Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1918-10-04

sibly kill the dogs and use their skins
for leather and their carcasses for tai
low, but 1 feel quite sure that the
Huns are by no means so short of food
that they have to eat dogs yet awhile.
Indeed, 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 wen provided the Ger
mans are in that respect. They have
considered their food needs in connec-
ton with their resources for several
years to come and they have gone at
it in such a methodical, systematic
way, taking into consideration every
possible contingency, that provided
there is not an absolute crop failure,
there isn't the slightest doubt in my
mind that they can last for years, and
the worst of it is they are very cock
sure about it themselves.
It is true that the German soldiers
want peace. AS l watched them
through the keyhole in the door
thought how unfavorably they COM
pared with our men. They marched
along the street without laughter, with
out joking, without singing. 1t was
quite apparent that the war is telling
on them. don't believe saw a single
German soldier who didn't look as if
he had lost his best friend-and he
probably had.
| At the same time there is a big diff
! ference-certainly a difference of sew
| eral years-between wishing the war
was over and giving up. and don't
| believe 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 a wretched condition, /
decided that l would continue my jour-
ney towards the frontier, particularly
as had gotten all could out of Huy-
Tiger, or rather he had gotten all he
was going to get out of me.
During my cOncealment in the house
l had made various sorties into the
city at night, and 1 was beginning to
feel more comfortable even when Ger
man soldiers were about. Through
the keyhole I had studied very
closely the gait of the BelgIans, the
slovenly droop that characterized most
of them, and their general appearance
and felt that in my own dirty and un
shaven condition I must have looked
as much like the average poor Belgian
as man could. The only thing thai
was against me was my height. wa:
several inches taller than even the
tallest Belgians. l had often thought
that red hair would have gone goot
with my name, but now, of course,
was mighty glad that 1 was not 81
, endowed, for red-haired Belgians ar,
about as rare as German charity.
There are many, no doubt, who viii
} wonder why l did not get more hell
than l did at this time. 1t is easil.
/ answered. When a man is in hourl,
7 fear of his life and the country is full
of spies, as Belgium certainly was, h
| is not going to help just anyone tha
comes along seeking aid. One of tn
L
S ping the Belgians has been to pose a
] an English or French prisoner who ha
! escaped, appeal to them for aid, impli
cate as many as possible, and the
= turn the whole German police fore
q loose on them. AS l look back o.
q those days l think it remarkable tina
s l received as much help as 1 did, bu
}. when people are starving under tn
1 conditions now forced upon those ur
e fortunate people, it is a great ten pts
d ton to surrender these escaped pri:
r oners to German authorities and n
d ceive the handsome rewards offere
d for them-or for alien spies. as l wa
n claSsed at that time.
IS The passport which l had describe
n me as a Spanish sailor, but l wa
J. very dubious about its value. II
l. could have spoken Spanish fluently
s might have been worth something {
d me, but the few words knew Of til
d language would not have carried n