The Washington times., 1918-01-20
Washington Physicians Gpe Up 100000 a Year To Helt
1t. "PAT" OBRIEN
TELLS OF ESCAPE
FROM GERMANY


The. German people have been
forced TO believe that American mob
ilIsation is 4 huge joke-that 10 .
large army IL ever raised II will be
used against the japanese and not
against the Boches.
This Is the story brought back to
America by lieutenant ''Pat" ooFien.
Of the British Royal Flying Corps
the irst and only American % far to
escape from behind the German lines
and return home. Jdeutenant
obrisn's home Is In Motnence. I'LL
He left washington for that place
yesterday after being interviewed BY
q reporter for The Times
He called at the white House yes
terday but was unable 20 zee the
President. owing 10 the pFessurs OF
business due to the coal Situation.
Secretary TumuIty snter.ained him
and had quite ~ lengthy shat with
the Anglo-Amsfiean 'pirsnan."
After his return from ,6e German
lines. via Rotterdam, to London, he
called on King George Of England At
His Aajesty's request. The audience
lasted hfty.two minutes--the longest
ever given by the King t. any army
officer OF lower rank than brtga-
dier general. II IL said.
Made Daring PiSuEs.
His escape was effected By dar-
ing plunge from q hok;ikai train
down . rsilwsy smbankInert.. where
he lay FOR hours unconscious. He
Travelled for sevsnty-two- days before
reaching the Dutch frontler. hiding
in swamps and hayracks by day and
travelling at night, living on vege-
tables taken by the light of the moon
from the gardens Of German farm
ers. and at last clearing the nine-foot
wire fence charged with electricity
which extends along the entire Ger
man-Dutch frontier by n.4ans OF q
wooden ladder. .-.
Although he had lost fifty pounds
by the time he reached England. he
does not show Il now. The picture
Of health. he is q typical Irlsh-Amer-
lean. and in his natty uniform OF
British officer. with his little Scotch
cap. he attracted much attention at
Union Station. e
"I had been . real flyer but three
G1Aa @AChNCh1uN OblAChs
when my plane was brought down
behind the German lines at Yprss- II
was shot in the mouth and lay In q !
German hospital for three weeks.
"on the 9th Of September ! was
transferred to q prison camp in the
Of Germany along with q lot
Of other convalescent prisoners The
in which I was riding
was guarded by four soldiers -
Guards Dosing Off.
''In the middle OF the night the
guards were doing off. and while
we were thtrty-nye miles in Che in
terror OF Germany and about 800
miles from the battle front at Ypres,
jumped through the open window.
The train was going along about thIr-
ty or thirty-lve miles an hour, and I
landed on an embankmenL
THE next thing I knew I woke up
lust about daybreak. hid in a near
oy swamp and that night started
foot for the Dutch frontier. I tray
lied by night only. and raided truck
Eardens. hiding in anything that Of
cred cover during the day. ALI this
line ! was IN full uniform.
lust seventy-two days later II,
s.to NiohNoI' Ahe WORST PROD
en- OF all was to scale the nine-toot
wire fence, highly charged with cleo
-ricity, not only to keep the Dutch
IN their property, but to prevent de-
Ierting Germans from escaping into
Holland. I finally procured a wooden
adder, and on my first trip up Il Z
touched a wire and I was
unconscious.
Fortunately I fell into a pile OF
'rush, and, while a German guard
'assed within seven feet OF me, was
lot detected. After coming to. tried
gain, and this time succeeded.
The Hollanders were very good to
ne. They gave me some clean clothes.
! bath, shave, and a real meal. and. '