Salt Lake Tribune | 1919-03-09 | Page 67 | "Kamerad" Induces a Blow; "American" Insures Safety

"Kameraci" Induces a Blow; "American" Insures Safety Incident of Fighting in Berlin Which Raised Yankee Yan-kee Appreciation -for "Old Glory" and the Homeland. By RICHARD H. LITTLE. (Chicago Tribune Cable, Copyright.) BERLIN, March 5, via Berne and Paris, March S. The magic name "Americans" works magic with the "reds." With tanks, machine guns and artillery the counter-revolutionists counter-revolutionists are daily attacking thej republican re-publican government's strongholds in the heart of the city. The word "Americans" is the only thing that saved four of us. backea against a wall, when on tour in the fighting fight-ing area last night. Mr. and Mrs. Ben Hecht of Chicago, a Berlin interpreter, and myself in a motor car were halted by a volley of shots while approaching , the Alexanderplatz barricade. On turning into Wilhe:mstrasse a riflfe banged in front of us and several pistols flashed behind. Hen wera running through the dark from every direction. Our foolish chauffeur tried to increase the speed of the car. The crowd was soon so thick in front that our car slowed down. Instantly a man leaped upon the running board and shoved a pistol at the driver's head. 1 Brings Blow With Revolver. I leaped ont of the machine, held up my hands and shouted the only German I had learned, "Kamerad!" Somebody kindly knocked me down with the butt of his revolver. Realizing that the world "kamerad" had not helped much, I shouted "American!" The ge ntleman Who knocked me down immediately helped me to my feet. A big crowd gathered, shouting- .in German, "They must be shot; stand them against the wall." Herr Abel, the interpreter, now rose to a sublime height and, with a whip-cracking whip-cracking voice, shouted: "Fools, swine, do not do that for which you will be sorry. These are Americans. Release them at once." 1 I was, alarmed for the safety of Mrs. Hecht. but, turning around, I saw her smiling- and shaking hands with the soldiers. sol-diers. While the Beating Was Good. Some members of the mob still wanted to shoot us, but a tail sailor, apparently in command, who had held his pistol to ujy nose since jeaving tne automobile, said: "These are friends of- Germany. They are Americans." Thereafter we fell quits at home with ; the revolutionists. The sailor whispered, "You'd better beat it." We did. Within a few blocks' practically the same shooting at us occurred again, with the accompanying crowd of soldiers. This time we all bounced out, shouting "Americans." Jt worked. We were seached, but everybody shook hands and the revolutionists passed us as friends. We gave the nice revolutionists revo-lutionists ton marks and proceeded to a cafe in a fashionable part of the city. Tli ere, because all the others were on strike, the only remaining member of the orchestra played a cello. Alone and unaided un-aided he played "My Country, 'Tis of Thee."