The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-04-25

they are continually increasing their puSl l ness.
 Now disaster has come and all the old bitterness will not be long in asserting 1 itself. The Prussians are most cordially 1 hated all over Germany. As soon as l Prussia is unable to afford the other Ger man states efficient protection you will see these, and especially the southern states. hurry to shake off the tyranny of the northerners.
 At present there is no sign of this dis cord on the surface, but they are bound l to come. and though the moment has 1 not yet come when there is any prospect of concluding a separate peace with Ba- varia or Saxony. to the careful reader of German newspapers, the first symptoms, reproaehes and contempt. are already yisi- ble. They are the first effects of the dis enchantment and you may be quite sure that Germany's statesmen, if not her sol- diers, see their hopes waning every day" Barometer of Opinion The interpreters who are censoring the correspondence of the German prisoners of war in France and who have been performing this duty since the beginning of the war have in their possession a double barometer which enables them to keep themselves posted on the fluctua- tions of German opinic-
 One of them writes in a Paris paper:
 
 of all arms and ages. coming from all parts of Germany, and belonging to an classes of society. The letters which these prisoners receive testify, Of course 10 very different feelings, and it would be absurd to base a diagnose on one or two There are. however. certain char acteristics which are common Be he iich or poor. manufacturer, merchant, grand seigneur or peasant, the head of a German family writing to his son thinks himself obliged to bluff to speak of the greatness of Germany of speedy victory and even to give military or diplomatic information. These letters are really less intended for the prisoners than for the French officials who read them. They are as a matter of fact written by com- mand and here is a proof.
 "A son of the director in the Mercedes company the principal stockholder in German cable company, received letters from his father so full of reports of Ger man victories that the officer in command of the camp asked the young man to inform his father that letters of this kind would not be delivered.
 ''The son wrote: Dear Father: Send me only family and personal news in your letters and avoid politics, as otherwise shall not get your letters
 The fathers letters became even more boasting than before He knew
 
 but he wrote them as a link in the German propaganda in France
 "Very often the same envelopes con- tained letters from the prisoner mother and sisters and these were en- tirely different.
 Several of them began: It is SD. dreadful to think that you are starv- ing. As we, the victors, are short of many things, how much worse must not conditions be among the vanquished. When the French have next to nothing to eat themselves, of course they can not spare much for their unfortunate prisoners
 Many percels accompanied these letters and the change In their con tents gave an excellent idea of how Germany is gradually running short of food. It is long. time since their appetizing sausages and succulent pat ties gave way to delicatessen mixed with potato flour and canned goods Of very poor quality with which the Ger. mans are now ruining their stomachs. The chemist has replaced the cook. German prisoners need indeed have no fear that anyone in France will rob them of the food sent them from home and although they are entitled to pe present when their parcels Nare opened they no longer make use of this priv nege, well knowing that the contents will tempt no one here
 "A Pomeranian wrote to his mother a few weeks ago: We get mach bet ter food here than what you send
 The mother replied: I know that they have forced you to write that for everybody here knows that the French are being starved to death by ourAsub- marines
 Peasants in Wuerttemburg and V3a- varia are the only ones who send good .l..y .s..t- thing that comes from Berlin is unfit to eat"
 Death for Medal
 pathetic story is told today of dying soldier and his medal. He was rought to the hospital in terrible condition. His breast was pierced and Dart of his face was missing. To save him was impossible. To the surprise of tho doctors and nurses the dying sol oier raised himself in bed and said "They promised me the military medal l want my medal Telegraph to the war minister
 A telegram was sent to the ministry of war. Three days later the military medal arrived To everybodys astonishment the man was still alive. The only eye he possessed shone when he was in- formed that his medal had come.
 Let someone present it to me- he
 
 the hospital was in a difficulty. He did not at first know of any officer who could pin medal on the dying man S breast Then he remembered that there was wounded colonel in the war office below. The officer was consulted and readily consented to perform the cere- mony.
 The colonel had no uniform, but he had his kepi in his sack. This he donned and proceeding on crutches-for he was wounded in both legs-to the ward where the dying soldier lay he began the cere- mony Tn the name of the President of the republic I decorate you with the military medal he said. The ceremony was attended by all the wounded sol- diers in the hospital who could stand on their feet and tears were in many eyes as the old colonel gave the accoade and kissed the man on his only cheek
 They said they would give me the medal, and l have got it," said the sol- cier. "On such a day as this day my comrades and myself might be given a glass of champagne. The poor fellow had not eaten or drunk anything since he had entered the hospital. The surgeon major was consulted and gave his con- sent for champagne to be served. The soldier moistened his lips in the glass, then raised it above his head, but his arm fell. He now swallowed mouth ful of the wine, and the next moment the glass fell from his hand. He took long glance at the medal on his brea st, gazed at his comrades, who were unable to restrain their emotion, and died with a smile of contentment on his lips. He had got his medal