The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1918-06-18
O]TWfTTING
SaTHE HEN" s ::

I don't believe there Will ever be ,
country that viii appear In my eye
quite as good as Holland did then.
had to be somewhat careful. however
because Holland was full Of German
spies and / knew they would be kees
TO learn all they possibly could about
my escape and my adventures so that
the authorities In Belgium could inett
out punishment TO everyone who was
In any respect 10 blame for 1t. As was
in Rotterdam only one day. they
didn't have very much opportunity 10
learn anything from me.
The naval officer who accompanied
me and acted as interpreter for me
introduced me TO many other soldiers
and sailors who had escaped from Bel
GUM when the Germans took Ant
werp. and as they had arrived in Hol-
land In uniform and under arms, the
laws Of neutrality compelled their in
ternmcnt and they had been there ever
since.
The life Of a man who Is interned
In a neutral county, learned, is any
thing but satisfactory. He gets one
month a year 10 visit his home. II he
lives in England that is not SO bad,
but II he happens 10 live farther
away, the time he has TO spend with
his folks is very short. as the months
leave does not take into consideration
the time consumed in travelling to and
from Holland.
The possibility Of escape from Hol-
land Is always there, but the British
authorities have an agreement with
the Dutch government 10 send rcfu-
gees back Immediately. In this re-
spcct. therefore. the position ~ man
who Is interned is worse than that
Of a prisoner who, II he does succeed
in making his escape. Is naturally re-
.ceived with open arms in his native
land. Apart from this restraint. how
ever. internment. with all its draw
backs. is thousand times. yes. n mil.
lion times better than being a prisoner
OF war In Germany.
II seems 10 me that when the war
Is over and the men who have been
imprisoned in Germany return home.
they should be given a bigger and
greater reception than the most vic
torious army that ever marched into
a city, for they viii have suffered
and gone through more than the world
will ever be able 10 understand.
No doubt you viii find in the Ger
man prison camps one or two faint
hearted individuals with a pronounced /
yellow streak who voluntarily gave
up the struggle and gave up their lib ]
erty rather than risk their lives or I
limbs. These sad cases. however. are,
/ am sure. extremely few. Nine hun /
dred and ninety-nine out Of a thousand
Of the men fighting in the allied lines
would rather be In the front trenches
fighting every day. with all the horrors
and all the risks. than be prisoner
of war in Germany. for the men in
France have very keen realization
Of what that means.
But 10 return TO my day in Rotter-
dam.
After I WAS fixed up returned 10
the consulate and arrangements were
made for my transportation 10 Eng
land at once. Fortunately there was
a boat leaving that very night ana l
was allowed 10 take passage on IL.
Just as We were leaving Rotterdam.
the boat ! was on rammcd our own
convoy. one Of the destfoyers and in
Jured II SO badly that IL had TO put
back to port II would have been a
strange climax to my adventure II the
disaster had resulted In the sinking
Of my boat and l had lost my life
while on my way 10 England after
having successfully outwitted the
Huns. But my luck was with me TO
the last. and while the accident r.
suited in some delay our boat was not
damaged and made the trip
over In schedule time and without fur
Iher accident. another destroyer hav-
Ing been assigned 20 escort us through
the danger rome in place Of the one
which had been put out OF commis-
zion.
When I arrived In London. the re-
sction from the strain l had been
2ndeE-fQr nearly three months lmme-