Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-01-16
RAMIFICATIONS OF WAR FOUND
FAR-REACEIING TO TRAVELLERS
Journey From Paris to Salonih Beset With
Many Difficulties Contrasting Pic
ture of Italy in Europe's Conflict.

in camp. The fam1lleS some Drought
with them are in great need. They are
not used to living on > cents day. An
Italian told me the heaviest drain upon
the war relief funds came from the
stranded in their own country. He
also told me his chief duty was to meet
| them on their arrival.
But haven't they money when they
arrive from America" / asked.
That's it, he said. naively. I'm
at the wharf to keep their countrymen
! from robbing them of it,
| At present in Europe you cannot take
AS a result. gold is less valuable than
paper. and when l exchanged my dou-
BILE eagles for paper. l lost. But !
did not really lose. for I had turned
beautiful certificate. Suitable for
framing" which testif1es that unselfsh-
! ly and periodically, as true of
France. instead of boarding my gold,
surrendered it to the republic.
And would l accept and perpetuate
that erroneous and undeserved tribute
by framing it" j. would.
On the advice of the wiSeSt young
banker in France | changed. again at
a loss. the French paper into Bank of
England notes. But when I arrived
in Saloniki ! found that with the
Greeks English bank notes We're about
as popular as English troops, and that
had l changed my American gold into
would have been passing rich. That
is what comes of associating with
bankers.
Get 1t Going and Coming.
At the Italian frontier a French gem
tleman had come to the door of the
compartment raised his hat to the in
mates. and asked if We had any gold.
Forewarned. we had not; and taking
our word for il, he again raised his
hat and disappeared. But on leaving
Naples it was not like that. In these
piping times of war your baggage is
examined when you depart as we'll as
when you arrive You get it coming
and going. But the Greek steamer
was to weigh anchor at noon. and at
noon all the port officials were at de-
jeuner. so. sooner than wait week for
another boat. the passengers went on
board and carried their bags with
them 1t was objectionable. 1t was
an affront the port officials could not
brook. They had been disrega rded.
Their dignity had been fiouted. What
was worse. they had not been tipped.
Into the dining saloon of the Greek
steamer. where we were at lunch. they
burst like Barbary pirates. They
shrieked. they yellel Nobody knew
who they were or what they wanted.
Nor did they enlighten u.s. They only
swords and spoiled our lunch. Why
we were abused. or of what we were
accused. We could not determine We
vaguely recognized our names and
stood up, and while they continued to
beat upon the tables. Greek steward
explained they wanted our gold l!
showed them my bank notes and was
allowed to return to my garlic and
veal But the English cigarette king
who each week sends some millions of
cigarettes to the Tommies in the
trenches, proposed to make test case
of it.
Il have on me-" he whispered. -four
English sovereigns. ] am not taking
them out of Italy, because. until they
crossed the border in my pocket. they
were not in Italy. and as / am now
leaving Italy. one might say they have
never been in Italy. It's as though
they were in bond. l am British sub
ject. and this is not Italian, but Brit
ish gold. l shall refuse to surrender
my four sovereigns. ! will make it
test case"
Wanted to Make a Test Case.
The untipped port officials were still
jangling their swords, so I advised the
cigarette king to turn in his gold.
Even Greek steamer is better than an
Italian Jail.
Il will make of it test case" he re-
peated.
Let George do it," l urged
At that moment, in the presence of
all the passengers, they were search
ing the person of another British sub
ject- and an ally. He was one of Lady
Paget's unit. He was in uniform and
as they ran itching fingers over his
body, he turned crimson, and the rest
of US. pretending not to witness his
humiliation. ate ravenously of goats
cheese.
The cigarette king, breathing de-
fiance. repeated. Il will make Of 1t a
test case"
Better let George do it," 1 urged.
And when his name was called a
name that is as well known from Ka-
valla to Smyrna in tobacco fields
sweetmeat shops. palaces and mosques,
as at the Ritz and the Gaiety the Gig
arctic King wisely accepted for his four
sovereigns Italian lires
At their rate of exchange, too.
Later. Off Capri, he asked, when YOU
advised me to let George make a test
case of it, to which of our fellow
passengers did you REFER
Anchored to Favor Boatmen,
In the morning the Adriaticus picked
up the land falls of Messina. but in
stead of making fast to the quay,
anchored her length from it. This
appeared to be port regulation 1t
| enables the boatman to earn a living
| by charging passengers two francs for
I a round trip of fifty yards. As the
| wrecked city seems to be populated
| only by boatmen. rowing passengers
| ashore is the chief industry.
| The stricken seaport looks as though
| as recently last week the German
| army had visited it. In France, al
! though war still continues towns
wrecked by the Germans are already
! rebuilt. But Messina, after four wears
\ of peace, is still a ruin. No effort
| that is apparent has been made to re-