Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1918-11-22

10 DeF Tag, out Wnen IL arrived tne
hustle and excitement, not to say
panic, which developed throughout
Germany was so pronounced that in
come cases it approached the ludicrous.
Obviously the people were kept in
ignorance of the plans of their war
barons in order that hostilities might
come as a complete surprise to them
and give color to the governments
contention that the war was forced
upon Germany.
So little thought did we give to the
complexities of the rolitical situation
that on Friday, July !; 1, 1914, my wife
aid l started off on a motor trip. We
had heard so many rumors of war
| Within the previous len years that we
saw no reason why amicable sOlu-
ton should not again be found as 1t
had always been before.
On our way out the Charlottenburger
Chaussee we passed the kaiser and the
kaiserin driving to Berlin from Pots
dam at about sixty miles an hour, and
there were other indications of ac-
tivity, but we attached little impor-
lance to them.
When we reached Potsdam, how
ever, and saw thousands of tons Of
coal heaped up between the railroad
tracks which were ordinarily kept
clear. we realized that preparations for
war were being made In earnest and
we stopped to consider whether it
would not be better after all to return
home. Such was our ignorance of war
that we decided that, even though 1t
were not advisable to motor in Bel
GUM and France, where we were
bound. we might safely plan tour in
the Black forest in Germany.
We had left Berlin late in the after
noon. In the evening, when we arrived
at GOtha, we found that the younger
walters in the restaurants and hotels
had already left and that the older re-
serves expected general call the next
day.
The next morning we started for
Frankfort. As we passed through vii
lage after village, war preparations be-
came more and more evident. Measures
were being taken everywhere to arouse
enthusiasm-yOung men gathered on
school steps were singing patriotic
songs, students were marching and
speeches were being made in the mar
ket places.
About five o'clock that afternoon we
arrived in Frankfort. The whole place
was in a fever of excitement over the
mobilization posters and their resent
ment against the French was being
aroused by "extras," which were
handed out without charge, announc-
ing that the French had already
dropped bombs on the railroad at
Nurnberg and that French officers in
autos had Over-ridden the borders.
The ridiculous statements about
French flyers dropping bombs on the
railroad at Nurnberg had not the
slightest foundation, of course.
The older people who had lived
through the war of 1870 had interested
audiences for once while they related
| past experiences and gave advice as to
what preparations to make. A posi-
bility of food shortage seemed to be
uppermost in all minds, and the gro
ceries were stOrmed with eager buy
ers. Salt suddenly jumped to rs cents
pound and other things in proper.
ton.
On Sunday, August 2, all the gaso.
line in the country was Communicated
and we heard of many American tour.
lists being put out of their cars in the
cities and even on country roads, no
matter how inaccessible to trains they
might be. We accordingly decided to
stow our car away In an old wagon
shed attached to hotel and sought to
return to Berlin by train.
At the railway station there was
such a tremendous crowd that 1t was
quite impossible to get anywhere near
the ticket office, and anyway no prom.
ise could be given us to trains to Ber
lin.
Trunks and bags were piled high In
every available space and II was
months before that enormous pile OF
baggage was finally sorted out
We decided TO defer our effort tC
I TcNcn beftlu ulltll MunuaN, since tnert
seemed no hope of getting away that
day.
On Monday morning, the streets
were filled with excited crowds de
stroying every sign with French
word ON 1t and looking for spies. The
papers had announced that the coun
try was full of French spies, womer
as well as men. l saw the crowd stoI
an automobile, take a woman out anC
literally tear her clothes to shreds be
fore the police succeeded in rescuinl
her from the mob and took her to the
police station. The general suppose
ton was that all the man spies were
masquerading as women and the frs
thing the mob did was to pull out hail
pins to see whether the hair was real.
On Monday evening, we managed t.
edge our way into the last through
train to Berlin. We were side-tracket
innumerable times to allow trOOl
trains to pass through, and we were re