Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1914-10-28
BERLIN IN WAR TINES
City Aflame With Enthusiasm
When War Is Declared.
Emperor Received Piaudits of People
With Stern and InscrutabIe Face
Ordinary Life of Metropolis
Not Normal
BY HERBERT TEMPLE.


London. - DR.. H. ]. Poutsma,
secretary of the Railway Mems
union of South Africa, has just arrived
In London from Berlin and tells an in
teresting story of conditions there
since the war began.
Doctor Poutsma is one of the nine
labor leaders who was deported from
South Africa several months ago in
connection with the general strike
there. He was In Berlin for six weeks
after the outbreak of war and had a
rather exciting time making his way
slowly to England. He said:
Il left Berlin ten days ago, and have
just arrived in England My stay m
the German capital will be unforget-
table, so crowded has it been with vi
vid impressions and great events.
AT the risk of my life l left Berlin
with my wife and children on that
date with Dutch passport had been
lucky enough to obtain. With the
help of my knowledge Of the Dutch
language and through the kindness OF
a foreign ambassador, l managed to
slip over the border into Holland.
when 1t became known that Ger
many had declared war, the whole of
Berlin was af1ame with an enormous
enthusiasm. The streets were dense
with marching throngs singing the
patriotic songs of the Fatherland, and
making their way to the kaiser's pal
ace. 1t looked as If the whole city
had gone mad.
There was at that time confident
belief that Great Britain would re.
main neutral. Just after Great Britain
had entered the conflict / was told
that no British subject would be al
lowed to leave the country, and / had
to report myself every day to the po-
lice. had in my possession an Eng
lish passport which had taken out
only two hours before England sent
her ultimatum to Germany.
During my enforced stay in the
capital I saw the entrance of the kali
ser, the kaiserin and the crown prince
with his wife and the princes from
Potsdam 1t was a scene of the wild
est enthusiasm. The picture of the
emperor is vivid memory. He did
not bow once In acknowledgment OF
the shouts of the crowd. The crown
prince and his wife nodded and smiled
continually, but the emperor sat with
one hand at his golden helmet, stern
and inscrutable, figure of destiny.
There was not during the whole time
the faintest flicker of smile.
Scenes very different from these
occurred on the arrival of the refugees
from eastern Prussia in consequence
Of the Russian advance. They came
in thousands, rich and poor alike,
packed in freight cars, with all their
belongings in small handbags or bum
dies. The women and children were
crying. Their arrival created very
bad impression in Berlin, and gave
rise to alarming speculations that the
Russians would be in Berlin before
they were expected.
Meanwhile the ordinary life of the
city was not quite normal, although
the authorities did their best to keep
it SO. Food prices were regulated by
the government as one step to keep
off panic. From my house could see
Zeppelins and aeroplanes continually
circling overhead. Nearly all the tram
conductors had gone to the war and
the trans were equipped with women
conductors, chiefly wives of the con-
script tram-men.
"It must be said that the organiza-
ton and equipment of the German
army is remarkable and the mobiliza-
ton went like clockwork. There is a
feeling of cocksureness about victory
in Berlin. The people feel that Bel
GUM was stupid not to allow Germany
to march through, and that the severe
punishment inflicted is quite just"