The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-10-27
ssQMy -Four Years In Gern,any"
Ambassador Gerad's Experiences al German Court
Until Entrance of the United States Into
a the Great War
Life in the Prison Camps-Work of The Y.
M C. 4. in Germany Financed BY Gener-
- Gus americans Women,s Actiuities
the GTeai Var

+, The German women exhibited no
table qualities in war. They engaged
in the Red Cross work. including the
preparation OF supplies and handages
1 for the hospitals. The first day OF
mobilization saw number OF young
girls at every railway station in the
country with food and drink for the
passing soldiers. AT railway juno
tons and terminals In the large cities
stations were established where these
Red Cross workers gave "a warm meal
to the soldiers passing through In
these terminal stations there were
also women orkers possessed of sur
icieut skill TO change the dressings
of the lightly wounded.
ON the T3ellfuestrasse. Frau won
lime, wife Of the great architect,
founded a home for blinded soldiers
In this home soldiers were taught to
make hrooms. baskets and SO ON.
German women who had country
places turned these into homes for
the c0nvalescent wounded. But per-
haps the most noteworthy was the
National Freundienst or Service for
Women, organized the first day OF
the war. The relief given by the state
to the wives and children of soldiers
W ttS u1SAE4UuIWu from EIdilDfES IN Ser
lin, and In the netghborhood OF each
OF these stations the Fraueadienst es-
tableshed an office where women were
always in attendance. ready to give
help ard advice to the soldiers wives
There were card indexes of all the
people within the district and OF their
needs. AT the time / left Germany
believe that there were upward of
1000 women engaged In Berlin In So
ciai service. in irstructihE the women
Ia the new art OF cooking without
milk. eggs or fat and seeing to it that
the children had their fair share Of
milk. IL Is due to the efforts OF these
social workers that the rate of in
during the war.
HELPING OVER
PERIODS OF POVERTY
A war always causes a great I'M
settling in business and trade; people
no longer buy as many articles OF
luxury, and the workers engaged In
the production OF these articles are
thrown out Of employment, In Ger
many the National Women's Service
acting with the labor exchanges, did
its best TO find new positions for those
thrown out of work. Women were
helped over a. period of poverty until
tFtSA tcAiA btid HGN P!dEFS AHO Nblt
Instructed in new trades,
/ Many women engaged in the work
u sending packages containing food
and comforts TO the soldiers at the
front and to the German prisoners
r+>f-s~e.--i-t -ot ffe- countries. ~-----~-----l
Through the efforts Of the Ameri.
can Association of Commerce anG
Trade and the embassy a free restau
rant was established in Berlin in one
of the poorer districts. About 20t
persons were fed here daily In hal
decorated with flags and plants. Thi
was continued even after We left Ger
many.
Y At Christmas, 1919. MRS. Gerard ant
/ visited this kitchen with Mr. ant
| Mrs. Wolf and General Won Kessel
commander Of the Mark Of Branden
burg. ana one OF his daughters. Pres
efts we're distributed to the children
and the mothers received an orde
for goods in one Of the department
stores The German Christ mas song
were sung. and when a little German
child offered a PRAYER for peace / d.
not think there was any one presen
who could refrain from weeping.
Many Of the German women o
title, princesses etc, established bas
hospitals Of their own and seemed t
manage these hospitals with success