Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-10-23

Since have come back have seer
number Of newspaper notices ina
Germany claims her crops this yea
are plentiful. This is not true. Ever
before left the people were In despair
because Of the shortage OF crops 9
what they had expected. The weatne
has been too dry there.
In addition to this, the farms nave
been worked by children and inexpef
fenced women and old men. Ihese
could not bring the results that the eA
nerienced farmers could. And Int
farmers all have gone to the war. bu
next wear the results will pc petlei
for the Germans have learned oy tnei'
mistakes of this year.
DREAD THIS WINTER.
Tho children who have been on
the farms these last few sumlnei go -,
learning fast. The women are NC &c
ing. and, so far as growing tnlnss a.,
concerned, Germany Will De III ue th;s
shape next summer than she 10 .no
wear. But, oh, how the people ma aae
dreading tho coming WINTER .,A f.
have no hope that the war WIN W
over this winter. and as they hase Nv y
idea of giving in, the German pe9p &c
are looking forward with SICK ure<au ~
i the cold weather. ,. ono,
last winter we had only about one
third enough fire all through bel III
We had very little gas and less eie e.,
tricity. We depended for comiol. ~.
the Observation-Disclosures pleH e.,
Of fuel which are made, | th'nh, W
COMPRISING coal dust AND, hasu.'
sawdust and other things OF that sor..
they burn steadily, but do not give ou'
much heat, and they cost great aea..
MANY a morning we have gotten up
and the temperature in our liat was
below zero. Ice was thick on the WIN
dows and we nearly froze before we
could get dressed and get somethihs
to eat. a. -
/ Zee, afraid for the Americans IN
n.,r,.n think there are aboue Nv
there now. It may be, before winter %
over, that it will be practically lmpos,
sib,e for them to buy anything. Ana
there 10 always danger that the money
sent then, never will react, them ana
IN Berlin, l really don't know 70 Wno"
they would turn for help. -, !,
4 I was glad to get out when aio; !
would not have remained so long, pu'
I wanted to finish my musical course
Inst as soon as that was done was
"on nv way l realize now how 1ool-
ish was to stay as long as dld.
FOOD RESTRICTIONS.
In telling Americans of the restrlc-
tions governing the buying of food.
sometimes it is hard to make them
understand lust how severe those re-
strictions are.
Every person in Berlin-all over Ger
many for that matters registered.
zach person is allowed to buy only IN
certain stores
bought my bread in one store, my
butter in another, my canned goods III
another, my green goods, my meal
Ill in certain stores.
I could not take my bread card anu
70 into any store and buy. Every store
was given each week enough supplies
for the cards which, it was Known
would be presented at that store. Occa'
sionally, by paying three or four times
the ordinary price, could get an extra
hit of butter or meat, through some
person being away for few days and
not presenting his or her card. But
this was risky for both the storekeeper
and myself. ! would have been sent
70 prison and he would have had his
hep closed. But graft Of all kinds
vent on Just the same, even with the
danger.
A policeman stood at the door, of
every store and permitted only so
many people in the store at one time.
People stood in line for hours to be
permitted to buy their portion of sup
plies. / could not take my bread card
and 60 to my store and buy my bread.
would get there at about $50 q. m.
and stand in line sometimes until noon
before could get to the store. l have
seen lines extending for two squares
before stores.
COD LIVER OIL AS FOOD.
could only get SO much at time,
too could not take my bread card
for the month and get my four weekly
allowance all at one time-1 must get
one week. could not buy more than
one pound Of beans, of peas, and such
things at time. We were not per-
mitted to store up anything, even
goods not perishable.
l knew of one big corporation in
Berlin which made counterfeit bread
cards and sold them to people hungry,
enough to take the risk.
They were discovered Of course and
there was big scandal in the papers.
The corporation was fined $4,000
marks. Every person found to have
aided in the deception also
was fined or imprisoned.
Speaking of medicine, reminds me
that, in Berlin. to help counteract the
starvation Of the body through having
no fats or oils in the body, many per
sons are taking cod liver oil regularly.
It is very expensive, bottle holding
about four ounces costing about Is
cents. But it does help that terrible
empty, hungry, dried out" feeling that
you get when you never eat any fats
at all.
I took 1t for several months and,
sometimes, think if it had not been