The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1915-04-06
IN THE FATHERLAND
INTERESTING BITS OF NEWS
FROM THE GREAT GERMAN
EMPIRE.
WHAT'S DOING IN OLD HOME
Summary of the Most Important Hap.
penings In the Land of the Kaiser
Timely Items for the German
Readers.

l ~
Readers.
Germany, Austria and Great Britain
have agreed to permit representatives
| OF the United States to inspect and
report upon alien prison camps in
| those countries; through the good of.
ices of the American government
similar arrangements are contemplated
between Russia and France and Ger
many and Austria Hungary. Under
the agreement supplies from their own
governments or from other sources
can be distributed to the prisoners.
These arrangements are based upon
recommendation contained in a re-
port by Chandler P. Anderson, former
counselor of the state department, who
conferred with the foreign Offices of
Great Britain, Germany and Austria
Hungary last November and visited
some of the detention camps in those
countries. The basis of the arrange
ment briefly is as follows: First
Each of the belligerent governments
undertakes to furnish for the infor
nation of the others a complete state
ment Of it's policy with regard to the
treatment of prisoners, with full de-
tails showing the supplies furnished
and the conditions of their life during
internment, supplemented by copies of
orders and instructions issued from
time to time to the commandments of
the prisoners camps. Second-The
belligerent governments will permit
the representatives of the United
States in each country to have access
to the prisoners and will allow the
prisoners to furnish statements about
their treatment, the conditions of life
and requirements which they wish to
have communicated to their own gov
eminent. 1t is understood that the
government of the United States in IN
dertaking this work assumes no re-
sponsibility of any kind beyond the
mere transmission of the statements
and the distribution of supplies fur
nished, as above Indicated in accor-
dance with such restrictions and regu-
lations as are imposed by the govern
ments concerned.
Many public appeals have been made
to the housewives of Germany to aid
the fatherland in its extremity by
economizing the food supply, and the
National Women's service in Berlin is
giving daily lectures for their instruc-
ton. The buildings used for the pur-
pose proved insufficient to accommo-
date the enormous crowds of women
anxious to be instructed in way to
face the coming terrors in the home.
Recipes for meatless cookery were
given and famous professors and So
ciety women were among the speak
ers. Ten huge meetings were held in
Berlin on one day for the purpose Of
impressing upon the housewives the
seriousness of the situation and the
responsibilities of the kitchen in time
Of war.
Few officers in the war to date have
achieved more honors than young
Karl OFT of Schwanheim on the Main,
a former volunteer now advanced to
the highest noncommissioned rank,
who has received no less than six
decorations. OFT has received the Iron
Cross, first class, Iron Cross, second
class, the Prussian service order, the
Prussian golden medal for bravery,
the Bavarian service order, first class,
and the Bavarian bravery medal, first
class. The young man, who has been
wounded severely, was visited in the
hospital recently by the kaiser, who
personally commended him for his gal
lantry.
Owing to the action of the Austrian
government in reducing by one-fourth
the production of bakeries, many dis
tricts in Vienna are reported to have
been virtually without bread for
week. The order curtailing produc-
ton has been repealed, but the situa-
ton is said to have shown no improve
ment, bakers being unable to obtain
-four The working classes in the sub
urbs of Vienna are reported to be
feeling the bread shortage greatly.
Count Tisza, the Hungarian premier,
has no hope that war will be over by
autumn, for he has just issued state
ment announcing that the parliament
| tary elections, which would ordinarily
| take place in September, will be post
poned owing to the war. The premier
| remarks that most of the electors are
at the front, and it would be obviously
unfair to proceed with any elections
| in their absence.
Germany is forwarding to the Swiss
frontier 10000 interned French civil
| ians for repatriation.
| The affection of the throat from
| which Kaiser Wilhelm suffered two
| months ago has attacked him again.