The Elk Mountain pilot., 1916-10-12
Correspondent Tells How He Was
Searched When About to
Leave Country.
minute EXAMINATION
Every Article Of Clothing Gets Close
Scrutiny and Ordeal Is Quite
Humiliating for Women
Of Tender Senses.
FRANZ HUGO kREss, in New York
Tines


New York.-The examination which
one has to undergo when entering or
leaving Germany is very stringent and
trying, and us the war continues is
gradually becoming more rigid
A friend of mine who had come into
Germany 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 l arranged
matters with the conductor of the train
from Berlin. He told me where TO
stand just before we reached Warne-
muende, pointed out to me, when we
arrived. the man who gave out the
tickets-and 1 received No. /.
Entering a building right by the
train, i was told to go through long
room, and was halted at the door of
another room and asked to produce my
passport. After 1t had been carefully
scrutinized l was passed into another
room. There l found "A porter with my
grips and hatbox, and l was asked TO
identify my trunk All my luggage
was then placed on wooden bench,
and an officer and subofiicer came over
to take charge of the examination.
Search Was Thorough.
l never pack my trunk it had been
packed by the chambermaid at the
Hotel Bristol, on Unter den Linden.
and when l left Warnemuende its ap-
pearance beggared description. All my
handkerchiefs, collars, shirts, drawers
and socks were examined. one by one,
to see whether any concealed papers
aould 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
careful and persistent search. Every
crease was examined. My soap was
cut in pieces and 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 resoled or reheeled; 9TH
erwise they might have been ripped
apart. This, 1 was told, Is frequently
done.
Coming into Germany the examining
officer had torn out the stand in my
hatbox, on which the hat rested.
had this fixed in Berlin, but | might
better have waited until l returned to
New York, because, as 1t 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 un-
derneath, and the cushion for brush
ing the hat was ripped open.
Suspect Paris Hat.
My evening hat was opened. AL
Enough it was bought in the United
States. 1t seems that it had been made
in Paris, and, as that fact was stamped
inside, l had a feeling that 1t did not
lessen the care with which it was ex-
amined. In the bottom of my trunk
there were about dozen summer
shirts; l had not worn them since the
previous summer, and each had n piece
of cardboard placed in 1t when laun-
dered 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 I was then told to 60
II personal examination. l was directed
told to take Off all my clothing except
my undershirt. i was also told to take
everything out of my pockets and put
il on shelf. Banknotes were unfold.
ed, one by one, to see that there was
no tissue between; my matchsafe was
opened. so was n small metal case
that carry my subway tickets in. 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 sam,'
careful attention previously accorded
those in my trunk. The band around
the hat I wore was pushed up and the
sweatband was turned down.
Next l was handed II paper to sign
stating that everything had been re-
turned to me, and l was told that my
examination was over.
The examination of suspected wom-
en is, of course. conducted by woman
inspectors and l was told that cipher
dispatches written on oil paper have
sometimes been discovered. and that
the examination is rigid In the ex-
treme. In fact, American women who
consider going to Germany before the
end of the war must make up their