New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-11-12

This Is TIP uihiSNN -. e.
ono has powerful lrle"us !"
man government.
She sneaks English fuently. Perhaps
sbe Ia working for Germany. Anyway
sb. ia very friendly, and very appre-
cistiye Of nv desire to help herman
hahies She is on her way TO Hamburg,
I ask 70 90 with her. IL she Is spy /
could be with no safer companion. IL
Is terrible 10 be so suspicious. mat Is
one of tho deadly features OF war
you trust no one.
As the train speeds on and we reach
the Danish frontier we see small en-
campments of soldiers. We are enter
ing Germany by way Of Warnemude'
When we reach the water front Ger
man boat Is waiting 10 carry US TO the
other side. II is a trip of about two
hours. As we cross this tiny piece OF
the Baltic Sea there are no signs OF
the German feet We probably are too
far from Kiel Bay.
The German territory on which we
land is seashore resort There IS
great stretch of beach dotted with sun
umbrellas and few people walking
aimlessly about. Somewhere band
plays family. 1t is very dreary. Like
a holiday resort on rainy day.
Ordeal at the Border
AS we land we are conducted into
long wooden building. The first great
ordeal is about to begin. | stick close
to my travelling companion. She is
given No. so and No. 81. My heart
goes like a triphammer. Suppose they
don't pass me. Ny companion is sum-
moned first, but moment later my
turn comes. | am shown int an inner
office. | find myself in the midst Of
little knot of soldiers. At desk is
an officer asking questions and taking
answers. | stammer and stutter; the
few words of German | know desert
me. | thrust out my papers desperate
ly. These have been translated into
German. Their contents are magical.
That money for suffering babies soft
ems German hearts. An officer who
speaks English addresses me.
"Where are you going" A.-To
Hamburg.
where do you expect to stay?" A.
i don't know; I'm travelling with
friend.
"What is your friends manner" At
last | am caught. l grow very red. l
realize | have never asked my COM
panion's name.
The German officers gaze at me stol-
idly, waiting an answer. Finally |
blurt out: 81 don't know her name,
J but she's No. 80"
Carefully they consult their list. IL
is as | guessed. No. 80 is eminently
satisfactory. With utmost courtesy my
passport is vised and my luggage
stamped and passed unopened. am
the first to leave the little building.
The only article that troubles the Eng
disappearing officer Is box Of Ameri-
can crackers.
You'd better conceal those or 1t may
cause jealousy that we let you keep
them. We have made an exception In
your case" There isn't an inch OF
room in my bag, 80 I reply: an throw
them away" and raise my hand TO do
so. "Oh, don't do thatl" The com
mand comes so quickly and earnestly
that in fash realize every speck OF
food in Germany is priced. So I board
the train with crackers, butter, dang
ling sausage and unopened baggage.
Il is nearly two hours before the
other passengers are released. To
travel in wartime requires patience.
Many of the women have flushed faces.
1t is evident thsir examination has not
been agreeable. No. 80 arrives shortly.
She, too, is flushed. She says she has
recently had an operation and wears
support. This surgical harness she was
Obliged 70 remove for inspection. Why
this is if, as I suspect, she is known to
the German government do not know.
Anyway, have been lucky. My papers
are good.
All this time the train has been
standing in a long, wooden railroad
shed. There has been nothing TO see.
AS we pull out my eyes sweep the
country. There are no trenches and
no body of soldiers. To the casual OBJ
server it looks as if the Danes could
walk straight into Germany.
As we speed through the country we
pass great stretches of fiat, barren, I'M
interesting pasture land. Here and
there are herds of cows. My companion
informs me we are passing through the
dairy district. Once my companion
grabs my arm excitedly to point to a
field of wheat white -FOUR. There is
a dining car on the train. IL has been
said that through trains furnish good
meals and so deceive travelling for
eigners as 70 internal conditions.
Poor Dinner on Train
This dinner is fourth rate, with a
fourth rate service-a total change
from the well run dining car of year
ago. There is soup, fish, a tiny slab
of meat, vegetables and pudding. The
quantity is small and the quality poor
and the preparation atrocious. The
latter defect is not the fault Of the
cook. II is due TO lack of fat, lack OF
sugar, lack Of seasoning. IL has all
been boiled and is tasteless. 1t re-
minds me of prison fare. The pudding
cannot be eaten. 1t Is gray mass and
tastes like bran 1t is without sweet
ening. A soldier manfully eating his
sees me in the act of swallowing my
first mouthful He grins a sardonic
grin. Ii is practically the only smile
! see In all Prussia.
In three hours we reach Hamburg.
II there had been carriage or taxi at
the station ii had gone when we
reached the entrance. We eventually
secure an aged porter TO carry our lug
gage TO the Reichshof Hotel across the
wav. The station is full Of soldiers,
pale faced, worried and silent. They
are lining up to take night trains for
the front.
AT the hotel my companion and | Sc
cure adjacent single rooms. IL is a
great relief to have her German tongue
at my service. ] don't open my mouth.
The Reichshof is perhaps second rate
or third rate hotel, but have per
fectly appointed room, with hot and
cold running water for 8 marks so
pfennigs a day (about 90 cents). Ger
man hotel men have resolutely kept
hotels open at great loss and have not
raised room rates.
Too Excited to Sleep
am too much excited to go to bed,
and suggest a walk. Through silent.
deserted streets my companion and |
make our way. We come to the great