Mexico weekly ledger., 1916-08-17
Zorro KUNKEL TELLS OF
CONDITIONS IN GERMANY

- Il
now employed in the Bureau Of Plant
Industry in Washington, D. c., has
just returned from a nine months
Trip to Europe, where he has been
IN a travelling fellowship from Column
oia University, of New York, of
which he is a graduate.
During his stay abroad Mr.. Kun
xel visited Norway, Sweden, Hoi-
land, Switzerland and Germany. He
in the University Of Stock
holm and spent some time at Erie
berg, studying in the University
there.
$50 far as | could tell" said Mr..
Kunkel, in speaking of his trip, "the
business conditions of Europe at the
present are abnormal. In Germany
the gold coins have been called in to
the Central Bank in Berlin and paper
money issued their stead. The 10
p%fenning pieces, which were made OF
nickle, have all been called in and
a new issue, made of iron has been
sent out. The 10 pfenning piece was
used by the people of Germany in
much the same way as we use u
nickels. They were used extensively
to operate slot machines and when
the new iron ones came out all the
slot machines had to be readjusted.
81 saw many wounded officers, both
German and French, in Switzerland.
They we're kept in separate towns
the Germans in one and the French
in another.
Frieberg, where | studied for some
time, was only about thirty o forty
miles from the Voges Mountains and
we could hear the sound Of the big
guns most of the time. One night
the town was attacked by French Air
ships. l was able to witness the at
tack in which the French aircraft
dropped thirty-eight bombs in about
thirty minutes. The German artillery
of the city fred upon the attacking
aircraft.
"Food is short in Germany, condi-
tons in Berlin being worse than
elsewhere. There they use a system
of cards to feed the people. Cards
are issued for bread, meat, eggs, tea,
coffee and all kinds of food. These
tickets are much like the meal tick
cts we have and are issued to peo-
pie from the city hall, by some city
official. They are good for a period
of two weeks and the amount of food
taken on from the store each time is
punched on the ticket by the store.
keeper. All prices in Germany are
standardized by law, and one price
prevails over the whole country"
When a foreigner wants to come
back across the border into Germany
| after having left that country he must
pay a fee, and Mr.. Kunkel says it is
his opinion, after crossing the border
six times, that it is getting harder
all the time either to enter or leave
that country.
The Neutral Countries Of Europe
are very anxious to remain neutral.
according to Mr.. Kunkel. 81 talked
with an officer of Holland" he said
land he told me that should Germany
attack them they would fight and
would not allow England to help them
and that should England attack them
they would fight and not allow Ger
many to help"
Mr.. Kunkel saw many prisoners OF
war in Germany. The Russians are
used more than any other people TO,
work in the fields, and it is largely
through the work done by these Rus,
sian prisoners that Germany has beer
able to harvest her crops this year.
Potatoes constitute the most i'm,
portant crop in Germany at the pres.
ent time. "Without the potato" sale
Mr.. Kunkel, 81 doubt whether Ger
many would have been able to fee.
her people during the war. The ag
ricultural methods Of the European
countries differ from those Of Amer
lea in that their farming is far NOR
intensive than ours. Every availa
BILE bit of ground is utilized and evel
the grain fields are hoed."
When asked his opinion as to tn
duration of the war, Nh. Kunkel said
"If they fight till n belligrent wins
it will last a long time, but they ma
come to some agreement and in tina
way bring peace sooner. 1t is m
personal opinion that financial diff
culties will finally cause some kind Q
! treaty among the warning nations"
zone thing l learned" he continues
! "and that is to be very neutral in m
talk, for in a neutral or belligrent ns
ton, it is not well to show any syn
pathy. The German people seem I
feel no hatred for the French or Ru'
: slams, but they do hate the Englis
and the Italians"
"Along parts of the border betwee
Holland and Germany the Dutch hay
u dug trenches and placed barbed Wi
entanglements.
"The wounded Germans often +,
: turn to the trenches sevral times" !
n said. 81 met some who were retur1in
{ for the third and fourth times. The
S come home on leave and as soon
k they have recovered sufficiently the
e return to the front"
s Despite its proximity to the fror
r Mr.. Kunkel said Frieberg was cor