The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-04-05
LETTERS REVEAL
GERMAN IS LIFE
Food Restrictions Force Peo-
pie to Give UP Nearly
Everything on
Hand.
ALL PIGS ARE KILLED
Every Animal Weighing Over Seven
ty-five Pounds Had to be
Sent to Slaughter
House.
ALL PIGS ARE KILLED

This is the second OF a series OF
the two stories, based on letters tax
en- from German prisoners, detailing
conditions in Germany which supply
one OF the chief motives for Hinden-
burg's desperate offensive. The first
told of the strikes. The following
story tells of food and economic con-
ditions.]
[By Henry Wood, United Press Staff
Correspondent
WITH THE FRENCH ARMIES TN
THE FIELD, March 1S.-(by maiD-
This is story Of the economic and
food situation in Germany, as told by
the German people themselves.
Great numbers Of letters were found
on hundreds of German soldiers cap
tured during French raids In February
end March, in which the people back
home" writing to their fathers, sons
and brothers at the front, told some
thing Of the inner economic life OF
! Germany at present.
All of these letters, before being
forwarded to the soldiers, passed
through the hands of German censors,
and any phrases that painted the sit
uation little too dark, We're deleted.
Scores OF letters dealt with each phase
OF the QImCulLlcS WHICH, uoSioh AAAiAA
/ tarism has imposed on the German
people. Excerps have been taken
from two or three on each subject and
are classified below:
Food Restrictions.
Bierbergen, January 15.-We have
1ust received a notice that tells us we
must deliver 5000 pounds Of winter
grain, and we have never harvested
that much. Our dairy does not WORK
any more on account OF the lack OF
cabbages, and the bakers are unable
to make any more bread
Langewege, January 20-We are oc-
cupied daily with threshing and we
still have two more days OF work WIN
the wheat. Everything was ordered
threshed before January Is, because
on February / everything must be de-
clared All the pigs must be killed
before February l and only the soWs
remain. Everything that weighs
more than seventy-five pounds must
be turned over to the slaughter house.
Now that Russia has made peace, il
France and England would do the
same, we could probably get some
Russian horses cheap.
IpTOud. -S- -NAsSA
arv /, it is prohibited to slaughter any
animals yourself. The pigs have all
been requisitioned-each pig must
have mark on its ear.
Suhein, February 1.-The past week
has been a bad one for the village OF
Elvese. All of the grain was weigh
ed, Some only had a pound of beans
to give over and others only two
mounds Of oats. We were forced to
deliver up one thousand pounds. Let
us hope there will be nothing more
reouisitioned for we are not even per
mitted to keep a little oats for our
cattle.
February IA put little meat IN
the back room where they won't be
able to see it, | received today the
list of things to be delivered, and for
eggs | must turn over 400 during the
year at 16 pfennings each.
kirchboitzen, February 13-As re-
CARDS grain, the declaration took place
today and as a result OF the 800
pounds Of wheat which We have we
must give four hundred pounds, ana
of the 10000 pounds of oats we must
give 250 pounds In any event, we nave
been left a little for sowing.
shoes and Leather Scarcity.
I Seppenhofer December 23.-lt is
impossible to find shoes any more and
we are often seen wearing shoes com
pletely worn out. Many soldiers don t
even send back any more their thread.
: 4 little box now costs Is to 25 marks.
| Eichstadt. December 29.-Repalfs
are miserable business now because
: il Is no longer possible to get leathei.
or thread. We have plg Pile ol
! shoes here which we cannot repair
and the moor people who own them are
obliged 10 go out without anything on
! their feet. 1t is necessary that peace
ccme quickly
/ NeirIot. February 6-I went to Bre-
men yesterday to buy me pair OF
shoes and they cost me 40 marks. /
also bought pair for Marguerite for
1e marks and pair for Etty at 49,