Going Home

Horowhenua Chronicle, 17 February 1916, Page 3

Going Home

-# R'ELiUCTANT GERMANS AT SEA. (London Times' Correspondent;. Amsterdam, Nov. "27. There was only a liandful of passengers on hoard besides the part of Germans and Austrians released from internment in England returning to their native countries. it had been a. fine passage until about 3 o'clock in the afternoon, when Ehe sudden slowing down of the engines called those of us who were below out on deck. Hero we found the horizon, the sky, the sea, all Wotted out. A thidk white curtain had been drawn round the ship, which now the throbbing of the engines had stopped, slid slowly and in curious silence through the water. The siren bellowed and a great bell clanged warnings into invisible space; and in the silence and isolation of the fog that enveloped u.s their noise was almost intolerable. Then, with n rattle and a roar tTie anchor went down and we no longer moved. A young German stood by my side. "Ton will be delayed rfi getting home," I said. "Arc you glad to be going?" His face looked very bitter as be turned it towards me. "Whv should be glad?" he rfaid. "There is nobody there. My wife and child are in and we were doing well when the war broke out. I should never have gone to Germany again. There is nothing for me to do. in Germany." "Did you have a bad time in camp," J asked. "Excepting the last few days at I. have no complaints. I was at the Alexandra Palace." ' (And it was good there, was it not?" He looked at me sullenly. "I cannot say anything was good," he answered. "Treason is «til' treason in Germany. I say I have no complaints to, make." An elderly man joined ns. ■'Twenty-six years," he said in enswer to my question, "and in all that time I have nover been five miles out of London. My wife is English and miy four children; they cannot speak German. Why should I ibe made to go to a country which have not seen for twenty-six years, where I know nobody? The English have always treated me well, and I never wished to go away." THE THOUGHT OF THE DESTROYERS. This feeling—for I talked with more than half of the .party—seemed universal. i found not one who was glad to be going "home." "Tt is not my home," was said again and again, let with a curious contradiotoriiiess, many of them were still German in sympathy, though they had nearly forgotten the country and would yladlv have stayed away from it. They took a great pride in her lighting strength. Yet all alike wished to live in England. All alike spoke in varying degrees ol warmth of the kindness of the camp officials; all hated Sir Ediwnrd Grey who had ''made the war."

Shortly 'before the fog closed down on us we had seen, close at Ittind, two British torpedo boats destroyers, in waiters where the Geiinuins assure us that our warships dare not go. (How Mie.v were travelling! Their errand was evidently urgent; and the white ensign dipped in response to our salute and tJicy were gone. TVc remembered those destroyers now. The navigable channel here, we knew, was very narrow. They do not care much for tog when there is work to do, the young fellows who have the t.b.d.'s; and if those two, or two niore like them, osime tenrr'ng along as we had seen them when we lay anchored fchero ....