The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-09-27

accomplished in the past 2000 years would go for naught
 But the German plan did not sue ceed. It went wrong right from the start. Belgium proved an unexpected obstacle, the English came in, Paris refused to fall, the French held their own, the Russian hordes proved a real menace, and after the great, lumn os- ing German machine had travelled Q certain distance on it's original Im- petus it was brought to an unfors- seen halt It was very awkward for the government, because it was all so different from what the people had been promised and it wouldn't do te shake their confidence.
 RIGORS OF SUPERVISION
 To keep the facts from the public the press was put under rigorous super vision, and none of the reverses which the Germans encountered, none of the political mistakes which they were constantly making, none of the unfore- seen difficulties which were develop ing, was ever published until the peo- pie had been gradually and slillfulIy prepared to receive the bad news, while general information concerning some of the misfortunes was SUD- pressed entirely.
 In this way the second year of the war found the German people with theil faith in their leaders comparatively un- shaken. Disasters had been So skillfully concealed or minimized and victories had been so widely circulated and masnified that the people were. if possible more solidly behind the war and keener for it's vigorous prosecution in 1916 than they were when it started two years before
 On May Day, 1916, the socialist Iieb- knecht addressed a crowd in the Pots damer Platz and his diatribes against the Kaiser were so distasteful even tc his own supporters that they unanimous ly turned against him when he was ar rested. The criticism was made that as he was a member of the Reichstag il was undignified for him to speak openly against the government from barrel on the public square, and many social ists with whom I afterwards talked said his arrest served him right
 SCHEIDMAN COMES UP
 Then Scheidman became the most con spicuous socialist in the public eye, but he has developed into a most conserva- tive advocate of SOC alistic principles, and, indeed the whole party has been torn to pieces by dissensions and inter nal differences. The socialists were never less of a problem to the government than during the early years of the war.
 When, however, the food shortage be- gan to grow to serious proportions and the people were put on such meagre ra- tions that the bangs of hunger and the ravages of disease became constant re- hinder of the war and it's consequences, a spirit of unrest became noticeable. No one seemed to care very much that the war which was to be over by Christmas. 1914, was still very far from over by Christmas, 1916 so long as everyone had nlpOty tO aaf the everywhere triumphant. But when the ordinary mode of life was being con stantly changed by one military restrie- tion after another and the pinch of hun ger and deprivation began to be felt throughout the empire, then the people began to ask questions.
 Why haven't the | boats subjugated the English fleet and opened the Ger man ports and together with the Zep- pelins, brought England to her knees! Why does the war, which was to be over in three months, now enter it's third yearsss Why are we pressing into Rus sian and French territory if our only object is to defend our borders? Why are we suffering for lack of food and cloth ing, if We are winning in the field?
 STRIKES BREAKING OUT
 By the time America came into the war, in April, 1917, conditions had be; come very bad from an economic stand point and the murmuring of the people was becoming more pronounced People were now not only asking questions, they were beginning to insist upon answers Strikes were breaking out all over the country. Robbery and bribery were never so rampant in the history of the nation The birthrate had declined at an alarm, ing rate and the death rate among civ. ilians was rapidly climbing.
 Poor food and insufficient nourish- ment were beginning to make them selves felt and seen. The nation was being slowly but surely starved to death and the people were beginnins to realize it Eratz substitute foods were not enough to satisfy rhy- ical requirements. They might de- ceive the eye but they couldn't deceive the blood.
 The suffering that the people haG to endure began to undermine their faith in their rulers. I heard murmurine on thes treets and in the street cars and patients who came into my office were not hesitant in expressing them selves freely about the outlook.
 In October, 1917. through the influ- ence of prominent German officer who was a patient of mine, I secured permission to accompany my Wife te Warp emunde, from which port she was to sail for Copenhagen.
 VIEWS OF TRAVELLERS
 On the way back to Berlin. all the available seats in the first and second class compartments were taken and had to occupy third-class compart- ment in the train. Although this wa: somewhat less comfortable, was rath- CT glad of the experience because t enabled me to overhear an extremei, enlightening conversation between thu seven or eight passengers who shared the compartment with me. They were of the common people--the backbon of the empire-and their point of view was we'll worth consideration.
 As soon as I realized the drift q their remarks, l sank down in my cor ner seat and pretended to be asleer for fear they would be more guardet in their utterances if they realize or suspected that foreigner was lis tening to them. One of the group wa. a soldier returning to the front after a furlough which had been granted tt him for the purpose of burying hi. daughter. When he had arrived homs he had found that his daughter hat died from the effects of under nourish, ment
 You may know how I feel he de- clared bitterly. Ito have to go back te fight for a government which allowed my daughter to starve while I was away, and my wife had aged so mucf from anxiety and undernourishmen that didn't recognize her!''
 "The government is trying to belit tie America's part in this war" spoke up another. They are trying to make us believe that we won't be harmed any more with America fighting thar we were when she was neutral. I tel you, I don't believe it. I've got a broth CT in America. He's been there fol ID years. He has written to me many