Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-07-18
.EUROPE'S GREED FOR GOLD
Americans Officially Relieved OF
Their Money.
YELLOW METAL SOURCE OF ANNOYANCE
Lady Traveller Fined for Taking Out OF
France the Coin She Had Brought In
Germans Just As Bad About Rob.
bing Travellers. ,, Ia

France the Coin She Had Brought IN
Germans Just As Bad About Rob-
bing Travellers. :, "a
Americans travelling in Europe who
persist in the time -honored custom of
carrying about a certain amount or
gold, writes a Paris correspondent, may
profit by reading of the disagreeable
experience of Mrs. Palmer Tenant OF
Hagerstown, Md. Mrs. Tenant has
just returned TO Paris after eight
months of travel on the continent and Z
in North Africa with her husband On
leaving New York last August Mrs.
Tenant and her husband bought" a
small amount of gold to use in any
emergency in case they arrived in an
out of -the-way place where checks
and letters of credit did not pass cur
rent.
Mrs. Tenant kept $1OU in gold
pieces in an envelope in her dressing
bag. She passed through various GUS
tom houses without any difficulty or
delay save for the usual formalities.
On arriving at Bellegrade on the
French frontier on her way to Geneva,
a few days aBo Mrs. Tenant fell into
the hands of the only woman inspector
in the Bellegarde customs. This wo-'
man after being assured that Mrs.
Tenant had nothing dutiable to de-
clare, started to make a minute exam
ination of the contents Of Mrs, Ten
nant's dressing bag and picking up an
envelope of the Bankers Trust compa-
ny, found the five $40 American gold
pieces, which she Immediately confis-
Gated.
Forced to Dsrobe.
She then ordered Mrs. Tenant into
an inside office 10 be searched. Mrs.
Tennant and her husband protested
strongly and pointed out the fact that
they were not carrying French but
American gold, which they had brought
into France. Protests were of no avail
and Mrs. Tenant was forced to dis
robe down to her last garment. The
woman inspector even tore the lining
out Of her hat and ran her fingers
through Mrs. Tenants hair.
After their trunks were examined IN
a vain quest for more gold, the Ten
nants were marched by half dozen
officials of the prefect Of police, who
took the American gold, figured out,a
very low rate of exchange and gave
Mrs. Tenant French notes for her
gold. He the fined the American wo-
man so francs for attempting to carry
gold out of the country. Mrs. remnant
was so upset by her experience that
she paid the fine lest any further In
dignIties be offered her, and continued
on to Geneva with her husband after
four hours delay.
Subsequent inquiry has developed
that the woman inspector at Bellegaf-
de makes speciality of gold digging.
whereas the male inspectors at Belle
garde usually make only most cur
sorry inspection, and, in most cases
pass trunks without opening them at.
all, after making the usual inquiry as
to dutiable tobacco, liquors and per-
fumes. An American woman with two
children had $3.50 in American gold
taken away from her recently by the
same woman inspector at Bellegarde.
American men carrying gold pieces on
their watch chains have been similar
ly relieved.
Gold Is Hindranee.
The French law prohibits any per-
son taking more than 5000 francs In
currency out of the country. Gold is not
the only hindrance to a foreign travel
er. but it is exchangeable at a lower
rate than Is bank draft. Paris