The sun., 1919-04-21
Famous Streets a Litter of
Color and Paper-Au-
q thority Gone.
TAXI MEN BANDITS
Food Sole Subject Of Conver-
sation-Americans Are
Welcomed.
ny KARL n. Won .wtEGAND.
stag Correspondent OF TUE suS.

Copyright, 1913; all riohts rsssreed.
BERLIN, April Especial correspon-
dence).-Two nights and a day we
had been on trains and boat or lying
in cold stations waiting for connec-
tons. Formerly the schedule from
Copenhagen to Berlin was ten hours.
To-day no country in Europe encour-
ages travel but does much to discour-
age it.. The convenience Of those who
must travel is not considered. Econ
omy in coal and operation Is the one
keyrote of train service everywhere.
1At Warnemunde the trunks and bag
gage of half dozen members Of Red
Cross mission, three members Of the
Polish Relief Commission, headed by
Isldore Hershfleld of New York, and my
own, were quickly passed without exam
nation. Americans were most welcome.
The commander of the frontier station
came to me and apologized for having
lIs the Americans stand in line with
some thirty ordinary" travellers. He
hoped We would overlook It. As a
matter OF fact, he had not let us stand
long. but hurried US through ahead Of
the others as soon as he became aware
of.our presence.
Formerly polite but militarily stern
Captain of cavalry commanded the sta
ton. To-day 1t is only Feldwebel-
Lieutenant or sergeant-major.
II am always emphasizing with my
men that they must treat travellers
with the greatest politeness, courtesy
and consideration" he said. II hope
the American gentlemen were treated
courteously,' he added anxiously. We
assured him We had been.
Politics on the Train.
Then FOR many hours in slow, fiat
wheeled trains We bumped along. the
axles groaning and shrieking protests
against being made to work without
proper grease or oil. In some OF the
cars the windows we're out. there was
no heat and no light We huddied to-
Rether for warmth. Again and again
We changed trains. For a time we rode
standing up In n fourth class compart-
ment and listened to violent political
arguments. in which the conductor took
yociferous part We Americans were
welcomed as friends. At Ludwiglust
we had another wait till In the morn
ips for the Hamburg Berlin train. Mac
Arthur OF the Red Cross and Amberg Of
Hurley's division of our Peace Commits
sion stretched out on the floor in the
cold waiting room. The latter was TAX
ing short cut from Copenhagen to
Paris through Germany. The fact that
he had no pass to travel through Ger
many was not objected to by the Ger
mans. Two words-"America, Food
vSas better than anybody's pass. Weren't
there twelve cars OF food for. the Red
Cross in the yards at Whrnemunde
And was not that concrete proof that
America was going TO furnish food to
the Germans?
Six in the morning at the Lehrter
Bahnhof in Berlin. A chill morning
with a light penetrating fog. No taxi
cabs or carriages at the station. II was
the first day OF the general strike.
Red Cross motor truck came for the
Red Cross missions baggage. boy
scurried about and got me small ex-
press wagon hastily transformed into
combined bus and baggage vehicle. In
gratitude 7 gave the boy two marks-a
big tip. He hesitated. PERHAPS TIE
Herr Would give me so'Helilis 10 cav
instead he said. But l could not get
at my chocolate or my Danish bologna.
There were two men with the wagon
What would they charge TO take my
trunk and bags TO the Adlon Hotel? Five
dollars! I looked around. but there was
no other rig in sight. I accepted. We
drove along the banks Of the Spree.
Desultory rifle fire came from some dis
tance ahead--just beyond the palace, a
few blocks away. Occasinally a tap;tap
OF machine gun. "Verdammte schieserei"
damned shooting). remarked the owner
Of the rig. IT'S been a wild night. II
we only had enough to eat we would not
have this" he added.
Is. Machine Gun at Hotel.