The Washington times., 1915-04-15
Letter to Washington Relative
From French Woman De-
scribes Frenzy Of Germans.
SHOWS FAITH IN FUTURE
Nine. de Meissner Receives
Striking Picture of Fine
Courage of a Mother.

Thus does a courageous wife ana
mother write to her American relatives
in picturng the plight of France and
appealing for a better understanding on
the part of Americans OF the great and
colossal" struggle in which her country
is engaged.
To Nine. Sophie Radford de Meissner,
widow of Waldemar de Meissner. one
time secretary of the Russian embassy.
writes the Countess of Ceran from Pre-
jeur. a suburb of Paris, of the devasta-
ton wrought by the invading hosts, but,
with faith in the ultimate triumph OF
the allies, she greater triumph
for the ideals of justice, beauty, and
truth.
riaSe of Nine. de Meissner, has two
sons and two brothers in the ranks, but
of the family itself there are fifteen in
the trenches.
of the patriotism which actuates the
wives and mothers of France. and,
while coniessing the materialism which
the nation had reached prior to the
war. expresses a sublime faith in the
future.
She sees a need that the rural popula-
ton learn it's lesson of suffering. even
though the part of the country In which
she resides Is already stripped of men
and horses She continues:
10 SnOW the lTutn'
II have for long time wished to
write you to do my part although very
small it Is, in the great and sublime
work being accomplished for the High
est Ideal. Justice, Liberty. Beauty,
Truth and for which 80 many men are
suffering and dying; for which so many
unfortunate youths are weeping.
often think of you over there and Won
der how you are judging these formid-
able events.
Can you really Judge? Do you really
know the truth? And how do you teel
as you look upon these atrocious and
sanguinary battles incredible as they
are. not like one Mortified as you
gaze upon the enactment of hideous
drama?
Without doubt there must be among
your best people a great many who feel
more sympathy for our cause than for
that of the Barbarians. I am grieved
that you Americans, even among those
who have not solely a business mind
and soul. should not be sure of our
cause-that many doubts still exist
with a failure to understand the frenzy
OF madness on the part of one whom
we respected so highly yesterday tor
his many virtues and qualities now
proved to be spurious. For frenzicd
madness alone can explain all this orgy
OF insatiatc fury and heart rending
blunders, kipling only a short time
ago put it so well-in striking phrase
like a woman In a frenzy. 1t is
Systematic Horrors.
How | would like to know what you
all think over thereto know whether
you really know of all the systematic
horrors which are being committed, of
the great crimes by the insane and fren-
zied people of Germany-of the pilag
ing, of the murder of the mutilation of
little children by cutting off their hands,
of the violation of women and young
girls and poor nuns.
Just think of all these poor creatures
and of the terrible consequences. Ones
heart sckens in thinking of the afro
cious consequences to these women--of
all those poor, unwelcome accursed hu
man beings who will be born to be
their poor. suffering mothers!
AS for the Barbarians. all their acts
are regulated with method: all their de-
vastations irrepara ble-and they dare say
and they pretend to say. that they were
htmselves, alas. And France was
scarcely prepared with money, scarcely
armed with cannon or guns-there was
nothing ready. not even mentor men
were deeply imbued with a distressing
materialism, and seemed to have for
gotten religion itself.
True, the soul was immortal. but be-
numbed and chained by shameful ties.
But now 1t Is so beautiful, strong,
so pure--always that French spirit. AS
by miracle it awoke. breaking it's
the Filthy Beast who. during forty years
had been weaving its web in its smallest
details so as to catch the poor uncon-
scous butterflies.
Illusions About Germany.
l would like you, who love to work
for the beautiful. should tell these
truths to all those within your circle Of
influence
/ suffered great deal at the begin
ring, and suffer today. because | had
too many illusions about Germany, it's
kultur. because | had much admiration
shall ] say-for its Kaiser, a sort OF
mystic Lohengrin much admiration for
its Socialists. These things deceived me-
All. they have deceived many others. |
could not possibly believe in that colos-
sal German toCD blow! On the other
hand. |. didn't have the optimistic view
of many. had no confidence in France
materially or morally. 1t seemed to me
that in some way it deserved its bad
luck;
When the Germans pretend that
France desired the war it is attrbutng
10 us more stupdities than all the uni
verse could deCently attribute to US.
But without eXaggerating France is
again itself. Its good and beautiful
spirit is again working going forward
fighting front or back, cheerfully, gen
erously dying with courage and pa
tience, so unlike our national dispos-
tion. EVeryw here it is heroic and good,
this dear beautiful spirit of France
BelSium'S Lesson.
"Can one imagine more beautiful
page in history han that Belgium has
written with lis blood? There are not
many like il in past centuries.
Just as at Marathon. it Is the refined
spirit struggling for the Ideal against
the hordeS Ot barbarians The Ger
mans think they are a superior race
that may he bat il may he that we
l.atns prefer our own civilization to
theirs.
We simply demand the right ot
existence. Who EaVe them the right to
deny us that. Truly We cannot under
stand that German mentality. such
ideas are inCOmprehensIblc. cur Latin
brain cannot conceive such q Demon.
Il am follow iuG with the great nst in
terest and passion all that Is written
and said. and putting il together tor
my boys, especially Tor Claude. who
writes me from his trenches and VIII
mi. N Lra..-.- 49,. A..-I