Norwich bulletin., 1919-03-15
DANIELSON


 thing that WIS practically priceless in Germany-and he made the most Of This opportunity.
 "on the morning of November 10 clvtlian 'oficiaf came to the auto truck factory where we were working at Russe.sheim and told us that, in all probability, the armistice would ee signed on the following day, as it was. He instructed us that thereaf- ter we owed no allegiance to represen- 7tives Of the kaisers government. which included our guards. and that VIC were to take orders only from representatives of the revolutionary government with which he was iden- t.ned. He instructed us that on the morrow we would he sent back to the base camps from which we came. In my case that meant Geissen.
 "What he told was received with joy. We had been hearing for days os a revolution being in full swing at kiel. the great naval base of the Ger mans. but we were always doubtful, as we heard many -umors from time to time. ard 'N--- Ter meant any Sood to us in the end.
 Now. that u4..,. speech made q b.r hit with ne-all but one part of i.. I didn't like the idea Of going back 70 Ceissen. and diin't intend 10 go if ! had my way about it. We could sec st Rlssclshs!S that everything was ,L a turmoil Snd figured that if they got mo back 10 Geisssn I might be obliged to stay there for months wJitirg for the revolution to subside crd for things to get hack to some thing like normal I decided to try c. make my. way back 70 the nearest point .n tho allied lines on my own account. l quickly hit upon a plan oi campaign. II had not escaped my attention that soap was wholly unob- tai0g bic iu Germany. Every week I lad been receiving a large cake Of scap .n mv Red Cross packages and ! had saved a surplus of four of these. against time when [ might not be setting any more packages. We never kDcv what might happen, you krop
 "lmmediately the armistice was Eignef, the German civilian popu.a. t'0n started 70 fraternizc with the &mcri6auer prisoners in Russelsheim and almost made pets of Us. We had .emU.af- reedom 70 go about town q: w, liked and many stopped 10 Are,t us and io snake h+hds over the l.r-I.- ui -r1r.. They felt about aG good s- wa did lhout it
 took my fJur bars of soap and Iut eaaA 1-. mtH t1r-e pieces. giving .' iust 4 dozen pieces of change for ! Intended 10 us. Inc soap as curren- 'y. lr addition ] had saved something from ths .t cents d day that was al lowed Us as prisoners ot war.
 Uenf % tic railroad station ihern .1 E.s islslm marched boldly up c '.o tick window and asked for .rt'- tn irarkor. -s ldlometers s"sy wanted 10 get on trunk .sc ro.. Enc ticket agent looked s.IU.y 70 mo and SrIr:h,ed out --frl..i NJ Il. [ expected that. Dig f'rl down into oae Q. ny pockets 'foueui fgrih on" of m" twelve mi -fc.s-~pr.ia1 pieces O. zap. IL was ty it-- tly at making my carefully rprk"i out b, stem operate and l was tDNioa. 10 s-s thC efevt.
 "i flashed that little hunk Of soap ieforc f1' amazed cvos of that ticket arnn. Tl. effect was magical.
 tu"w enough of ihe German language fu Iul0- tlul when he said Quick" --and as ! Tipped the soap throug fuc window to him he Tipped mo out ''Clirt io. Frankfort, I was on the .rai to hlrritcss,
 "No oG, uteIcered with mo about .lr gt7-iJr and when the train came licrr ] -of aboard 1nd was in Frank tr .l rort time. The railroad s.1ton th.rC ts % tremendous affair. much after the style of tho South station u Boston Ev this time l had Ucc'd 1 to make 'o1.euz. now ',iho rsaiquarer~ 0i thn American Army or Occupation. uv destination. From l.t ! -rev and could learn about conditions ul flr western front it .arus1 w- oua .sst bet. though urhf rare donc Sifercnt had been tier informed
 "WI,l moro confidence now than r-0r .r tle buying power Of my soar. mar hei toward tho ticket depart rert iu thc rranktort station. The '.ekef seller on duty was a fine look f- German girl typical Teuton .ul. Nothing % it' I said to my -.'f when [ .sU that the ticket seller N. . -I-- Believe r,e. ] knew how ..fr.. SDan was in Germany and fG- trrr that f tle old srouch at Russell ..r.E f-i 'r' ry plan that the girl nouii Ire .a-, money. Indeed.
 Af tr. window ' asked fer ticket ... fr.-rs. Tho German NSx F very '.m't .l' HCi.'eiv made ne under
 and -aat tierc was nothing Going ..s wearing tlr uniform of the Amer .rHr I-w. and she was suspicious -rwr into tr-t bank ci mire went one a u- hands again and our came two is--4 c' soap oh. Soy, You should fa.- seen that girls face light up, ft.us could have got ticket fol NrF-Cr it rlc had one ir stock but ! acs~r:ef Inc one for Cohleuz that she .ioi af fdr. after a quick glance 10 see -ta. 70 osc wa> lookiug-dnG I fig ircd ! was about twenty marks to tho -oof As ' had to wait some time Ter r- train ! vent out into the aF -~-aHel-F1~- -r, fr.r.I afN ''rl.- i.a' spoke 10 me spoke in a friendly way and everywhere ' heard -hc word Peace 4 rain time I got board an express for an all-night ride. in the morning VIC made some own that can't remember the name c- and during tkc day made Coblenz.
 Things were working so smoothly That ] had stopped worrying and was rot :hc least bit nervous when l traced the ticket agent at the Coblen2 otation. I had a bump coming to me out didn't know il. That guy was d sausre-headed Prussian and knew it the minute l looked at him. thought he would like good bath as well as a person more human. how ever, but ! was wrong. He wasn't even little bit interested Ln my soap even after ] offered him all I had left That hesthen just turned right around and --Tled a guard, one of the kalsers outfit. still on duty in tha, section. and put me in his charge. found out very promptly what was tc iecome Of me. was going back tc Ciessen. and there l went
 Things were not 50 had whsn I go, hack there. The place had been made distributing poAft for American Red Cross packages and there were tons ot them about. We lived well durinf The nearly two weeks remained there 1f was 2 far cry from conditions