Baxter Springs news., 1918-11-08

from Holland.
The possibility OF escape from ho.-
land Is always there. but the British
authorities have an agreement with
the Dutch government to send refn-
gees hack Immediately. In this re-
spect. therefore, the position Of man
who IA interned Is worse than that
of a prisoner who, II he does succeed
IN making his escape. is naturally re-
celyed with, open arms In his native
land. Apart from this restraint, how
ever. internment. with all Its draw
backs, Is a thousand times, yes, mill
lion times, better than being a prisoner
of war In Germany.
II seems to me that when the war
Is over and the men who have been
imprisoned In Germany return home.
they should be given n bigger and
greater reception than the most VIC
torlous army that ever marched into
a city, for they will have suffered
and gone through more than the world
will ever be able to understand.
No doubt you will find in the Ger
man prison camps one or two faint
hearted individuals with pronounced
yellow streak who voluntarily gnve
ND the struggle and gave up their lib
erty rather than risk their lives or
limbs. These sud cases. however, are.
I am sure, extremely few. Nine hum
dred and nlnety-nlne 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 q prisoner
of war In Germany, for the men In
France have q very keen realization
of what that means.
But to return to my day In Rotter-
dam.
After was fixed up returned to
the consulate and arrangements were
made for my transportation to Eng
land ut once. Fortunately there was
a boat leaving that very night and !
was allowed to take passage on II.
Just rs we were leaving Rotterdam,
the boat ! was on rammed our own
convoy, one of the destroyers, and In
jured It SO badly that 1t had to put
back to port. II would have been q
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 to England after
having successfully Outwitted the
Huns. But my luck was with me to
the last, and while the accident re-
suited in some delay our boat was not
seriously damaged and made the trip
over In schedule time and without fur
ther accident, another destroyer hav-
ing been assigned to escort US through
the danger gone in place Of the one
which had been put out Of commits
sion.
When I arrived in London. the re-
action from the strain ! had been
under for nearly three months imme-
dIately became apparent. My nerves
were In such state that It was abso-
lutely impossible for me to cross thA
street without being in deadly fear
Of being run over or trampled. stood
at the curb, like an old woman from
the country on her first visit to the
city, and I would not venture across
until some knowing policeman. recog-
nlzlng my condition, came to my as
sistance and conveyed me across.
Indeed, there was great number OF
English officers ut home ut all times
''getting back their nerves" after q
long spell of active service at the
front, so that my condition was any
thing but novel to the London bob
bies.
1t was not many days, however, be-
fore regained control Of myself ana
felt in first-class shape.
Although the British authorities IN
Holland had wired my mother from
Holland that was safe and on my
way to England, the first thing did
when we landed was 20 send her Q
cable myself.
The cable read as follows:
'.lErs. n. ]. oBrien. MOmence, Ill., o.
s. A.
"Just escaped from Germany. Let
ter follows"
'' As / delivered It to the cable dis
patcher / could just imagine the ex-
ultatiOn with which my mother would
receive 1t and the pride she would
feel as she exhibited 1t among her
! neIghbOrs and friends.
could hear the vOlley Of Il told
you SOS" that greeted her good i'd
ings.
at would take more than the kaiser
,, to keep Pat in Germany" ! could hear
one Of them saying.
'Knew he'd be back for Christmas
anyway" / could hear another re-
mark.
81 had an idea that Pat and his
comrades might spend Christmas IN
, Berlin" I could hear another admit
ting, 'but / did not think any. othel
/ part of Germany would appeal to him
; very much"
MRS. OBrIen, did Pat write you
. how many German prisoners ne
brought back with hlmF" / could heal
! still another credul0us friend inQuir