The sun., 1918-08-13
Montclair Women Tell How
Dresden Exults When limo
cents Are Slain in Paris.
LIKE A CITY OF sPECTREs
Back on Liner, Americans Say
Even Poverty's Progress
Will Not Start Revolt.


McAvoy OF Montclalr, n. j., landed yes
.terday at an American port from Nor
rwegian- American liner with the latest
news, personally acquired. Of the prog
lress of poverty in the German Empire.
THEY left Dresden on March %. two days
after the beginning of the gigantic
peace drive" OF the German militarists.
and they left the populace of Dresden
almost fanaticaliy enthusiastic over the
fancied triumph Of the armies OF the
Kaiser.
Tie people needed psychological boost
ing. Miss McAvoy said. as they were
physically like ghosts of the neither
world walking in loose and rustling
paper garments. Dresden was really
city OF spectres like most other German
towns, and stirred the American women
TO pity.
Their pity was tempered by reflection
on the pitiless spirit of nearly all the
Germans they met, who gloated over the
smash ing OF the innocents Of Paris by
the long range Teutonic cannon and de-
ciared that the great German offensive
= would see the end Of the war before the
end of the autumn. The coming Of the
Americans. even so-late as March %, was
looked upon as a sort Of a Yankee Joke.
Old Folk Dying by Thousands.
Miss McAvoy was inclined 10 believe
that II all might be true until she learned
recently what great part her country
men and women were taking in the war
game.
She was reluctant to Il ink at first that
the people OF a country that seemed on
the verge OF starvation was winning the
war so surely as the military bulletins
nrorla inlad She could reconcile. the
triumph of Germany with the conditions
IN the empire. Women and children
were gaunt through the lack Of fat pro-
ducing food and the old folks were dying
by the thousands where. before the
war. they had died by hundreds.
The infant mortality was terrible.
Milk was procurable only on the pre-
scriptions of physicians and even then
was used for invalids only Babies had
70 do without It. Butter was 81 pound
and very hard to get. Miss McAvoy was
able to buy some at that rate only
through many Intermediates connecting
witt the producer.
Tho method Of getting her butter con-
WINGED Miss McAvoy that the Germans
their disregard for governmental regula-
tons The only mail respected was
registered parcel post. and that is why
her butter was shipped to her in that
way. Everything Of value sent by or
binary mail was stolen in transit. The
aristocrats were outdone by the NUM-
ton workers, who received fabulous
wages.
Mrs. on went into a CONNECTIONS and
noted an overdressed woman buying a
pound Of candy which sold for 81. She
asked the confectioner II the gorgeous
buyer belong to the city's aristocracy
and learned that she was the wife of a
munition worker.
No Chance of a Revelation.
The possibility Of a revolution In
Germany. Miss McAvoy said, was
hardly worth considering. The mass oil
the populace had been taught to believe
that the war was one Of defence purely
and the workers were content to gather
In the unprecedented wages.
Large numbers of the women were
pleased to be In uniforms helping to rur
the municipalities as conductors OIL
drivers of cars and workers in factorie!
producing war material. They wer,
totally in the dark as to the progress o.
the war.
The hospitals of Dresden received tn,
German wounded soldiers only at night
and the residents had little or no in
formation about the number of wounded
bought into the city and no adequate
idea of the thousands slain at the
battle fronts. Everything unfavora bl
to the German cause was camoufaged
The people did wonder why they had NJ
friends in the world except the Aus
TRANS, whom they looked upon more a
tools than allies.
Miss McAvoy expressed some surpris
when she learned that the Germans ha
been reported eating dogs in certain
cities. She said that no dogs were cate
49,
srable diet. She did not know hoy
good crows were until she was force
by the scarcity OF other meat to sampl
them. She said they were delightful
meaty. and although dark were v4r
sweet She had nothing TO say agains
crows as a diet
Everybody Gaunt and Hungry.
Everybody in Dresden was emaciatet
except, perhaps. certain munitio
workers. The men were thinner tina
the women. who appeared to be bette
able to stand the strain of insufficier
fats. There was no beer worthy of tn
name A substitute made of n concoc
ton Of herbs did not add to the grit
or ne health of the men. The littl
children especially were lean and hun
cry looking. 1t was only by payin
high prices that Miss McAvoy was abb
10 prevent herset from becomin
very III.
Miss McAvoy and Mrs Otz wer
abroad for their health In 1910, landin
In Switzerland, where they passed thre
years. They went to Dresden In 1871
accommodating a large collection of bri,
a-brac, chinaware and tapestries whe
America entered the war they made al
plicstion to leave the country. The al
plication was granted condtionally.
They were told that they would ha,
TO live eight weeks in a small Germa
town SO that they could not take out ar
information helpful to their country tn;
might be acquired in city. They wro
TO many small towns and found .thi
nobody wanted them. Then they d
cided to stick to Dresden until Miss NJ
Avoy, who was quite Ill, should recupe
ate bit.
The food OF Dresden took of eigl
pounds of the invalids weight and 81
decided that abe must get back to Anne
lea to live. She and Mrs. Otz were ri
under strict espionage. They were TO
that they must not talk with each 9th
in English, Sometimes they forgot al
then they heard tapping on the va
warning them to desist
At Last Allowed to Depart.
They applied again for permission
leave the country and were surprised
learn that they might depart. They hi
objected TO the original permit to go b
cause thew were then told that IN