Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-04-23
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saying. How would you like TO have
good, juicy steak right out OF the Hot
brau?" Naturally I told him 1t would
hit the spot" but I hardly thought my
mouth was in shape just then to eat.
I Immediately asked, of course, what he
knew about the Hofbrau, and he replied,
Il was connected with the place a good
many years, and | ought to know all
about it,"
German oncer a Chum
After that this German officer and L
became rather chummy; that is, as tar
as I could be chummy with an enemy,
and we whiled away a good many long
hours talking about the days we had
spent in San Francisco. and frequently
in the conversation one of US would
mention some prominent Californian, or
some little incident occurring there
with which we were both familiar
He told me when the war was de-
clared he was. of course intensely pa
triotic and thought the only thing for
him TO do was to go back and aid In
the defense of his country. He FOUND
that ne could not go directly from San
Francisco, because the water was too
we'll guarded by the English, so he
boarded a boat for South America.
There he obtained a forged passport
and. in the guise of a Montevidian, took
passage for New York and from there
to England.
He passed through England without
any difficulty on his forged passport,
but concluded not to risk going to Hol-
land for fear of exciting too much sus-
picion, so went through the Straits OF
Gibraltar to Italy, which was neutral at
that time. I'D to Austria, and thence to
Germany. He said when they put IN al
Gibraltar after leaving England, there
were two suspects taken off the ship,
men that he was sure were neutral SUD-
jects, but, much TO his relief, his own
passport and credentials were examined
and passed o. K.
Remarkable Test
The Hun spoke of his voyage from
America to England as being exception
ally pleasant, and said he had nne
time because he associated with the
English passengers on board, his fluent
English readily admitting him TO sew
eral spirited arguments Oh the subject
of the war which he keenly enjoyed.
One little incident he related re-
vealed the remarkable tact which. our
enemy displayed in his associations at
sea. which no doubt resulted adVanta-
geously for him. AS he expressed II,
he made a hit" one evening when the
crowd had assembled for little music
by suggesting that they sing God save
the King.
Thereaf ter his popularity was assured
and the desired effect accomplished, for
VERY soon a French officer came to
him and said, Its too bad that Eng
land and ourselves haven't men in our
army like YOU" 1t was too bad he
agreed. in telling me about it, because
he was confident he could have done
a whole lot more for Germany If he
had been in the English army.
In spite of his apparent loyalty, how
ever. the man didn't seem very enthus-
iastic over the war and frankly ad-
mitted one day that the old political
more to his liking than the battles he
had gone through over here. On sec
ond thought he laughed as though It
very good joke, but he evidently in
tended me to infer that he had taken
a keen interest in politics in San Fran
cisco.
Reprimand Unheeded.
When my "chummy" enemy first
started his conversation with me the
German doctor in charge reprimanded
him for talking to me, but he paid no
attention to the doctor, showing that
some real Americanism had soaked into
his system while he had been in the
u S. A.
I asked him one day what he thought
the German people would do after the
war; if ne thought they would make
Germany a republic, and much to my
surprise, he said very bitterly, IF I
had my way about it I would make
her a republic today and hang the
damned Kaiser in the bargain" And
yet he was considered an excellent SOL
dier. I concluded, however, that he
must have been a German Socialist,
though he never told me so.
(C0utSunad Mart TsSuaN