the chambermaid at the
Hotel Bristol, on Inter den Linden.
and when left Warnemuende its up-
pearance beggared description. All my
handkerchiefs. collars, shirts, drawers
and socks were examined. one by one.
to. sec whether any concealed papers
could be located or whether anything
was written on or sewed into them.
Handkerchiefs were entirely unfolded.
shirts, drawers and socks were turned
inside out, and always there was q
careful and persistent search. Every
crease was examined. My soap was
cut in pieces and a stick of camphor
ice that had been cut In two places
when came into Germany Was cut
In another place. First the grips were
examined. and then the hatbox; then.
tray by tray, everything In the trunk
was gone over. my boots and slippers
were. examined with great care, and,
fortunately, had no boots that had
been recently resolcd or reheeled: 9TH
crwise they might have been ripped
aparts This. was told. is frequently
done.
Coming into Germany the examining
officer had torn out the stand in my
hatbox, on which the hat rested. l
bad this fixed 1h Berlin, but might
better have waited until I returned to
New York. because, as it was impos-
sible for him to get his hands between
the stand on which the hat rested and
the side Of the box, the examiner SIM
ply tore the stand out. The band of
my silk hat was pushed up, to see
whether anything was concealed I'M
derneath. and the cushion for brush
ing the hat was ripped open.
Suspect Paris Hat.
My evening hat was opened. Al
Though, it was bought In the United
States, it seems that it had been made
in Paris,1 und, as that fact was stamped
inside, I"had d feeling Tint it did not
lessen the care with which It was ex-
:amined. In the bottom Of my trunk
there were about a dozen summer
shirts; ] had not worn them since the
previous summer, and each had q piece
Of cardboard placed in it when laun-
ydered in order to hold the shirt in
shape. The cardboard was taken out
of each shirt and laid aside.
This completed the examination Of
my luggage, and was then told to 20
with another :subof1icer and submit to
a personal examination. I was directed
to- go into compartment and was
told to take off all my clothing except
my undershirt. TWAS also told to take
everything out Of my pockets and put
it on a shelf. BanknOtes were unfold
ed, one by one, to see that there was
no tissue between; my matchsafe was
opened, SO was, a small metal ease
that carry my subway tickets .in.s The
outer and inner cases of my watch
were opened. The pockets Of my top
coat, coat, waistcoat and trousers were
turned inside out. and fingers passed
over every seam. My boots and socks,
drawers and shirt received the. same
careful attention previously accorded
those in my trunk. The band around
the hat i wore was. pushed up and tho
sweatband was turned down.
Next was handed a paper to sign,
stating that everything had been re-
turned to me, and was told that my
examination was. over. A. &tt
The examination of suspected wom-
en- is, of course, conducted by woman
inspectors, and was told that cipher
dispatches written on oil paper hive
sometimes been discovered, and that
tile examination is rigid in the ex-
treme. In fnct, American women who
consider going to Germany before the
end Of the war must make up their
minds in advance that they may pos
sibly be subjected to an examination
that to many would be humiliating.
Cupid Wins Again. I'll
Bloomingdale, N. C.--Mrs. John
Cooper's thrilling chase In an endeavor
to stop her clipping daughter, Rose.
ended when her automobile skidded
ana tossed her into a graveyard. She
WINS nnlurt. but her daughter was mar,
ried. 5IsS
5Hs Feeds Town With Fish.
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