Cheyenne record., 1918-09-05
PAT O'BRIEN

the Germans SO badly needed had been
taken from the kitchen ] 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 was concealed to yield.
Later 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 ruthlessly 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. learned. too. that all dogs
over fourteen inches high had been
seized by the Germans. This furnished
lots of speculation among the Belgians
as to what use the Germans were put
ting the animals to. the general i'm
preston apparently being that they
were being used for foodl
. This, however. 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 pos
sibly kill the dogs and use their skins
for leather and their carcasses for tai
low. but 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
I have mentioned before ; II anyone has
the idea that this war can be won by
starving the Huns. he hasn't the slight
est idea how well 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 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 1t themselves.
It 10 true that the German soldiers
want peace. As watched them
through the keyhole in the door I
thought how unfavorably they COM
pared with our men. They marched
along the street without laughter, with
out Joking, without singing. It was
quite apparent that the war is telling
on them. don't believe saw single
German soldier who didn't look as IT,
he had lost his best friend-and he
probably had.
At the same time there is 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 wretched condition, /
decided that I 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
I 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 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 must have looked
as much like the average poor Belgian
as a man could. The only thing that
was against me was my height. was
several inches taller than even the
tallest Belgians. i had often thought
that red hair would have gone good
with my name. but now. of course, l
was mighty glad that I was not 30
endowed. for red-haired Belgians are
about as rare as German charity.
There are many. no doubt, who viii
wonder why did not get more help
than I did at this time. 1t is easily
answered. When q man is In hourly
fear Of his life and the country is full
Of spies, as Belgium certainly was, he
b not going to help Just anyone that
comes along seeking aid.- One of the
Germans most successful ways Of trap
ping the Belgians has been to pose as
an Engiish or French prisoner who has
escaped. appeal to them for aid, imph-
cate as many as possible. and then
turn the whole German police force
loose on them. Az look back on
those days think It remarkable that
I received a. much help n I did, but
when people are starving under the
conditions now forced upon those un-
fortunate people. 1t IL q great ten pta-
tion to surrender these escaped pris.
oners to German authorities and n.
ceive the handsome rewards offered
for them-or for allen spies, a. was
Al - &R,>A 49,