The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-10-14
DIFFICULT TASK TO
GET INTO GERMANY
Oblikcd to Undergo searching
Examination at Consulate.
STRIPPED AT BORDER
Every Prccaution Taken to Make
Sure That No Unccnsorcd Message
Reaches People From Outside
Countries.
BY ALFRED G.. ANDERSON.
Copyright 1918 by Star CDuusny,


New York, Oct. Id admit that
] was bit nervous when left New
York on the first lap Of my journey
to Germany to gather first hand in
formation on conditions in the en-
pire for the Hearst papers. For a few
minutes as I stood on the deck Of
the liner and watched the sky line
merge with the horizon astern my
nerve seemed gone
Before me lay the treacherous At
lantfc with it's lurking U-boats and
drifting mines. For the first time
since I left Chicago I realized that
1t was critical mission I had under
taken, and | silently wished was
BACK in the bosom of my little family
on North Ashland boulevard
In order to avoid the U-boats, the
liner steered far out OF the usual
course. Consequently the trip took us
eleven days as against nine when the
normal course is followed. When the
first breakfast gong aroused us in
the morning OF May 80. we lay snuglv
tied to dock at our first port OF
destination.
One DAY and a night on scant ra-
ton in -, then twenty-fours hours
on the train with still less to eatl
to -. my basis OF operations
Hurried inquiries convince 4 me that
my plan of persuading a neutral news
paper to send me 10 Germany as its
accredited correspondent was inn
practicable.
I had to devise q new scheme. Its
precise nature ana not permitted to
divulge. II Is sufficient TO say that
the second step was to obtain per-
mission from the German consulate.
7 was examined and cross-examined
by the consular officials. and solemnly
declared that I had not been in any
enemy country for The last four wears
They were ultimately satisfied that 7
was an innocent pe'ftral anxious TO
pay a little visit. After long delay
the necessary consent was obtained
from Berlin and the coveted vize. was
affixed to my passport.
was. however. permitted to re-
main only one week within the bound
aries of the empire.
| must furnish the consulate with
/ five photographs of myself and leave
- not later than ----. nor before
that date
All formalities completed. pro-
ccedcd to make the necessary prera.
rations for my journey. For instance
I had to supply myself with COM
p1ete change of wearing apparel, from
! underwear to suit hat and shoes
everything ! na1 was 700 decidedly
American in cut ana appearance. and
bore American tags.
also rented roou1-in my own
name-and paid a months rent as a
! means OF covering my a hse nee from
--. When I returned only one per
son had the slightest suspicious that
/ had been out of the country for a
week.
On the day appointed my train
pulled out. Besides myself there were
/ about twenty passengers bound for
| German y--mostly German travelling
men. who had been in neutral coun-
! tries on business. Also a middle.
aged couple returning from browsing
! on hountiful food supply. and a Dc
( gees 81 German wafefer who had ]ss~es,
! reca lied To the frnnt afterza -n-nails
J leave OF absence
There WAS little information con-
cerping the situation in Germany 70
be Geaned from tbs company. The
! conversation conferred mostly about
the excellent food hat now had to be
abandoned and the n ore Spartan fare
! In store for them across the border
1t is not permitted Ia describe the
/ route or means by which / entered
Germany, but, in the minds of the
! Germans. the system by which they