davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-07-28

III . . = Oh! One moment,
- please. That waiter at the next
table was a bit too much absorbed in
what you were saying"
Such warning has not been uncom-
mon in the experience Of New Workers
who have frequented restaurants Of Ger
tain types. A little reflection will recall
to tie average person occasions when cafe
attendants have paid more or less marked
attention to conversations that were in no
wise intended for their entertainment.
And how many New Workers have taken
the trouble TO note that an extremely
large percentage of these servitors spoke
English with foreign accent
Somehow it had become more or less
of an accepted fact with us that the
alien born were peculiarly fitted 10 fill the
Jobs Of walters and the like, either be-
cause Of social heritage or because they
were willing to work for pittance and
to rely upon tips to make their positions
worth while. Be this as it may, Ameri-
cans have commonly sought other lines
of employment, and in consequence the
foreigner has found a fruitful field of
gain in the dining rooms of hotels, res
taurants, cafes and the more exclusive and
quasi private atmosphere of clubs.
Walters UsuaIIy Cosnopolitans.
Few of us have stopped to consider
that the waiter fraternity is cosmopolitan
in its membership and curiously world
wide in its associations and experiences.
Americans travelling abroad before the
present war were well nigh uniformly
made to feel at home anywhere in Eu
rope by accommodating English speak
ing porters, WATERS and other hotel at
tendants.
The servant who spoke English to you
was probably able 10 do just as well in
French, German or italian. In short
most of these men were polyglot and had
acquired their knowledge Of foreign
tongues through period Of service in
lie ldIuS WHcTc lUOSt "SiN
native.
Among all Of the alien born that have
served as walters in the United States
none has been more s;udiously adaptable
in the matter of language than the Ger
mans. Prior TO 1914 this waiter was found
everywhere in Europe and along all the
paths Of international travel. With char
actcristic Teuton determination he would
buy one of score Of so-callcd CONVEX
sation books, and early and late between
the demands Of service he would ping
AWAY patiently mastering, parrothke, SEN
tencr after sentence.
With the majority of these TeutOns the
Language business was simply part of
their chosen means of livelihood, and
probably undertaken without any motive
other than widening their opportunities
for winning their daily bread. But I'M
consciously they We're fitting themselves
for supplemental lines of usefulness which
the master minds Of the German secret
service long ago called TO their aid.
The more alert of these WATERS, with
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-07-28

part, be neutralized by taking on only
Americans of undoubted patriotism.
Already there are several clubs en-
,,loying women walters and there are
other clubs that are preparing TO do like
wise. At the Railroad Club and the
Machinery Club in downtown New York
mattresses have been in service for q num-
Der of months, while the Union Club
has more recently installed them in the
dining room.
The substitution at the Union Club
alone has effected the release of nearly
score Of rnen for war work. The case OF
the Union Club is especially Interesting
because, unlike the Railroad and the
Machinery clubs, which are really only
luncheon clubs, it is typical of the regu-
lar club Of prolonged hours and varied
service.
For years some Of the smaller hotels
have pretty uniformly employed wait
resses, and this has been notably the case
with family or residential hotels. And
now comes the really big departure in
tho employment Of mattresses, for Oscar
of the Waldorf Astoria has given sub
stantial Endorsement to the movement by
taking on a corps of them.
Will Prove of Wide Benefit.
As a war time measure the increasing
presence of the woman waiter is probably
going to prove of wide benefit. Aside
from making more men available for war
work the change is going to lead to the
more general employment Of women in re-
munerative jobs where heretofore a rather
low grade of foreign help has predomi-
mated The substitution will promote the
discharge of goodly percentage of the
aliens heretofore employed, who have
filled their billets as walters largely be-
cause they were thus enabled to do spy
work
The business man will talk shop if he
can find any one TO talk to, and this is
especially true during the relaxation Of
the luncheon hour.
Well nigh without exception the down.
town clubs Of New York city are mainly
private luncheon places, and there are
discussed from day to day matters Of
vital concern to the nation. To-day, with
our industrial life so widely centred in
producing war materials of one kind or
another, these clubs more than ever are
channels of information that might lead
a cunning spy TO a knowledge of impor-
tant military secrets.
As one member of downtown club
expressed it: Il would trust a woman
employees sooner than / would a man in
similar position. The man is generally
so much interested in his employers BUSH
ness or in his own particular job that he
is prone to talk about the days doings
after the working hours are over, FREE
quently forgetting that he may be betray.
ing his principals interest.
a woman, on the other hand, COM
monty leaves her work day life behind
her when she closes her desk-she has
other things to absorb her outside, and Is
therefore, less likely to give secrets away
by talking shop"
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-07-28

one day Just how keen had become the
curiosity of our walters. Their quondam
effectiveness had reached stage Of such
persistent solicitude that they lowered
about well nigh without cease, and the more
earnest the talk at the tables the closer
they drew, even though their services
then were least needed. recall one oc-
currence in particular which brought to
an enGghtening focus the purpose back of
this undesired attention.
Il had been skimming over letter and
reading extracts 10 a guest, and as halted
TO turn a page l realized that our waiter
was standing just behind my chair and
near enough both to hear me and probably
read the typewriter text. Without turn
ing, handed the letter to my friend and
told him to look at certain paragraphs.
"The waiter, with studied deliberation,
found occasion to go to the serving table
that stood back Of my friend, and when
he thought l was not looking, he shifted
so that he could read easily the rest of
the letter!
Saw Same Thing Repeatedly.
"Fhat brazen performance might have
passed unnoticed except for feeling that
warned me that the man was reading over
my shoulder and not doing so out of idle
curiosity. Thereafter, day by day, kept
my eyes open and 1 saw the same thing
done repeatedly in other cases.
at was impossible to dispel the impress
sion that there was something more than
mere accident in the seeming absorption
Of the walters in the talk Of the various
guests and members. l was satisfied that
they were either spies or the tools of
spies, and therefore dangerous. When
they struck it seemed to me we had Just
the chance to get rid Of them and, at the
same time. to block future baneful activ-
tiles of the sort of which | believed them
guilty.
II suggested TO the manager that he
take on women. Without pursuing the
details of what followed I may say that
women were taken on and they have uni
formly given satisfaction since. They
seem to be quite content TO serve the
patrons of the club and then TO retire
to distance beyond earshot, where they
remain until summoned. l am told that
all of these women are American citizens
in the fullest meaning Of the term"
The substitution of women in callings
OF this sort has been stimulated by Pro-
vOst Marshal General Crowder's order
that men of draft age must either fight
or work at some essential occupation. BY
his ruling 5000 waters, 5000 porters
and 5000 bellboys in the city will lose
their jobs and places be opened for
corresponding number Of women. While
the change may root out the vast majority
of the Teuton spies that have been serving
the Kaiser as waters, it is necessary to
make sure that the women who replace
them are not also spies.
4 spy is a spy no matter what the sex,
and, if anything, the woman spy is even
worse than the man, because she can
muster TO her service a measure Of guile
lessness which may cunningly cloak SIM
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-07-28


ideal material for certain classes of spies.
They we're not expected to act, to take the
initiative or to win the confidence of Ger
many's possible enemies; their function
was Just to listen and to look and to re-
member what they heard and saw.
At least such was the modest demand
made upon the table attendant, but the
head waiter or captain had higher
Office to fill in the field Of unsupported
surveillance 1t was for him TO garner
either openly or covertly the information
obtained by the waiter or to steer him in
overhearing the conversations of guests.
Finally the German head waiter best full
filed his secret mission when he knew by
SIGHT persons of Importance, public Off
Gals and those more or less Intimately
linked or identified with officers Of the
Government, State or civic services.
We shall probably meyer really know
how widespread has been this particular
network of the Teuton secret service, but
We can be fairly certain that it has
reached into every walk of our national
life. Just what premium the enemy
placed on eavesdropping can only be con-
jectured, but either directly or indirectly
it has unquestionably suficed to breed an
inauisitiveness which at times reached
degree little short of the brazen, and
that in setting where the desire to see
or hear should have been more cunningly
concealed. This brings us TO the reason
for this article.
Met the Situation With Women.
Something like six months or more ago
the walters in a well known downtown
club frequented mostly during the lunch
con hour struck because of some grlev-
anee, fancied or otherwise, and the man
ager was very much exercised, for it was
his task to replace the walters and to
maintain service. He knew very well that
it was case either of giving in to the
strikers or searching the highways and
byways for non-union help; he could not
count upon assistance from the local
walters union. 1t was then that one Of
the clubs members suggested the employ
ment of women. As the member ex-
planned it:
Il was glad to see the walters out, and
welcomed the chance TO substitute women
in their stead. Conditions had been grow
ing steadily worse, following our entry
into the war. Many Of the members OF the
club are engaged in Government work.
and some of these have been mustered
into the military service and plainly show
their Federal connections by their uni
forms.
1T is pretty hard in these strenuous days
70 get entirely away from business. In
deed, one of the pleasantest ways Of ad-
justing a difficulty, settling a matter of
procedure, &c, is to do it while lunchlng
and winding up with coffee and cigars.
Somehow, the tablec!oth provokcs conf
dences, and even offers tempting expanse
upon which 10 map out with the point Of
a spoon or some other suitable edge an
explanatory diagram and the like. The
table appointments lend themselves ad-
mirably 10 a strategic disposition.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-08-12

exhibit 3, is q picture of Count Won
Bernstorff,, and l knew him. we'll
On one occasion, which place for
reasons hereafter stated as in cold
weather, and which l remember was
some time during 1915, before Mason
4 Seaman went into bankruptcy,
drove Count Won Bernstorff from the
Ritz-Carlton Hotel to the Plaza
Hotel. He there picked up stranger
whom l identify positively as the
person shown in the annexed photo
graphs, exhibits ! and 2. He had
dark, swarthy complexion and looked
like Turk. His hair was black. At
the time he was dressed very much
as shown in the annexed photograph,
marked exhibit .. drove them both
to No. 1877 Riverside Drive, at the
corner Of Eighty-siXth Street and
Riverside Drive, and they went into
the apartment house there and were
in the building about two hours.
During that time I grew cold on
account of the cold weather and went
in to see the doorman, and he refused
to allow me to remain in the hall
way. Count Won. Bernstorff and the
stranger shown in the picture, after
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-08-12

storf

some time. When the invitations
were sent down to be mailed we
looked over the names on the invi-
tations, and I distinctly remember
that among those invited was Bolo
Pacha. I don't know whether he at
tended the Parry. I don't recall rec
ognizing him. | cannot state just
what the nature of the party was,
but l should say it was q sort of
costume ball, for the guests arrived
in fancy dress. They came in great
number, and the affair lasted from
the night of the 18th until the morn
ing hours of the 10th. A great deal
of wine and liquor was. drunk by the
guests on this occasion. | know this
from the great quantity of empty
bottles of champagne, whiskey, cor
d;als and Other liquors that the help
at the Clarendon had to pack in bar
rels and bags and remove from the
apartment to the cellar By way of
celebration Mr.. Hearst's butter fur
nished the help with bottles OF VINE.
(Signed)
ALEXANDER P. GOZZOLO.
Sworn to before me this 10th day
of August, 1918.
(signed) BERNARD w. BERKO-
WITT, Notary Public, New York
County No. 112, New York Regis
ter No. 1921. Commission expires
March 80, 1920.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-08-12

boy in his apartment at what is
known as the Clarendon Apartment
l37 Riverside Drive. William Ran
dolph Hearst occupies the tenth,
eleventh and twelfth floors of the
Clarendon Apartment. I remained in
the employ of Mr.. Hearst as an ele-
vator boy at the Clarendon Apart
ment from about January 2, 1915,
to some time during the fall of 1916.
My duties We're to run the passenger
elevator at the Clarendon Apart<
ments and make myself generally
useful around the building. My
hours Of service were from T a. m.
to p. m. when was doing day duty,
and from p. m. to a. m. when
was on night duty.
In my capacity as elevator boy |
had occasion to observe from time to
time the guests that were taken up
to the Hearst suite. Among the
guests that I recall having taken up
to the Hearst apartment were Count
Won Bernstorff, whom I identify as
the person shoWn in the photograph,
Exhibit 3, and Bolo Pasha, whom |
identify as the person shown in the
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-08-12
Defence Body Asks
Seizure of German
Navy as Peace Term

The American Defence Soc;ety CONT
an open letter yesterday to the British
empire Union for publication through
OUT Great Britain, declaring err
roheous recent statement in '"The
London Chronicle, that Americans ar
tach great Importance to the economic
weapon which the Allies, acting to-
gefher, could WELD, but the Americans
do not wish it welded with a yindict;v.
power , for fixed period after the war
Inc American Defence Society,"" saws
the letter. IN carrying on its CAMPAIGN
Ior twenty million signatures to
a position to know, from the instanr
and enthusiastic response received in
tnls campaign. that the American peo-
PIE propose to use to the full the eco
nomlc weapon against Germany afte,
the war. There is not the Slightest
DOUBT that the longer the war lasts. the
more American soldiers VINO are killed.
tne more hospital ships sunk by the
Termans, the more submarine outrages.
I IN more fortunes and brutalities on the
west front, the sterner and more i'm
piacable Will be the spirit of the Amer
lean people when the time arrives to
dictate peace to q defeated Germany.
The Americans are considered a
business people, but not a warlike peo-
pie. We are sufficiently good business
people to feel that Germany must re-
pay every penny already extracted a.
cash indemnities from Belgium and
other conquered territories, must re-
turn all the art objects stolen from
such territories, must rebuild every
building DESTROYED in Belgium, North
ern France, Poland and Serbia. and
must repay the entire money cost of
the war incurred by the Allies.
THE next step would be for the Al
lies to take over the entire German
navy, which, being weapon of war.
Germany cannot be allowed to keep.
and also her mercantile ships, whethe,
in Germany or interned in neutral
countries throughout the world, TO be
applied as part payment for the ships
sunk by German submarines The final
step would be for Germany to issue
bonds to the Allied nations to cover the
Allied costs of the war and to levy on
herself such taxes and imposts as viii
pay the interest and sinking funds on
these bonds.
"The pocket nerve is the one sensf-
tive nerve of a German, and it is only
by proving conclusively to the German
people that war does not pay that they
can be induced to relinquish the time
dishonored profession of aggressive
war which they have carried on for so
many hundreds of years"
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-08-12
Hearst Notu Admits
That Bolo Called
T1vice at His House

In the course of a three column
statement by William Randolph Hearst
published in this mornings New York
American" the publisher declares that
Attorney General Lewis. as "the polit-
ical representative of Booze and
Boodle," has attacked him for polit-
ical reasons as an enemy of "Booze
and Doodle" He asserts again that
he met Bolo Pacha casually and dis
cussed newsprint paper with him. Now
he admits that he met him twice.
"The intimation that Count Won
Bernstorff and Bolo Pacha met at my
home" he says, "is characteristic
falsifcation-the same kind of Lewis
lie as his former statement that Won
Papen and Boyd were present at the
dinner at Sherry's which. Mr.. Van
Anda. editor of the New Y6rk Times,
and ] attended.
"Bolo Pacha called at my house
~ the msner ask n HIG f ha pr a pspi
described, at which time I saw him;
later to leave P-P-C card on the eve
of his departure, at which time l did
not see him.
81 had met Won Bernstorff several
times. and I had also met Jusserand
and Spring Rice, the French and Brit
ish ambassadors. So did innumerable
other good Americans, including the
President of the United States.
II do not recall ever having met Won
Bernstorf at my house. and I think
that the only time he called there was
at afternoon tea, when / was away"
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-08-12
Says Hammerling
Burned His Records

Alfred L. Becker, Deputy State At
torney General, yesterday gave out
some Of the testimony of Arthur Ga
briel, president of the Association
OF Foreign Language Newspapers. con-
corning Louis N. Hemmerling's part in
placing advertisements asking workers
not to make munitions of war, which
were published in foreign language
papers throughout the country.
Gabriel said that shortly before the
appeal to the workers appeared in the
Hammerling at his Office Soon after
Hammerling at his offic. Soon after
ward, he said, he was sent to Bethle-
hem, Penn, to investigate conditions
among the workers at the steel plant.
places by Hammerling on like missions,
Gabriel said
Asked If the records of the Office
, showed the payments made for the ad-
vertisements. Gabriel replied that
Hammerling had ordered the records
burned.
1--WE took the books and correspond
ence on truck to the Mansfield apart
ments, where Hammerling lived, and
burned them in the engine ROOM" Ga
briel said.
Asserting he had not been taken into
Hammerlings confidence regarding the
advertisements, Gabriel said he told
Ha1nmerling that he knew the German
and Austrian governments were paying
for the advertisements.
arthur. whatever you know, keep
your mouth shut" he quoted Hammer
ling as saying.
At the end of the month, Gabriel
said. he received a $500 bonus with his
pay check, and every other employee in
the Office also received some sort of a
gift. At other times after that he re-
ceived various other bonuses. he said.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-08-12

photograph, Exhibit 2. 7 recall hav-
ing taken Count Won Bernstorff up
to the Hearst apartment at least
i've or six times, sometimes during
the day and sometimes during the
evening. I also recall having taken
up to the Hearst apartment Bolo
Pasha at least three or four times
during both day and evening hours.
recall distinctly that on one even
ing | took up Count Won Bernstorf
first, and about an hour later Bolo
Pacha came to the apartment, and |
took him to the Hearst suite while
Count Won Bern storff was still there.
] remember this incident distinctly,
because among the help we had given
nieknames to Count Won Bernstorff
and Bolo Pacha, as follows: Count
Won Bernstorff was called the Duke
de la Brew" and Bolo Pacha "Duke
de la Car" and I recall that We were
joking one evening among ourselves
because the dukes were both there.
Count Won Bernstorf and Bolo Pacha
were notable personages to all of us
because they were liberal tippers,
and | as we'll as the other boys that
. worked at the Clarendon apartment
were on the lookout for them.
l. remember that on the 18th of
March, 1916, Mr.. Hearst entertained
a good many guests This party had
been the talk of the servants for
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-08-12

known or seen or heard of Bolo
Pacha.
81 have never met Won Papen or
Captain Boyd in my life, and At
torney General Lewis's implications
to that effect are unfounded in fact.
II defy the Attorney General to
disprove any word in this statement
of mine, or to substantiate any one
Of his own unwarranted implications,
except his one truthful statement
that my acquaintance with Bolo
Pacha was purely social
"Should he, fail to do so, / shall
proceed against the small Attorney
General of the great State Of New
York for petty and premeditated
SANDER made in conspiracy with rival
newspapers in the interest Of his al
ready defeated candidate for Mayor"