The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-02-12

future?''
L will not answer that question. I
will simply relate my experiences and
tell my readers what I saw and heard.
And whenever L relate an interview
with a German or tell the story of
certain experience I will give a ficti-
tious name, and in telling the story of
a certain strike or riot in any locality
that took place while I was there,
will either give a fictitious name or
designate it by the letter 'rX.''
At times 1 must even refrain from
giving dates in relating incidents, as
my visitations in Germany were no
doubt carefully watched and noted,
my continuous reporting of incidents
will enable the German secret service
to trace the names of persons and Sc
cret lodges, thus jeopardizing the
freedom and lives of many of my in
formants.
| 1t took me about three weeks to
make preparations and secure neces-
sary papers enabling me to enter Ger
many. Although a devout Socialist,
yet 1 had never made statements that
invited the suspicious attention of
Germany's thousands of secret service
agents that infest every city, hamlet,
and town of Switzerland.
On Way to FatherIand
1t was. during the latter part of July
1917, to be exact July 22nd, when ]
boarded. a late afternoon train at Con-
stance. Our train, after having cleared
from the station, was left on a siding
nearly four hours. The Swiss authori-
ties were responsible for this extraor-
binary delay. A thorough search with
! two purposes in view was conducted
They searched every passenger bound
to Germany first for food, and second
! for unneutral documents. In spite Of
l all these strict precautions, every trav.
eller to Germany is tempted to TAKE
with him a huge bundle of eatables
More than rs per cent. of my own lug
gage consisted of food. To my sor
row had to leave behind two-third
of what 1 had attempted to take.
> An elderly German and formerly al
T educator connected with a universit,
that ranked high in the Empire; hat
5 been visiting in Switzerland during
u the last three months on a commits
sion from the Munchner, Munich
municipality. My introduction to thi
u gentleman was through his bad tenn
L per. Unknowingly to me, my cane
: which I had stood against his seal
had dropped on his lap. Then Their
L ensued a terrible word attack. H
u was in fury. I did not know tn
: cause of his anger, neither did I kno7
: whom he was addressing. I Innocent
L turned around, looked at him an
I4I.
son he was abusing.
70 My innocence of my offence ha
1t increased his fury to such an exter
that L would not be eXaggerating t
say that he was foaming in the mout
81 with anger. He then left his sea
l. stood beside me and with his hand
Al clenched, informed me that I lacke
N all elementary principles of good be
ie havior and manners. By this time otf
IN er passengers were watching US.
Sample of German Temper
IN And not till then did I learn tn;
my cane had dropped on his lap.
cd rose to my feet, put my hands gent
ny on his shoulders and with as soft
ne tone of voice as I could manage 1 e,
us planned to him that my offence W;
"a perfectly unintentional. He was pac
ISL fled and went back to his seat. Abo
II, five minutes after he returned to n
d. side, touched my elbow lightly al
ne motioned me to make room for hi
as beside me. AS he sat down he offe
on ed to me the most humble apollo:
IN which he was capable of.
an 1 report this incident because
He is very fair sample of the prese
nd day German temper. Wherever Y,
nd go in every part of Germany, M
ras and women serioualy quarrel over t
ID; slightest disagreement in opinion. {
we the slightest provocation 1 have Sc
he hundreds of such unseemly verbal d.
nd cussions take place in public plac
ell Often these dicussions end in ply
all cal encounter; and I have seen, wi
Ige my own eyes, even women of go
a. breeding and apparent former cultu
The come to blows in street cars, theat1
-ou or other public places. 1 also saw ev
err in private homes visitors quarrel oN
ost a discussion and 1 have noted by
/ a tual count that in sixty-four privs
homes physical encounters took pla
OF between the guests; in fourteen hon
ing the hosts attacked the guests while
eth twenty-siX other homes guests fl
the struck their hosts over some war
the cussion. Out of nearly four hundl
homes 1 visited during my six mon
in Germany only twenty-seven hon
bel 1 left without witnessing coarse ex