Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1918-11-29

home. Such was our ignorance of war
that we decided that. even though IT
were nor advisable to motor In Bel
GUM and France. where we were
bound, we might safely plan a 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
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.
IL e4o 70 Oh
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 70 cents
a 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 a hotel and sought to
return to Berlin by train.
At the railway station there was
such a tremendous crowd that it was
quite impossible to get anywhere near
the ticket Office, and anyway no prom
Use could be given as to trains to Ber-
lin
Trunks and bags were piled high in
every available space and it was
months before that enormous pile of
baggage was finally sorted out.
We decided to defer our effort to
reach Berlin until Monday. since there
seemed no hope of getting away that
day.
On Monday morning, the streets
were filed with excited crowds de-
stroying every sign with a French
word ON It and looking for spies. The
papers had announced that the eoun-
try was full of French spies, women
as well as men. 1 saw the crowd stop
an automobile, take a woman out and
tear her clothes to shreds be
fore the police succeeded in rescuing
her from the mob and took her to the
police station. The general SUPPOSE
ton was that all the man spies we're !
as women and the first !
thing the mob did was to pull out hair |
pins to see whether the hair was real.
On Monday evening, we managed TO |
edge our way into the last through |
train to Berlin. We were side-tracked |
times to allow troop |
trains to pass through, and we were re-
CURED to keep our windows closed SO \
that no enemy passenger could drop /
bombs on the bridges we crossed. II /
was a hot August night and the lack /
Of ventilation was most oppressive.
Our compartment was crowded with
officers on their way to join their regi- /
nents and very grand and important |
they felt in their new feld-gray uni
forms which may have long been put
AWAY in moth balls for just this oppor-
unity, but which took the German peo-
pie as well as the allies completely by
At Naumberg, which is about half
way between Frankfort and Berlin, a
company of soldiers boarded the train
md guarded the corridors while a nom
officer questioned the
passengers.
My wife, who was asleep in a cor
Ter of the coupe 1, was the only wom-
N in the compartment. Believing that
Ter sleep might be feigned and she
night, in fact. be a man in woman's
lothing. the officer yelled at her:
Where are you going?" Her Ameri-
AN accent, revealed when she an
wered him. incensed him the more
nd he demanded angrily: "What right
ave you TO use this train? Where is :
our passport?''
BY that time had produced ell the
apers of Identification could find and
n Ill -. -, 4 n '