EXODUS FROM EUROPE

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2257, 17 September 1914, Page 7

EXODUS FROM EUROPE

EARLY ARRIVALS IN AMERICA STEERAGE PASSENGERS IN THE SALOON. "The first ship to bring in steerage refugee passengers who at in the firstclass saloon was the Holland-America liner Potsdam, which docked in Hoboken to-day," reports the New York "Evening Post," of August 12. She sailed from Rotterdam on August 1. Congestion aboard her was largely due to the failure of the Imperator to sail. Many passengers came on board without tickets, and one American woman and her small son hid as stowaways until after 'the boat sailed. Dr. George C. Fahy, of New Haven, Conn., was a delegate to the International Medical Congress, whioh recently held its session in London. He was warned by an official friends there to get back homo as soon as possible. As his wife was in Paris, he, telegraphed her to meet him in Boulogne, where they boarded the P.otsdam with no .tickets. Mr. AsquHh's Speech. "On July 31," Dr. Fahy said, "I was enabled to hear Premier Asquith's address to Parliament, through the influence of an official'in London. It was a very exciting and impressive meeting. After the Prime Minister had spoken for some fifteen minutes a member from Ulster took the floor and said that the Ulstermen would give' over the internal strife, and remember that they were, before all, Engjishmen. "The very next morning," Dr. Fahy continued, "my friend told- me that i had better get out of England then or wait indefinitely.. My wife was visiting friends in Paris, but he helped me to get a message through to her to meet ilie' at 1 Boulogne {hat afternoon. I left immediately without stopping for any baggage, l and she left Paris on the special boat train. We boarded the Potsdam without having had a chance to buy tickets, but there were many others who were, in the' same case, and we were all fixed up somehow or other. Every body who was lucky enough to have a cabin ei'thor took in more people or gavo 'it up entirely to women. Several men' slept on deck,' and were glad to do so, us the last three days have been terribly hot. A Vigilant Cruiser. "About two' o'clock this morning some British cruiser threw her searchlight on us, but didn't bother us as soon as she saw'our Dutch flag. On the night before last we saw the Tennessee sailing east." • Julius P. Moyer, of the HamburgAmerican Line, was also on board with his wife. He said that all boats of his lino would remain tied up in the neutral ports in which they now are until the war is over. "Our ships represent too large an investment," said Mr. Meyer, "to: risk them on.the ocean until' the war is over. ...They will remain in the neutral ports in which they now are. The report that we aro planning to sail our. boats, is . absolutely false." : .T. Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Gerome,..of : New. York, managed to get their baggage, through. They .were.touring in Switzerland' when tliej' were warned to leave by a French official. "As early as July 25," said Mr, Gerome, "we were told by a trench official whom I used to. know in Nice, that there was trouble brewing, and that I had better get my wife and myself back to, America as fast a3 I could. We had been touring in Switzerland, and had just reached Geneva'. I sold my machine and started post liasto for Paris. There I booked passage on the Potsdam, and then stood for over two hours in a mob of Americans who were fighting to get on to the special boat, train.. Thanks to my knowledge of .French, I was able to secure the aid of a policeman in the station, and'together we managed to put my luggage on board the train., I have nothing but praise for tho kindness and consideration which the French soldiers and policemen showed." A Visit to Sarajevo. Mr. Alvin Smith, of Easton, Pa., ; was •travelling in. the Balkan States early in July, and arrived at Sarajevo, Bosnia', shortly after tho assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand of Austria and his wife. . "When I arrived in Sarajevo," ■ said Mr. Smith, '.'the hole which was mado by the bomb first thrown at tho Archduke was still there, and the whole city was in-a turmoil. The Servian Society lias honeycombed all of Bosnia, and I feel certain that most of the people there will rise up' against the Austrian-rule as soon as they get tho chance. The Servians have not forgotten that Sarajevo was the capital of old Servia.. I travelled through all tho Balkan States, but did not notice that ■there was much excitement. . "One day while I was in Sarajevo various officials made me show my pa&sport on twelve distinct occasions. When I told the president of a large bank there that I wanted to leave, he helped mo to. procure a special passport from the secret police. I went to headquarters to get it, and while I was waiting the man who.- threw the bomb at the Archduke was brought in for a special examination. The morning Ileft, another bomb was thrown in the streets, but 1 havg never been able to find a. report of this fact in any of the papers." Franco-German Disputes. "At eleven-thirty the night before we sailed from ilottcrdam," said Mr. G. M. Francois, a member of the Pittsburgh Orchestra, "Captain Van Walraven,' the usual commander of tho : Potsdam, was suddenly notified that he could not sail, as he is a lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserves. Some of tho crew were also detained, but others wero soon signed up ,in their "places, and Captain De ICorver was put in command. At several times, there was considerable friction on board between tho German and. tho French passongers. It was largely confined to the steerago, but on one occasion the captain and some of the stewards were obliged to interfere in a dispute which started in tho smoking-room upon the receipt of some news. Thereafter • the captain censored all news* which might nave started friction anew." The Potsdam brought 228 passengers in her first cabin. 292 in her second, and 291 in the steerage. Among the other passengers were Mr. C. P. Gruppe, the landscape artist, of New York, who has been painting in Normandy for the last few weeks. Ho was ablo to save all his principal canvases. This subject, to be lectured upon this evening at the Concert Chambor by Professor 11. B. Dixon, D.Sc., F.R.S., is at present engaging the closo attention of some millions of troops on the Continent, and should be of very particular interest to tho public of Wellington at the present 'time. Professor Dixon is one of the most eminent scientists in this department in tho world, and: there should be no vacant seats ill the' Concert Chamber.