The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1918-10-04

gas fixtures. cooking utensils and
everything else which contained even
the smallest proportion of the metals
the Germans 80 badly needed had been
taken from the kitchen. 1 walked up-
stairs now with more confidence, feel
Ing tolerably assured that the soldiers
hadn't been after me at all, but had
been merely collecting metal and
other materials which they expected
an elaborate dwelling house like the
one In which i was concealed to yield.
- Later 1 heard that the Germans have
taken practically every ounce of brass,
copper and wool they could lay their
hands on In Belgium. Even the brass
'out OF pianos has been rutblessly re-
moved, the serious damage done to
valuable property by the removal of
only an insignificant proportion of
metal never being taken into consid-
Grafton. l learned, too, that all dogs
oyer fourteen Inches high had been
seized by the GermHs. This furnished
lots. of speculation afnong.the Belgians
as to what use the Germans were put
ting the animals to, the general i'm
preston. apparently being that they
were DelnB uSeu Tor food
This, no ever, seemed much less
likely to me than that they were being
employed as dispatch dogs In the
trenches, the same as we use them on
our side of the line. They might DOS
sibly Kill the dogs and use their skins
for leather and their carcasses for tai
low, trut / feel quite sure that the
nv
that they haye to eat dogs yet awhile.
Indeed, l. want to repeat here what
have mentioned before ; If anyone has
the idea that this war can be won by
starving the Huns, he hasn't the slight.
est idea how well provf,Rd the Ger.
mans are In that respect. They have
considered their food needs In connec.
tion with their resources for several
years to come and they have gone at
1t In such methodical. systematic
way, taking into consideration every
possible contfngency,<. provided
there is not an absolute crop failure,
there isn't the slightest doubt in nv
mind that they can last for years, and
the worst of 1t is they are very cock.
sure about 1t themselves.
1t is true that the German soldiers
want peace. AS watched them
through the keyhole in tha door ]
thought how unfavorably they com,
pared with our men. They> marched
along th>: street without laulfsSer. with
out joking without singing. 1t was
quite apparent that the war is telling
on them. don't believe saw n single
German y.l,n In 90
he had lost his best fr!end--and he
probably had.
AT the same time there is q big dif-
Ierence-certainly difference of sew
eral years-between wishing the war
was over and giving up, and l don't
DelleVe the German rank and file any
more than their leaders have the slight
est Idea at this time Of giving up at
all.
But to return to my experience
while concealed In the house. After
the visit OF the soldiers. which left
the house in wretched condition.
decided that would continue NV iour-
hey towards the frontier, particularly
as had gotten all l could out of Huy-
niger. or rather he had gotten all he
was going to get out of me-
During my concealment In the house
had made various sorties into the
CITY at night. and was beginning to
feel more comfortable even when Ger
man soldiers were about. Through
the keyhole had studied very
closely the gait of the Belgians. the
sloVehly droop that characterized most
or them, ana their general upDeurnnca
ana felt that In my own dirty and un-
shaNen condition i must have looked
as much like the average poor Belgium
as man could. The only thing that
was against me was my height. was
several Inches taller than even the
talleSt Belgians. / had often thought
that red hair would have gone good
with my name. but now, of course I
was mighty glad that | was not so
endowed. for red-hnired Belgians are
about ms rare as German charity.