The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1912-1921, 1918-07-11

quite as good as Holland did then.
had to be somewha, careful, however,
because Holland was full Of German
spies and knew they would be keen
to learn all they possibly could about
my escape and my adventures so that
the authorities in Belgium could mete
out punishment to everyone who was
in any respect to blame for it. AS was
in Rotterdam only one day, they
didn't have very much opportunity to
learn anything from me.
The naval officer who accompanied
me and acted as Interpreter for me
introduced me to many other soldiers
and sailors who had escaped from Bel
GUM when the Germans took Ant.
werp, and as they had arrived in Hol-
land in uniform and under arms, the
laws of neutrality compelled their in.
ternment and they had been there ever
since.
The life of man who is informed
In neutral county, | learned, is any
thing but satisfactory. He gets one
month n year to visit his home. If he
lives in England that is not so bad,
but If he happens to live farther
away, the time he has to spend with
his folks is very short, as the months
leave does not take into consideration
the time consumed in travelling to and
from Holland.
The possibility of escape from Hol-
land Is always there, but the British
authorities have an agreement with
the Dutch government to send refu-
gees back Immediately. In this re-
spect, therefore, the position of man
who is informed is worse than that
of prisoner who, if he does succeed
in making his escape, is naturally re-
ceived with open arms in his native
land. Apart from this restraint, how
ever, internment, with all its draw
backs, is a thousand times. yes, mil
lion times, better than being prisoner
of war in Germany.
1t seems to me that when the war
is over and the men who have been
imprisoned in Germany return home,
they should be given bigger and
greater reception than the most vic
torious army that ever marched into
city, for they will have suffered
and gone through more than the world
will ever be able to understand.
No doubt you will find in the Ger
man prison camps one or two faint
hearted individuals with a pronounced
yellow streak who voluntarily gave
up the struggle and gave up their lib
erty rather than risk their lives or
limbs. These sad eases, however, are,
l am sure, extremely few. Nine hun
dred and ninety-nine out of thousand
of the men fighting in the allied lines
would rather be in the front trenches
fighting every day, with all the horrors
and all the risks, than be prisoner
of war in Germany, for the men in
France have a very keen realization
Of what that means.
But to return to my day in Rotter-
dam.
After I was fixed up I returned to
the consulate and arrangements were
made for my transportation to Eng
land at once. Fortunately there was
a boat leaving that very night and ]
was allowed to take passage on ii.
Just as we We're leaving Rotterdam,
the boat / was on rammed our own
convoy, one of the destroyers, and in
jured 1t so badly that it had to put
back to port. 1t would have been
strange climax to my adventure If the
disaster had resulted in the sinking
of my boat and ] had lost my life
while on my way to England after
having successfully outwitted the
Huns. But my luck was with me to
the last, and while the accident re-
suited in some delay our boat was not
seriously damaged and made the trip
over In schedule time and without fur
Their accident, another destroyer hav-
ing been assigned to escort us through
the danger zone in place of the one
which had been put out of commits
sion.
When l arrived in London, the re-
action from the strain | he'd been
under for nearly three mont W. anne
diately became apparent. My nerves
were in such a state that it was abso-
lutely impossible for me to cross the
street without being in deadly fear
of being run over or trampled. ] stood
at the curb, like an old woman from
the country on her first visit to the
city, and l would not venture across
until some knowing policeman, recog-
nizing my condition, came to my as
sistance and conveyed me across.
Indeed, there was "a great number of
English officers at home at all times
getting back their nerves" after a
long spell of active service at the
front, so that my condition was any
thing but novel to the London bob
bies.
1t was not many days, however, be-
fore | regained control of myself and
felt in first-class shape.
Although the British authorities in
Holland had wired my mother from
Holland that l was safe and on my