New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1918-10-18
CHAPTER xvIIi-Continued.

WoleS Will WHICH 10 pay nlHi, an
when ne got to the consulate
told them that If they would pay tn
taxi fare l would tell them who
Il and how | happened to be ther,
They knew at once that | was II
escaped prisoner and they readil
paid the chauffeur and invited me I
give some account of myself.
They treated me most cordially an,
were intensely Interested in the bric
account | gave them of my ;Idven
lures. Word was sent to the consu
general and he Immediately sent 70
with me, greeting me very hearth.
and offering me n chair.
He hen sat down. screwed Il mon
orie on his eye and viewed me from
top to toe. | could see that only goo,
breeding kept him from laughing Il
the spectacle | presented. | could Sc,
he wanted to laugh in the worst way
"Go ahead and laugh :" | said. "Yol
can't offend me the way I feel this
blessed day" and ne needed no second
invitation. Incidentally It gave me !,
chance to laugh AT him. for | was
about as much amused nS he was.
After he had laughed himself about
sick he got up and slapped me on the
back and invited me to tell him my
story.
"~Iieutenant." he said when | had
concluded, you can have anything
Won want. | think your experience
entities you to It."
well. consul" ! replied, 81 would
like II bath, IL shave. Il haircut and
some civilized clothes about as badly
as IL man ever needed them. ! suppose,
but before that | would like to get IA
cable off to America to my mother
telling her that ! am safe and on my
way to England"
The consul gave me the necessary
Information and | had the satisfaction
of knowing before | left the office that
the cable. with its good tidlngs. was
on its way to America.
Then he sent for one of the naval
men who had been interned there
since the beginning of the war and
who was able to speak Dutch and
told him to take good care of me.
After l had been bathed and shaved
and had II haircut | bought sOme new
clothes and had something to eat, and
| felt like Il new man.
AS l walked through the streets of
Rotterdam breathing the air of free
dom again and realizing that there
was no longer any danger of being
captured and taken back to prison,
It was Il wonderful sensation.
| don't believe there will ever be a
country that will appear in my eyes
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 keen
to learn all they possibly could about
my escape and my adventures so that
the authorities in Belgium could mete
out punishment to everyone who was
in any respect to 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 ms interpreter for me
Introduced me to many other soldiers
and sailors who had escaped from Bel
gium when the Germans took Ant
werp. and ms they had arrived in IIol-
land in uniform and under arms, the
laws of neutrality compelled their In
ternment and they had been there ever
since.
The life Of Il man who is informed
In n neutral county. | learned, Is any
thing but satisfactory. He gets one
month II year to visit his home. If he
lives in England that is not so bad,
but If he happens to live farther
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 To send refu-
GEES back Immediately. In this re-
>pect. therefore. the position of a man
" hO is interncd is worse than that
II n prisoner who, If he does succeed
Ia making his escape. is naturally re-
reived with open arms in his native
Apart from this restraint. how
yer. internment. with all its draw
backs, is a thousand times, yes, a mil
ion times, better than being a prisoner
If war in Germany.
Ii seems to me that when the war
= over and the men who have been
Imprisoned In Germany return home,
hey should be given a bigger and
reception than the most vic
orious army that yer marched into
|, city. for they will have suffered
gone through more than the world
will ever be able to understand.
No doubt you will find in the Ger
nan prison camps one or two faint
individuals with a pronounced
'ellow streak who voluntarily gave
Up the struggle and gave up their lib
'rty rather than risk their lives or
limbs. These sad cases. however, are,
an sure. extremely few. Nine hun /,
req and ninety-nine out of a thousand I
4 the men fighting in the allied lines I
would rather be In the front trenches, I
every day. with all the horrors 9
nd all the risks, than he a prisoner {
{ war In Germany, for the men In
rance have a very keen realization s
4 what that means {
But to return to my day In Rotter- 4
am. |
After I was fixed up I returned to 4
be consulate and arrangements were {