The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-10-15
n the embassy ut their earliest oplor-
TILE, ANIE.ASSAI1OE.

iunity.
THE AMBASSADOR.
II Will hr noticed from the alloy" cir
cul;tr that NIL Americans w"r" rrIuir"'i
/" liav,' their passports stamped Il; tn.
t,rrlgu Di:7r" nu" .lm"riran did mot
rrcrlv" back HIS pnSspurt. although II"
had !"ft it ut the Foreign ut'ir". The
Foreign Office rlainra thht II had de-
liv"rrd the passport 10 som" on" from
,h.. embassy. bat "" wrr. not very nuch
surprised when this idcu,lCat passport
turned up later III Ih. possession "t
| .ndi. the cunfcsS..d German SPY. who
was shot in I'll" Tower ut London.
After tim: the American Govern
rurnl rablrd me 10 advance money TO
destitute. Americans. and the Indies in
The ballroom with thcir assistants at
tended to this branch. advancing money
where needed nr so much as person
needed 10 make up thu balance "t pass
ag, on <lecrage ticket frnu Holland TO
tho United States. AT the same time
We gradually built up I banking SES-
ten. Those In the United States who
had friends or relatives III Germany sent
them money by giving money u our
State Department. and the State Depart
m.nt in turn cabed me to make 4 pay
mcnL and this payment WAS made by my
drawing q daft for the amount stated
on the State Department. the recipient
selling his draft at Il fixed rate IL the
DeutSchc Bank in Berlin. This business
assumed great proportions. and alter the
Americans who were in Il hurry 10 80
home had disappeared the ones remain
ing were kept in funds by their friends
and relatives through this sort oil oank
under our management.
- <6, 1%r{n w. aTinHn
On August % Assistant Secretary Of
War breckenridge, who had come from
America on tho warship Tennessee.
bringing gold with him and certain
number of army officers. arrived In Bcr-
lin and took over our relief organization
in so far as it applied TO the repatriation
Of Americans. housing ii III rooms hired
in i nearby hotel. the kaiSerhof. This
commission WAS composed or Majors J.
A. Ryan, j. IL. Ford and q. ". Martin.
and Captains Miller and Fcnton. but the
relief committee and the banking office
were still continued in the embassy
ballroom.
4 bulletin was published under tho
auspices Of the American asSociation OF
commerce and trade. ami tho advice
therein given was that all Americans
having the means to leave SHOULD do so
when the opportunity for leaving by spe-
ciul trains was presented. and TO pro-
coed direct to London, whence they
might obtain transportation to the
United States. All Americans without
means were directed to apply TO the re-
lief commission. whioh WAS authorized
to pay for the transportation and SUBJ
sistcnce OF stranded Americans In order
TO enable them 10 return home.
The enormous quantity OF baggage
left behind by Americans In Germany
was a problem requiring solution.
In spite OF repeated advice 10 leave.
many Americans Insisted on remaining
in Germany. Few of them were bust
ness people: there were many sonEoirds,
piano players and students. We had
much trouble with these belated Arheri-
cans. For example. one woman and her
daughter refused To leave when advised.
but stayed on and ran mp bills for over
10000 marks. and as arrest for debt ex-
lists in Germany, they could not leave
when they finally decided TO 90. All Of
us In the embassy had 10 subscribe the
money necessary 10 pay their most
pressing debts. and they finally left the
country, leaving an added prejudice
against Americans.
The interests Of Germany in France.
England and Russia were placed with
our American ambassadors III these
countries. This, Of course. entailed
much work upon our embassy. because
we were tho medium Of communication
between the German government and
these ambassadors. l found II necessary
to stabllsh n special department to look
after these matters. At its head was Bar
CLAW Rives. who had been for many years
Il ,lo to- M " m ~
my embassy at tho beginning Of the war.
First secretary Of our embassy in Wen
ma for ten or twelve years, he spoke
German perfectly and was acquainted
with many Germans and Austrians. In
uuirics about Germans who were prison
ers. negotiations relative TO the treat
ment Of German prisoners. etc. came
under this department.
One example Will show the nature. or
this work When tho Germans invaded
France. a German cavalry patrol with
two officers. Won Schierstaedt and Count
Schwcrin, and several man penetrated as
far az the forest OF Fonta!ncblcau. south
Of Paris There they got oat of touch
with the German forces and wandered
about for days in the forest. In the
course of their wandcrinEs they rcdulsi-
toned sume food from tho inhabitants
l =,
of the officers who had lost his and
rr1uistiuned Il wagon TO carry a
wounded man. After their surrender to
the French the two officers wore tried
by q French court-martial. charged with
uiliaCing and sentenced to be degraded
from their rank and transported to
CAYENNE Cthe Devils Island Of the Drey
fus case>.
The Germans made strong representa-
lions, and our very skilled ambassador
in Paris. the Hon. William E. Sharp.
took up the matter with the foreign Of
flee and succeeded In preventing the
TRANSFORMATION Of the officers. The send
ing Of tho officers and men, however.
into military prison where they We're
treated as convicts caused great indiG
nation throughout Gcrmany. Thu Of
firers had many and powerful CcnnrC-
lions in their own country who took M
their cause. There were bitter articles
In tn. German press and carHatur"s and
cartoons were published.
| sent Mr.. Rivcs Ia Paris and told
him not to leave until he had seen these
officers. lie remained in Paris some
weeks, and. finally. through Mr.. Sharp
obtained permission 10 visit tho officers
in the military prison. Later tn" French
showed Il tendency 10 BE- l"ni"nt In this
case, hut it was hard IT, tiud way for
tho Frruc!i government To bark down
gracefully. Schcrslardt having b'ccn"
inSan" in IN" meantime. very clever
way ont Of tl- difficulty was suggested.
believe. hy Mr.. Sharp. SChi"rst;t"dt
having been found to be insane was pre-
sumahiv insane 1T tho time Of IN" pa
trolls wi,nd"rir%% in the forest of F"n-
tainchlcau, ~; H.. was IN" senior officer.
the other "i''r"r' and men under him
were NOT =. %i"nSihl" for nh"ylnS his
commands. T!"' Jesuit WAS that Schwcrin
and tho rl,.n nr III" Ta'rn! were nut IN II
regular prison ""Eii'. ana SchirrSta"ut
WAS very .;In.ily sat hy the French back
70 Germany. wI...r.' he recovered his rca-
son s,fiiclrutiy 10 he nol" TO com" and
thunk m" i"' III" efforts made Oh his