Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1918-09-27

j How different everything was ate
!, the first year of the wari My HON,
Q town, once lively country settlement
was now as calm as graveyard. II
: this town, which had population be
fore the war of 1900 souls. more thar
, 40 had been killed and many Others
crippled. Food was very high with lit
tie 10 be had.
There was no enthusiasm for the war
manifest anywhere. The people were
downhearted. stunned.
IL was the same In other cities. The
longing for peace was universal yet no
one tnlked OF peace or expressed the
desire for II.
One word spoken. which dspleased
the autocrhtic government, merited the
severest punishment. That Is how II IL
TO be explained that the German peo-
pie cannot force the Hohenxollerns into
peace because the government, with
assistance Of the military, smothered
every expression Of peace with blood,
even at that early date.
The present Prussian government
will slaughter any German citizen to
further It's own interests in the same
way that II attacked the innocent pop
ulation OF Belgium without regard.
With clean conscience and clean
hands
"Gott strafe England. Err list strafs
esr
Going through the streets this was
heard right and left as q comment and
reply.
To me. fresh from the front, this
kind OF greeting was unknown.
Presently I learned the reason OF
this modern form of salutatlon. The
hatred within the German nation was
not 30 great toward France and Rus
sia.
The people quietly accepted the enor-
nous sacrifices which the war demand
ed from them In course of time.
But the government. which even
then. foresaw the unfavorable course
the war was taking. conceived the idea
of setting England up as the arch
enemy which intended to destroy Ger
many entirely.
The German war machine made use
OF the blockade which England drew
around Germany to such an extent,
playing upon child murder, so-called,
that the people developed nm ever-ln-
creasing hatred toward England.
The French language was no longer
spoken anywhere. A large part of the
German people formerly used the
French word "adieu," as farewell ex-
preston but that was stopped. Care
had to be taken in the use OF this word
TO avoid arrest on charge OF high
treason.
I thought about these things ms I
neared my temporary destination.
was sufficiently acquainted with the
border so that when arrived In Kali
Ienkirchen was able TO reach II with
but asking any questions. The spot
which I had selected for crossing lay
n a forest. After march of two
hours / arrived near the border. II
vas soon dark and I decided to remain
n the woods over night.
The next morning at daylight ven
ured on and without being seen by the
yards crossed into Dutch territory.
With sigh of relief l arrived Mt the
text town. Venlo, In Holland.
Everywhere L was received In a
rlendly manner. observed that the
butch people hated the German people
8 much as | did.
After passing several months IL
Holland. where tens OF thousands more
herman deserters lived. made up my
,lnd TO move farther away than that
rom Germany for the arms OF the Ger
ian government are long and It's spies .
re everywhere In most cases con- :
criminals.
Some OF my Dutch friends made me =
cquainted with sailors and these con-
rnted TO smuggle me TO America on =
heir ship. When the ship departed p"
AS placed in the coal bunkers and ar u
we'd after IA days IN New York. safe u
nd rcll. u
The first thing that struck me on ar \
wing In the United States was the II
ide latitude permitted German props-
anda. n
Most OF the German papers pub u
shed here were body aud soul for the IL
alser and tried daily TO Justify the
erman fight for the German cause.
In this respect the government in
'nshlngton certainly went too far I'M e'
Il was realized that no concessions OF
'uld be made to the Prusslan govern m
cnt and that concessions made to pl
'ashington were nothing but deceitful n
Tx. sustained only by action when IL tr
rived Its interests OF Imperialism. lie
The promises which the German gov be
nment made TO Washington concern NJ
< the Lusitania case. the U-boat war re
re and SO forth. were nothing but de- 1t.
It on the part of the Berlin govern to
ent. In
IL was the desire to preserve peace re
r the American people which Inn re
He'd President Wilson. again and
ain. not 10 declare war and II Amer o.
! fights today II has only kept faith
nh ff4 fqmrrrpffc rrincf and au. IN