Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-05-13
BY COUNT MouRlk DE BEAUFORT.
international News Service.)

international News service.)
The writer, who is well known In
America, was enormously reported killed
in France several weeks ago. He. mas Just
spent some time in Germany ald gives
the following account Of some Of his in
pressiOns.)
Berlin.-It does not take long 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.
l have spent the last three months
in various parts Of Germany. At no
time have l seen the very least sign
Of an approaching famine. I have
eaten there just as well and as cheap
Iy as in England.
The institution of the bread ticket
was mainly designed to stop the vast
age Of bread, and it has fully an
swered its purpose.
Each person receives ticket Civ
ing him the right to buy $50 grams OF
bread a day. I found it more than I
needed.
The taste of the bread differed great
" in various places. In some parts,
where it was supposed to contain 30
per cent Of potato flour, it tasted as
If it had SO per cent; again, else
where notably in Munich and all over
Bavaria and in East Prussia, I found
the bread very tasty.
I have been assured on every side
that they will manage until the next
harvest, which, from all signs, is going
to be a very successful one. Then
they will prepare for the next, and
there will not be many square feet of
land in Germany left uncultVated.
If the allies depend for success upon
starving out Germany, fear it will
be 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 I was in Munich
on the kaiser's birthday, January 27,
$4,000 troops took part in the parade.
and from what I have been able to
learn from various consuIs, 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
radeschritt" as scientifically as before,
but the raw material is good. | have
seen very few soldiers more than
about thiTty-fve years of age. More
over, there are good many men be
tween twenty and forty who, though
registered, have not been called, and
at the present rate of enlistment the
supply will last a great many months.
1t is unwise to trust the third sup
posed cause of GeTmany's downfall,
viz, the discomfort of the people when
they know the real state of affairs. |
have talked to hundreds of people,
representing all classes, from the high
est to the lowest, and I have come to
the conclusion that there is today in
Germany not one man in thousand
who is not absolutely convinced that
Germany was forced into this war.
They say that other cOuntries-no-
tally England-were jealous of Ger
many's progress, and that she is fight
ing for hearth and home. With the
exception of the diplomats, the Ger,
man has absolute confidence in his of
fcials and superiors.
Respect for authority" an Ameri-
can girl in Munich, who has married
a Bavarian officer, said to me. is max
ing this country stronger than any
other militarism. Ask any of them
they don't want to do without their
service in the army. Every man will
tell you he came out of the service a
better man than he went in. Yes, the
authorities think for the individual
but they think it for his best"
1t will never occur to a German that
he may be wrong, that his loyalty, his
life and the lives of his dear ones are
being sacrificed to a wrong cause.
Nothing, not all the exposures, de,
feats and hardships in the world will
make him change his mind. From the
cradle. where his mother sang him to
sleep with lulIabies telling of great
battles, and of the herOs death on the
field of honor, the German becomes
imbued with the spirit that places
personal considerations second tC
those of the kaiser and fatherland.
I had a long talk one day with Herr
Sassenbach, secretary of the trade
uuionists' headquarters in Berlin, al
organization which has sent over
100000 men into the field. Herr Sas
senbacl is the Social Democratic al
derman or city councillor of Greater
Berlin. During the course of the con
versation, at which Professor Francke
head of the bureau for social politics
was present, I suggested that it nigh
after all be a blessing in disguise fol
the German Iaborer if Germany were
10 be beaten and thereby be relieved
OF the yoke Of militarism.
was venturing on dangerous
ground. Sassenbach started TO an
swer, but the professor cut him short
telling him under his breath, Let ms
answer hint"
Are Not Going to Lose,
Quite excited and evidently an
noyed, he exclaimed:
Sir. if you want to make yoursel
thoroughly unpopular here end you
mission to be an entire failure; if yol
want TO make people shut up like f.;
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