Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-11-23
LETTER WRITTEN
FROM THE WAR ZONE
Gives Insight Into the Way
German Women View the
War Situation

% Your first written letter reached Us
tolay. 1t was on the way seven weeks.
Your other two came few days ago,
written ON later dates, so the first came
last. You see by that that mail reaches
its destination very irregular. You
wondered if | had written before. !
had not; friends telling me II would
only be lost. Therefore, | tnought best
to wait until / heard from oGe of you
before ] wrote or sent papers. We are
certainly being tried very, very haId
now. How much heartache, worry and
sorrow this war causes will never be
known. We feel so sorry for the people
of every country who live near the bOr-
der, for they are the oues who suffer
most They are obliged to flee for SAT-
ETY. and leave all their belongings, be
it much or little of this worlds goods,
behind them. can not express to
you now sincorelyI pity those who have
to leave the hattlefield-th injured,
the crippled-there are so many of them
-and tu think of the suffering they
must endured Yet, were they to get
well and could have their choice they
would enter into a hattle today, tomor'
row or at any time to help save their
country. They do not MIND scars,
wounds, the loss OF eye or limb a shat
tered jaw or shGlder. To you or me
' their cheerful answer would be, if !
have only been of some help to our
vaterland Country All around us
is the enemy; power after power has
declared war against us, and yet it is
said those great powers who 50 readily
and jointly declared war against ~
had no intentions Of dctng so, If they
had no such intentions how could all
those great powers declare war In such
q short time1 What have we done
Can you or are you able to answer this
question: What have we done to them
They wanted war and drove us into
war, our kaiser only waited too long be-
fore declaring war, Had we fought at
an earlier date II would no doubt have
been entirely different. Surely the
kaiser has shown himself to be a fried
ems liebcnder kaiser (pcace loving EN-
peroT. You remember well when he
became kaiser, We were both yet Al
hpmc in June, 1888. am sorry we ar,
. Indy 50 far apart aud hope we will SET
you rs soon as all becomes quiet here
t ''The kaiser, joined by all Of hi
c family, attended religious services, an,
Il parto0k of the adendmal (the Lord
e suppar) two days before the mobilmach
/. ung (mobiliZation); set good example
IS to the mini0ls who were TO so TO tn
e battlefield, the whole army, he advise,
d and wished them to do likewise ant
Is prepare and be ready, each one in hi
p. own religion Millions obeyed, an,
churches of all denominations wer
n crowded TO oyertlOwing from August
Ie The confession chairs In the Cath0i
s churches were occupied day and night
b, aud ! believe most every German sol
n dicr went to the front prepared to di
i'd and eady to meet his God. In most al
le churches now are special services bein
h. held, We must pray, pray prayi "
y need lots of prayer.
le ''We began rightly and hope II wi
is have a good ending, but It Is terrible
u know what los of life and propert,
O. how much sorrow and pain II brings il
to our peaceful homes aud not, to kno'
when there will be an end TO II; " q
seems 80 dreadful.
eve live close to truppen verla,
n ungs platz (unloading wharf, or wheI
, the embarkation Of trocps takes place
g. Thousands upon thousands passed oI
~ homc during the first four weeks {
:. war The soldiers coats and guns In
NJ Neen decorated with flowers by lovin
M hNpds. Men, horses and wagons Of III
|, ,lMdNalry were also decorated with boz
4 MuN aud wreaths Of flowers The
~. .WNdAa beautiful living picture, thoup
tM@Alders were singing yaterland
lcEerg patriotic songs) while marchu
- IandSnding by. We could not nelp bl
"A weep bitterly Over two million frc
"a wllligc (voluntcers) offered their SO
3 vice. ther lives, for our vatcrand, an
i many moro than that Number would st,
forward in a very short time now we
n they needed. They have not drawn u
n younger nor the older men, none oyI
IS years old Brother Albert aud A
Z husband are both near 80 yenrs Of
therefore will not have TO 20 to WI
My son, Leo, who is - years old and
\ volunteer, is being developed and litt
out for q soldier nov, aud will Join D
regiment In about two weeks 10 OiV
go TO Russia or France, Not MANI
the younger freiwilige' ARE tai
only those Of good size aud good md
Il manship. cannot nor dare not n
Of his going at all il seems to brcal
all mp whenever think Of IT, and
think some parents have from OF
siX Fighting AZ the front. Some q
acquaintance have fallen; somt a
sick and badly crippled aud many u
fighting brayely aud well for our III
vuterland (dcar faiherland). Plea
pray fm my son, NO he may be nt
times prepared to 90 should Il be Il
lords VIII oh, Lord thy viii
done.
Hanhover is moro centrally locat
tnan our home town in which we We
born aud reared We do not hear {
N guns aud see the greatest Utiorir
We are free here to 1.-Two and do MS
pleas Ohrhnusen, where our old he
is, In which Won were born viii
Brother Albert dill occupies, Ia clos
20 a border-the Belgian border. tn
no doubt have seen and heard more, b
they are also well protected, aud VIII
last heard From them they were W,
"please send ihs letter 10 our brol
ors aud either sisters M Iowa aud \
hrnska. 80 viii be spared 10 write
much and no often Give thom all d
love, and everyone remember we nc
Myonr prayer, Your sister,