Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1918-10-25
CHAPTER xvIll-contInueo


with me up to the Office, as 1 had no
money with which to pay him, and
when he got to the consulate
told them that If they would pay the
taxi fare / would tell them who
was and how l happened to be there.
They knew at once that / was an
escaped prisoner ana they readily
paid the chauffeur and invited me to
give some account of myself.
They treated me most cordially and
were intensely Interested In the brief
account l gave them of my adven-
lures. Word was sent to the consul
general and he Immediately sent for
me. When 1 went in he shook hands
with me, greeting me very heartily
and Offering me n chair.
He then sat down, screwed a mon
Scle on his oye and viewed me from
top TO toe. ' could see that only good
breeding kept him from laughing at
the spectacle presented. 1 could see
he waited to laugh in the worst way.
"Go ahead and laugh y said. "You
can't offend me the way I feel this
blessed day" and he needed no second
invitation. Incidentally it gave me a
chance to laugh at him, for was
about as much amused as he was.
After he had laughed himself about
sick he got up and slapped me on the
back and invited me to tell him my
story.
"Lieutenant." he said when had
concluded. "you can have anything
you want. think your experience
entities you to It."
"well. consul" 1 replied. ~ would
like bath, a shave, haircut and
some civilized clothes about as badly
as a man ever needed them. / suppose
but before that l would like to get O
cable or TO America to my mother
telling her that I am safe and on my
way to Englandr
The consul gave me the necessary
Information and had the satisfaction
Of knowing before left the office thai
the cable. with its good tidlngs, wa:
ON Its way TO America.
Then he sent for one of the n0va
men who had been interned there
since the beginning of the war anC
who was able to speak Dutch anC
told him to take good care Of me.
After / had been bathed and shaved
AMI had a haircut / bought some new
clothes and had something to eat, ant
l felt like a new man.
AS I walked through the streets o
Rotterdam breathing the air Of free
dom again and realizing that ther
was no longer any danger of bein
captured and taken back to prison
1t was a wonderful sensation.
don't believe there will ever be
country that will appear in my eye
quite as good as Holland did then.
had to be somewhat careful, however
because Holland was full of Germa
spies and 1 knew they would be kee
to learn all they possibly could abou
my escape and my adventures so tha
the authorities in Belgium could met
out punishment to everyone who wa
In any respect to blame for it. AS wa
In Rotterdam only one day, the
didn't have very much opportunity
learn anything from me.
The naval officer who accompanle
me and acted as interpreter for n
introduced me to many other soldier
and sailors who had escaped from Be
gIum when the Germans took An
werp, and as they had arrived in He
land In uniform and under arms, Il
laws of neutrality compelled their i
ternment and they had been there ev,
since.
The life of man who Is inferno
In a neutral county, learned, is an
thing but satisfactory. He gets OF
month a year to visit his home. If
lives in England that is not so ba
but If he happens to live farth
away, the time he has to spend wi
his folks is very short, as the month
leave does not take into considerable
the time consumed In travelling to al
from Holland.
The possibility of. escape from HI
land Is always there, but the Britt
authorities have an agreement wi
the Dutch government to send ref
gees back Immediately. In this !
spect, therefore, the position Of a m
who Is interned is worse than tn
Of a prisoner who, II he does succe
in making his escape. is naturally
ceived with open arms in his natl
land. Apart from this restraint, no
ever, internment, with all its dra
backs, is a thousand times, yes, a II
lion times, better than being a prison
Of war in Germany.
II seems to me that when the "
Is over and the men who have be
imprisoned tn Germany return hor
they should be given n bigger q
greater reception than the most '
tOrious army that ever marched II
city, for they will have suffer
and gone through more than the wo
will ever be able TO understand.
No doubt you will find in the G
man prison camps one or two fal
hearted individuals with pronoun,
yellow streak who voluntarily q
up the struggle and gave up their
erty rather than risk their lives
limbs. These sad cases, however. 9
/ am sure, extremely few. Nine h
1red and ninety-nlne out of a thousi
of the men fighting in the allied Ii
would rather be in the front trencl
fighting every day. with all the horr
and all the risks, than be a priso
Of war in Germany, for the men
France have d very keen realizat
Of what that means.
But to return to my day in Rot
dam.
After l was fixed up returned
Lhe consulate and arrangements "
made for my transportation to I
land at once. Fortunately there
boat leaving that very night an
was allowed to take passage on |
Just as we were leaving Rotterd
che boat was on rammed our
convoy, one Of the destroyers, and
iured Il 90 badly that it had to
.~0~~-~-~.~.~-
Lace Curtains.
To do up lace curtains, says a
respondent, soak the curtains
n.