The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-15
A. c. Schaefer Returns and Says Fatherland Is Pros
 porous in Spite of War
CROPS ARE BIG AND
 GOLD IS PLENTIFUL
Nation Is Prepared to Stand Siege of Two Years if Necessary Without Supplies From
 the Outside

financially than all the allied powers combined. and that it's people are stand ing solidly behind the Kaiser A. c. Schaefer. 4s17 Avenue D, Avondale. Ger man American citizen, who returned Thursday from an extended visit to the fatherland. predicts that the war In Eu- rope will be ended within two months. He declares it can't last, because the wholesale slaughter of humans on the field of battle is too much for humanity to bear.
 Mir. Schaefer. with his wife and two young sons. reached Germany prior to the beginning of the war and left by way of Denmark. sailing from Copenhagen Oc- tober 29 and reaching New York Novem- Der Ii. He says the vessel on which they sailed was intercepted only once by a British warship The passenger list was | read by the officer of the English vessel | and the passenger ship was permitted to proceed without further molestation. Mir. Schaefer says that It is hard to 1 understand why the people In America should talk of hard times,'' when in Ger | many, where the war Is actually in exist | ence, conditions are verging on prosperity. The crops in Germany this year he says, were larger than ever before; the farmers are happy, contented and prosperous. willingly lend money, paying checks in gold without question or quibble. | MT. Schaefer says that the reported con | scriptions for the German army are false | He says that not a man under 21 years 1 of age has been accepted for service in l the field, and that there are 100000 men l in Germany who can be called on at a moments notice for service. The recruit | ing offices, he says, are beseiged night and day by young men who want to | work for the Emperor" and they are told to wait until they are needed. Most Trusted Man in Germany ''The Emperor is the best beloved and most trusted man in Germany today" de- clared Mir. Schaefer yesterday, when seen | by an Age-Herald reporter. Even now, after three months of war, there are | thousands ready to respond to the call of the Emperor There are families who send five, seven and even ten of theil male members to the colors or, as the | SiOBdn IS, LO NOTh TUT tAt iIHiptAoA- n one family the five sons, all graduates oi Heidelberg university. begged for admis sion at 12 different recruiting stations and three of them ultimately were ac cepted and serve now in the field.
 Every woman whose husband works 1 for the Kaiser receives from the govern 1 ment 16 marks a month and four marks l for each child and reasonable amount 1 of coal. Those whose husbands have been employees of the factories and mills re- ceive from the mill owners an additional
 eight marks a week and coal Is given | free.
 | "The state is building railways, bridges and public highways to give employment to those who are not yet permitted tc work for the Emperor The street cars are run by women and in some places | even the fire brigades are manned by women. Much of the postal service ano other public utilities work is done, with out remuneration, by the men who are toe I old to enlist.
 i ..Germany has not tried anywhere tc | float A. loan Her own people have paio the second war loan of 1000 900 marks 1 and the amount was ver-subscribed foul l times. They are ready to do even more. ..Germans know that they must win il this gigantic struggle and they intend tt win, working In the old, enduring way so we'll known right here in America. Nt | one in Germany undertakes the strengti and the bravery of the enemy.
 .The stories of German atrocities, al everyone here knows, are untrue. Thi fact will be testified to by the 500000 pris 1 oners of war confined within the borders l of the empire. who are all well cared for Of course, they are worked on the high | ways, just as Alabama works It's con victs on the roads in some counties, ant they are perhaps even better taken car' of than are some of the convicts in thu state The German nation has. througi the Emperor and through others, appealed to the fair-mindedness of the nations and, 1t seems, not without gratifying re suits.
 l Crops Were Never Better
 'aThe crops this year in Germany wer'
 never better During July and August
 worked an average of 13 hours a day help ing to gather in the harvests before tn
 coming of the cold. The country Is pre-
 pared to stand state of siege for tw'
 years or more, as far as food is con cerned As for money. there Is no coun try in the world in better condition thai Germany Gold is more plentiful than Il
 Denmark and Sweden. When I reache' 1 Copenhagen on my way to America ha'
 800 marks. which I wanted to exchange I was told that it was possible to get onl'
 paper money. I changed 200 marks
 enough for immediate needs and waite I until I reached New York to change tn
 remainder Of the money. Itis different Il Germany Gold can be obtained as easil as though war never existed.
 There is no excuse for American peo ple crying hard times Germany, wh
 Is plunged into the most deva statine wa
 of history. has no hard times and tn United States should not have. The pric through speculation. When the war , for American cotton.
 "The war will not last more than tw months longer. It is impossible for it t
 do 90. There are too many killings for
 to last The French placed snn0 neer troops from Africa in the front of it's hat tie line recently to charge the Cerma trenches. The commander of the Germa
 forces placed in front of hts position fou arrnored automobiles, each armed wit
 th-ee machine guns, and in two hour
 roA0 of the neeroes were lying in front Q the Trench position. dead. The remainin 1Ooo have not since been seen.
 "The reports of the allies as regard
 victories would seem to be erroneoul
 They have been reportirg gains all aicn the line for two months mast ard hay
 adva need not at all. The war has nc vet reached German territory notwitt
 standing the fact that the allied force