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John Silas Reed '10, war correspondent of the Metropolitan Magazine and author of "Insurgent Mexico will deliver a lecture at the Tremont Temple this afternoon at three o'clock and will speak in the Union Sunday at 4.30. The subject of his talk will be his experiences in Europe. Mr. Reed made nine attempts to get to the front. On one occasion he was intercepted with several other correspondents and sentenced to death. The sentence was changed and the prisoners were started to Tours on foot, spending each night in jail. The trip would have required thirty-five days, but after seven days, it was decided to take them by train. They were sentenced to two years in a French fortress. Later the sentence was suspended and they were set free with the instructions written on their pass-ports that they should be shot at once if caught within the firing line. On his next attempt, Reed left his pass-port behind, but was soon intercepted and sent back to Paris. Reed then went to Berlin via Switzerland, where he was fortunate enough to meet a tour for correspondents conducted by the German government, and was able to see the three-months old battlefield of the early war. Finally the Commander of the Bavarian army consented to allow visitors and correspondents to spend the night in the trenches. This happened at a critical time, and an unexpected battle occurred. Of this battle and the conditions in the trenches Reed will speak this afternoon and Sunday.
Reed says the system used by the Germans is wonderful. On one occasion he went around for three weeks without showing his papers and one officer upon seeing his name, told from memory the time at which he had crossed the frontier and all the places he had visited since that time. Reed says that the Germans have no pass-word. A German officer whom he asked in regard to this said "Oh we have no pass-word. There are no spies in Germany".
Professor C.T. Copeland says of him. "I know of no living writer in English or French who has a greater gift of description than John Reed"
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