The Washington times., 1914-09-10
Miss Eleanor Painter Says
There Are No False Ideas in
Berlin as to Enormity of
Struggle for Existence.
Asserts There Is Much That Is
Untrue Printed About Ger
man Conditions in This
Country.
By ELEANOR PAINTER.

NEW YORK. Sept. 10 have just
| landed direct from Berlin. There Is
! much that is untrue that has beer
printed about conditions there. But
what / want to tell is about the women
Of Germany, and more especially the
women of Berlin. They are bearing the
burden at home-their fathers, their
brothers. their husbands, their sons all
are at the front.
Some already are dead. Others are
wounded. And always there is the
same suspense, the fear that when the
next list shall be posted. 1t will contain
the names of the loved ones as yet un-
scathed.
All For Fatherland.
But the women of Germany are fac
ing the situation with heroic calmness.
1t is all for the Fatherland. The spirit
of the people is wonderful. II the men
are swept away in the maelstrom OF
war, the women will continue the fight.
They are prepared now to do SO.
There are few tears in Berlin. OF
course. there is sorrow, deep sorrow.
But the German women. and the few
men still left in the capital. realize that
the national life itself is at stake. and
accept the inevitable losses Of a sue
cessful military occupation. There is a
grim dignity everywhere. There are no
false ideas as to the enormity of the
struggle for existence. A great many
Germans. in fact, realizing that 1t is
nearly the whole world against Ger
many, do not believe that the Father
land can survive. But they are deter
mined, that while there is a living Ger
man. so long will Germany fight.
A father with his ten sons enlisted.
Central Won Haessler, more than the
allotted three-score years and ten, vet
eran of two wars, offered his sword
Boys who volunteered and who We're
not needed at the time | left Berlin
wept when the recruiting officers sent
them back home.
Keep Back Tears.
The German women fight their own
battles in keeping back tears and
praying for the success of the Ger
man arms. Hundreds Of titled women
are at the front with the Red Cross,
sacrificing everything to aid their
country. Baroness Won Ziegler and
her daughter. friends o: rhine. wrote
me from Wieshaden tIst before I left
Berlin, that they were en- route to the
front and were ready to fisht If need
be.
Berlin is normal 1 left there on
August 26 Irices FOR food staples
remain at almost the same levels as
before the war. The government
fixed maximum prices for foolstus.
In the early DAYS Of the war the ca feS
with British names quickly changed
to German.
do not believe the stories OF Ger
man atrocities. An officer with whom
I talked told me that when the Ger
man troops entered Brussels the in
hab!tants stood by, offering the SOL
diers cigars aud dainties. ard that In
tn, midst oc this grim reality OF wat
fare with its play with death. the
German soldiers stcop,d from the
ranks TO kiss and rondle little Eel
gian children who stood uehingly
watching them lass.
Nor do / helis:e that German Of
fcers holding themselves a:oof fror?
their men. have Dccn forced TO beat
them with their swords to make them
fight On the night Of mobilization.
when the men started for the front.
! was one of crowd of thousands
that lacked the streets near the st:l-
tions. The men chcercd their officers
repeatedly. They were wild TO get
into action
No Dissenting Voice.
There is no dissenting voice in the
chorus of patriotism that is heard
everywhere in Germany. Even the stu
pendous losses which the army is incur
ring cannot dim the love of the father
land in the desires of the Germans. as
whole nation, to fight on. l speak
OF vast losses An officer with whom
talked while en- route from Berlin
to Rotterdam told me OF his own expe-
rirnce He was one of ZOO men on the
eastern frontier. They saw a detach-
ment Of Russians ahead. The German
forces went into battle singing and con-
fident. although the Russian columns
numbered 1900. or the German force
of 1000 just fifty survived. None sur
rendered.
Russia's deceit Is believed by Ger
mans to have been the immediate cause
of the war. At the time the Gar was
protesting that he wanted peace, Berlin
knew Russia was mobiliZing. Before
Germany declared war Russia had vio-
lated east Prussia. Germany had to
fight. and she will fight TO sustain hcr
national existence while a single Ger
man is left to bear arms.
Miss Eleanor Painter. author OF the
above, is an American opera singer.
whose home is in Colorado, but who has
spent the last four years In Berlin.