Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1915-06-10
RIDICULOUS STORIES CIRCULATED By
ALLIES AS TO CONDITIONS IN GERMANY
Count de Beaufort Gives Impressions Gained During Trip Through
the Kasers DominionsNo the Least Sign Of an Approach
inq Famne-People United in Sentiment Regarding the
War-Beieve Country Was Forced Into Conflict
By COUNT MouRIk DE BEAUFORT.
international News seryice.)

BY COUNT MOURIk De bEAUfOHt.
international News Seryice.)
(The writer. who is well known il
America, was enormously reported killed
In France several weeks ago. He has just
spent some tipe in Germany and gives
the following account of some OF his I'M
pressions.)
Berlin.-It does not take hong after
arriving in Germany to find out that
the absurd stories circulating In Eng
land and France as to the real condi-
tons In Germany are just about as
ridiculous as the tales the German
public is fed with as to the real state
of affairs in the enemy's countries.
/ have spent the last three months
in various parts OF, Germany. At no
time have | seen the very least sign
of an approaching famine. ! have
eaten there just as well and as cheap
ly as in England.
The institution of the bread ticket
was mainly designed to stop the vast.
age Of bread, and 1t has fully an
swered its purpose.
Each person receives ticket Civ.
ing him the right to buy ESQ grams Of
bread day. / found it more than ]
| needed.
The taste of the bread differed great
ly in various places. In some parts,
where it was supposed to contain 30
per cent of potato flour, it tasted as
if It had 80 per cent; again, else
] where, notably in Munich. and all oveJ
Bavaria and in East Prussia, found
the bread very tasty.
/ have been assured on every side
| that they will manage until the next
harvest, which, from all signs, is going
to be very successful one. Then
they will prepare for the next, and
there will not be many square feet OF
land in Germany left uncultivated.
If the allies depend for success upon
starving out Germany, l fear it will
be a long, long way to victory. do
not. think it can be done.
Then the Germans are supposed to
be in difficulties owing to the shortage
Of men. Well, when was in Munich
on the kaiser's birthday, January ~
$4,000 troops took part in the parade
and from what / have been able to
learn from various consuls, it was the
same In other cities.
Was Forced Into War.
Berlin today contains more soldiers
than in peace time. They may not be
as smart; they may not do the pa
radeschritto as scientifically as before
but the raw material Is good. have
seen very few soldiers more thar
about thirty-f1ve years Of age More
) over, there are good many men be
tween twenty and forty who, though
!. registered, have not been called, ant
,, at the present rate of enlistment the
supply will last great many months
It Is unwise to trust the third sup
posed cause of Germany's downfall
viz. the discomfort of the people whe1
they know the real state of affairs.
have talked to hundreds Of people
representing all classes, from the high
est to the lowest, and / have come t
the conclusion that there is today il
. Germany not one man in a Thousand
$ who is not absolutely convinced tina
j Germany was forced into this war.
They say that other countries-no
tably England-were Jealous of Ger
many's progress, and that she is fight
ing for hearth and home. With tn
exception of the diplomats, the Ger
i man has absolute confidence in his Of
4 ,icials and superiors.
$ Respect for authority" an Amer
can girl in Munich, who has marie
a Bavarian officer said to me, is NAL
ing this country stronger than an
other militarism. Ask any of them
!. they don't want to do without thei
l. service in the army. Every man wi
tell you he came out of the service
better man than he went in. Yes, tn
authorities think for the individual
but they think it for his best"
u 1t will never occur to German tina
,f1 he may be wrong, that his loyalty, hi
Il life and the lives of his dear ones ar
: being sacrificed to a wrong cause
: Nothing, not all the exposures, d.
feats and hardships in the4World, wi
make him change his mind. From tn
cradle, where his mother sang him
sleep with lullabies telling of gres
II battles, and of the hero's death on tn
:. field of honor, the German become
: imbued with the spirit that place
4 personal considerations second
those Of the kaiser and fatherland.
/ / had a long talk one day with Hell
Sassenbach, secretary Of the tra6
/ unionists headquarters in Berlin, a
l organization which has sent owe
100000 men into the field. Herr Sa
senbach is the Social Democratic a
/ derman or city councillor of Create
| Berlin. During the course of the CO
i versation, at which Professor Franck
II head of the bureau for social polite
II was present, suggested that 1t migl
after all be blessing in disguise Il
/ the German laborer if Germany wei
/ to be beaten and thereby be relieve
of the yoke of militarism.
IL / was venturing on dangerol
ground. Sassenbach started to a
| swer, but the professor cut him shol
| telling him under his breath, Let n
answer him!"
II Are Not Going to Lose.
i Quite excited and evidently a
| noyed, he exclaimed
II "Sir, if you want to make yourse
thoroughly unpopular here and yo
mission to be an entire failure; if "
want to make people shut up like