The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-02-12

After six months have returned TO
the serene atmosphere of Zurich with
q. heavy heart. L find that 1t is not
possible to report only what other
Germans are today saying and thlnk-
ing everywhere in the fatherland. AS
a. German I find it impossible to sim
ply relate what others say and thlnk. L
am a German, too, and a German VINO
has lived in Germany these last SIX
months can not simply report pas
siVely. Because what good is Ger
man who cannot tell others what ne
thinks, and he is a bad Socialist VINO
will not analyze. the-causes- and effects
of the sins of my native land.
I stayed in Germany six months.
7 saw with my own eyes sights that
1 can never forget.
1 heard with my own ears German
children by the thousands cry for
bread. and German workers curse
their rulers. In the secret confine of
more than one workingmans confer
ence. 1 heard the very name of the
Kaisex cursed to the deepest hell.
Cursing Kaiser
I interviewed judges of courts OF
Justice; I talked with educators, mer
of many professions, lawyers and. cler-
CIV: and 1 heard with my own ears
men of every walk in life curse the
German rulers through clenched
teeth.
1 moved about from place to place
a mute and unwilling witness to the
tragic sufferings of my people until
Notwithstanding my age, 1 was tempt
ed to stand on street corners and cal
the suffering Germans to rebellion.
On entering Germany I first coulC
rot persuade myself to believe that
was travelling in my land of birth
Wartime Germany is a. land differen
from peace-time Germany L founi
the Germans transformed, deteriora
! ted, physically, morally, and intellec
tual1y.
I found South Germany suffering
rrivations that were beyond descri1
ton.
found people lean, sallow-coloret
and sad~as-though their country wer
invaded and they were suffering un
der the heel of the invader. This wa
not the Southern Germany 1 ha
known
The sight, of incapacitated soldier
on the streets; the prematurely-aSe
young women; the total absence c
young menain civilian clothes; the a.
most total absence of old men an
women, and above all the lack c
babes in German cities overwhelme
me with the heaviest grief and di.
couraged me at once. 1 wanted to e:
cape from further mental torture;
wanted to return to Zurich; L wan
ed to give up my mission in despai
But L could not do that. 1 had mad
an engagement and I must carry
OUT in spite of my own feeling.
Pifglltaof North Germany
AT Munich (South Germany m
many Sociaiists-from Berlin and oil
err Prussian cities. They told me tn
they had managed to come to Sou
Germany sosthat.t they could escape Il
still greater privations that Nor
Germany was experiencing.
is it possible.'' cried out.
A comrade who had been a Germa
Methodist minister at a church in
Berlin district told me that compar
with North Germany, South Germai
was, a. landSof plentifulness. becaI
afraid sthatI could not endure sigh
worse than I had already observe
A new acquaintance, fiery social
of many years, now in his 60th we;
taking me to be a non-socialist mi
dle-class professional man flung at
these words: war and conquest "
your religion. You were going out
a forage, rob your neighbors, retu
with booty and make the Germ
people rich with stolen goods"
was too angry to go on. Another frie
present stretched out his arms a
in the bitterest tone in which he v
esz=ED1e of expressing himself, sa
"And look and see what you hi
brought us!'' A third person in
room shouted "Privation, hunger a
starvation4" IF that was all it is "
ana good. We may go through
these. But you have taken a mortg'
on the character, honor and reou
ton of the German people for
next fifty or seventy-five years.
have gambled on. the soul of the G
man people and you have lost,
everything,-you are a bankrupt an
gambler!"
Be they Socialists or Liberals. Pr
estants or Catholics, a bitter feel
expressed through clenched tie
against the rulers of Germany is
alnostsuniversakfr frame of mind of
German people.
win German People Rebel?
''But viii the German people re