The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1919-04-24

GUM and France, where we were
bound. we might safely plan n 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 u general call the next
day.
The lex morning we started for
Frankfort. AS we passed through vii
lagc after village, war preparations be-
am 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 n 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.
The ridiculous statements about
French flyers dropping bombs on the
railroad ut Nurnberg had o the
slightest foundation, Of course.
The older people who had lived
through the war of 1870 had interested
audiences for nee 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 20 cents
n 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 u car away In an old wagon
shed attached to n hotel and sought to
/ return to Berlin by train.
At the railway station there was
such n tremendous crowd that II was
quite impossible TO get anywhere near
the ticket Office, and anyway no prom.
ise could be given as to trains to Der.
lin.
Trunks and bags were piled high In
every available space and 1t was
months before that enormous pile OF
baggage was finally sorted out.
We decided to defer our effort 10
reach Berlin until Monday, since there
seemed 10 hope Of getting away that
day.
On Monday morning, the streets
were filled with excited crowds de-
stroylng every sign with n French
word on 1t and looking for spies. The
papers had announced that the coun-
try was full OF French spies, women
as well as men. l saw the crowd stop
an automobile, take a woman out and
literally tear her clothes to shreds be-
fore the police succeeded In r~esculng
her from the mob and took her to the
police station. The general SUPPOSE
tlon was that all the man spies were
masqucrading as ONE 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 10 Berlin. We were slde-trackcd
lnnumcruble 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 n hot August night and the lack
of ventilation was most oppressive.
Our compartment was crowded with
officers on their way to join their regi-
ments and very grand and important
they felt Ia their new fleld-gray uni.
forms which may have long been put
away in moth balls for just this oppor.
tunity, but which took the German peo-
pie as well as the allies completely by
surprise.
At Naumberg, which Is about half,
way between Frankfort and Berlin, u
company of soldiers boarded the train
and guarded the corridors while n non.
commissioned officer questioned the
passengers.
My wife, who was asleep In n cor,
ner of the coupe !, was the only won.
an In the compartment. Believing that
her sleep might be fcigned and she
might, in fact, be n man In woman's
clothing, the officer yelled at her
where are you gOingT' Her Amcrl.
can accent, revealed when she an
swered him, ipcensed him the more
and he demanded angrlly "What right
have you to use this train? Where Is
your passport"
BY that lime ! had produced all In,
papers of IL ratification | could find ant
tried to tell him that my wife and
were returning to our home In Berlin
but he was too excited to listen and
would have dragged us Off the train
Ind not nm officer, with whom / hat