South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-12-09

and other things and sent them to
their wives and families in Ger
many. But the woman with whom
stayed, had another daughter in
Germany, and she was not permit
ted 10 send her anything at all
In Warsaw, the Germans did not
live in the houses Of the conquered
Poles, but in hotels.
The worst evidence of German
occupancy / saw there was the
sending OF young Poles to the Ger
man army. You would be talking
TO a man one day, and that evening
he would disappear. You never
would hear of him again.
One family 1 knew had two sons,
the elder q violinist, the younger. a
student. One day the student dis
appeared. A long time afterwaru.
the father received a letter, written
on rough wrapping paper. Il am
safe" the letter said, but don't try
to answer this or find out where [
am. And don't tell any person You
got this"
Poles Bitterly Disappointed.
Before the Germans came to
Warsaw, the Poles had high hopes
that, at last. things would he better
for them under German rule. They
had suffered so greatly through
Russian misrule that they looked
To the Germans for relief.
But they found out their mistake.
one of the hardest things for them
to endure was having their Polish
books taken away. The Poles are a
highly educated people, especially
the women. And the women are
beautiful and well formed. with the
daintiest, tiniest hands and feet.
To realize what the Poles endured.
let an American imagine what ii
would be like for a cOnquering
enemy to walk into his home tomOr-
row, take away every English book,
and command that hereafter no
English word must be spoken or
read or even prayed.
The Germans made the Poles &C
cept the German money and stamps.
as well.
The Poles want a regular ruler of
their own, and the privilege of
speaking their own language, of re-
ceiving an education openly and of
cultivating their country. They
would be willing 10 have another
country rule them if that must be.
but they want that country to re-
main at a distance.
They are almost despairing now
of things ever being any better for
them.
The Poles now must report to the
police just as any alien must in
Germany. They are under the same
restrictions as an enemy resident.
A Trip to POtSdam.
Another interesting trip / took
tLis of course all was before the
United States entered the war; was
near Potsdam. One Of the palaces
of the emperor is at Potsdam. OF
course. even then l was not allowed
in POtsdam itself, but I went past
there. 1 could see the famous old
mil. there about which so much has
been written.
This mill Belongs 20 a farmer who
owns his own farm. Its screeching
annoyed the kaiser who ruled before
the present emperor and he ordered
the man 10 take the mill down, or
remove it. Strangely, the man had
some independence about him and
he said the mill was his means of
livelihood and he would not remove
il. The kaiser took the case to law,
ant lost. The mill still stands.
Potsdam is the breeding place"
Cf The Zeppelins. / caught glimpse
of ne great buildings which house
these enormous dirigibles. They
seemCl 10 be miles long.
You don't hear much talk i'm Ger
many OF Zeppclins now. They have
been rather "a failure. They often
hv ever Berlin and / think they are
tryiu' 20 perfect them TO make them
more elective. but no person tallxA
much al out them. All the German
faith j. PINNED TO the submarine.
The CON mon people i'm Germany
seem TO think that the submarine il
some sort of an actually invincible
invention which has supernatural
qualities.
They credit it with the most mar
velous feats. And the German rulers
encourage this way of thinking, for
they want the people to think that
Germany simply cannot be defeated
That is why I think and say, that if
the real news of what is going on
could be given 10 the German peo-
pie, il would make a difference in
this war If they could get Ameri-
can newspapers for one week, 1 am
sure that they would waken up
deep-rOoted as their belief is in the
supreme might of the kaiser.
Didn't Hear of Outrages.
1t was not until I got back in
America that I heard that marvel
Gus story Of how the French and
British airplanes flew over the Ger
man lines and dropped the exact
text of Pres't Wilson's speech by the
million, 10 the German soldiers in
the trenches.
That was a wonderful thing TO do.
But. you see, the officers would get
hold OF them, and the mum ber Of
men who would be permitted 20 read
them or get an opportunity TO do SO,
would be few.
And any soldier who would try 10
spread sedition, would be promptly
shot.