The Alaska daily empire., 1914-11-09
CsEgSaI lgS' PR5P l l2EDNESS
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 B0STON-Jndge Albert D. Bosson, president of the Hooj Rubber co, who was ln Germany as late as Aug s makes some interesting observations on conditions as he viewed them.
 Business In Germany at that time, he declared wac far less disturbed than In Switzerland where be spent several weeks immediately following the outbrsak Of the var. Sentiment Of the German people, he beiieYes is unanimous in support of Che Kaiser In this struggle for Che idea is gen- eral that Germsny is lighting for Der national existence, and that tho Allies arc the aggressors
 He saya: ''on an the Rhiae railroad bridges on tho first of August passon. gers were made to leave the trains and either walk or be taken over in carriages. The trains were then run over empty, The lear was that the bridges might be dynamited or ron dered unsafe by enemies, or that some bombs might be dropped,
 It has often been seid over here in the States that the German War Office has been keeping the real facts and news Of reyerses to the German arms or ships from the people, but ] have reason to believe otherwise. ] was in Wesel on the afternoon of Aug. go and the very correct story of the German naval disaster at Heligoland was posted In various public places.
 "Therc is no doubt that Germany was prepared for war She Is always prepared So far as food snd other supplies are concerned she is pretty nearly self.sustaining Ordinarily Ger many raises about S5 per cent of the cereals she consumes. ! suppose, un- der proper management, if the acreage which is devoted to the cultivation of sugar beets is reduced and 9 portion Of it given over to the raising of cer- calls. Germany cnn produce all sho needs. was assured that Germany had sufficient supply of cereals on hand to last until the next harvest.
 "As ] passed through the cities of Stuttgart and Cologne in the last week in August business was going on as usual. the only difference being the steady passage through of large bod ies or troops did not see a single body of troops with either a band or drums but the soldiers were usually singing Die Yacht am Rhein, or 'Deutchland Uber Alles.'
 Most of the factories that ] passed seemed to be in full operation. At that time, however, the landsrum had not yet been called out. ! suppose now that industrial activity has been somewhat restricted.
 Previous to the outbreak Of bostili- ties l had been in Germany about two months. but left on July 3l, went ov- CT into Switzerland and then came back through Germany the latter part Of August to Holland think Hol. land will be able to maintain her neu- trality. although she may have to swallow a good many things before the end Of the war Her interests are, however, clearly in favor of neu- trality.
 In Switzerland, found opinion very much divided. In French Switzerland sympathies were decidedly with the Allies while in German Switzerland. sympathies were decidedly pro-Ger- man There are four French cantons in Switzerland, 15 German caRtons, one divided between French and Ger man. and one Italian. The German speaking inhabitants probably make up two-thirds of the total population.
 Tn Switzerland the government mo. bilized an the horses and seized an the petrol early in the war. It was extremely hard to get carriages or au- tomobiles. Transportation was much more badly crippled than in Germany.
 My hope is that Western Europe will see in Q few months that al the countries may become exhausted ll they keep up and that some settlement nav conseOuentlv. be arrived at