Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-03-17
|PATHY AND DETECTION
PREVALENT IN GERMANY
F'nslishlnan, Recently Released, De-
scribts Remarkable Contrast With
Conditions -Four Years Ago.
'EorLE DYING OFF RAPIDLY


Conditions -Four Years Ago.
'EOPLE DYING OFF RAPIDLY
;rimc on Incrcase-Onc Really de-
cisiro Military Reverse Would
Produce Permanent DebncIc-"A
No Mans Land"
Y ALBANY EEAT,iEKsroNHAUGH.
.asf'ss 'sfs s@snr. ' Ht.a s's
.TI"aI. TO Ensiand as an exchanged
30 more striking contrast can be
naginedi than that presented by
crmanS through which | passed on
uEu*t ;. 1914. on my way 10 Berlin.
nj I'll" same country. as saw 1t. on
recent journey homo. was the
etter able TO realize the extent of this
niarkablc metamorphosis. as had
cen informed for thirty-c!sht OF the
'tcrven!nE forty-onc months in tho
amp at I;uhlcbcn
On the eve OF Great Britains decla-
ttioh Or war London seemed mildly
Rcited; but it was on the boat at Iiar-
ich that first fully realized the sit
ation. The crowd OF German re-
elNcs up into ii frenzy OF patriotism.
1d. as VIC steamed out 10 sea. in tho
lare Cf the scarchliGh,s sang those
ne hut typ!calir aggressive national
bn:s. Die Wacht am Rhcin' and
Deutschland Deutschland ucbcr Al
="
! heard them SO often. and under such
eprc"sinE circumstances. during the
Ext few months that they became a
crfcct obScssiOn to mo. Individually
cavy. phlcsmatic and generally harm
IS enough. tho German. when masstd
III his fellows and under tho .nAu.
hce OF popular excitement. rercrts 70
be primitive type and develops a latcn,
roctty usually hidden beneath the
kneer OF civilization. the furur tcu-
nicus of his savage forefathcrs
And then the journey from the from
cr TO Berlin.
The entire German nation. soldiers
nd civilians. rich and poor, old and
ouns. were drunk with patriotism,
nd rabid with tho lust Of war.
And the women.
There were no weeping wives and
others at Hanover station: they were
"armad as the men. Gene bach"
ey cried Ia their parting soldier
PIX, hut Victorious
And what A change az returned b.
&c same route nearly three and half
Ears later.
From the moment when our poor
lows Loft behind in the camp gave
final hearty cheer az our train
rev slowly away, not cheerful
fund nor SIGHT greeted us till VIC
tossed the frontier into Holland
,uld this handful OF anacmic. sullcn.
fjcctcd creatures really nc the same
ice As tho full-bod!cs, full blooded,
foutins. singing crowds OF August.
~:
No signs OF lie on the countryside.
hrcs, no lights, no smoke from the
himneys-a very nc mans land!
At the bisgcr stations little groups
thin. hunGrylook!nG men and
omen who gazod at us.-somo with
tired. but mostly with apathetic in.
herencc. Yes, apathy and detection,
at Is tho prevailing note. a feeling
mutual distrust holds them all
nSuc-tied and mute. they seem hard
TO dare to speak.
OoREH CLASSES ARE
ON VERGE OF STARVATION
And what "A contrast 10 all this was
ir impression OH reaching England,
'ndon was busy and cheerful as ever.
le war has brought no real bodily
ffcrng 10 the bulk Of our home popu-
1919 w ihNphN eh'CHCc. -
rtniGht in Germany would prove an
ccllent siimulant 10 our grumblcrs
Il is an incontrovcrtiblc fact that
C poorer classes. who form tho ma
ri,y in the big towns OF Germany
C OH the verge OF starvation. and
lat the less robust are dying off
pidly from diseases brought on by
ldernourishmen,.
The well-to-do and a good percentage
tho rnraf non.Ilp np Dt,o
and. can st!ll set suniciency Of food
Ut starvation Is not the only trouble;
inc is greatly en- the increase
Ii. MORAL STANDARDS
HAVE BROKEN down
\ highly controlled and state.
Eciptned people like the Germans be-
mos more rapidly demoralized under
normal conditions than does a more
lf.rellant race. Tho result is that
moral standards have broken down,
trio.ism and civic virtues arc dead,
I'd self is the only god. iIoarding
ID proftcerinE are the fashion, and
ost respectable people arc prosecuted
I'd pay their fines unblushingiy.
orsc still. Juvenile crime is rampant
I'D cases OF boys numbering old peo-
for their savings have occurred
AS for the average soldier, TO be sent
the front is the worst punishment
at can he lnHlctcd OH him, and HE
&c cry is pcacc-peace at any price!
)sITION OF RULING
CLASSES is DESPERATE
The position of tho ruling CLASSES Is
desperate one. They arc mainly re-
onsiblc for tho war. and realize that
~ German peacs with annexation
I'd indcm can save both the coun-
~ and themselves from ruin so they
i'll hold on. hoping for split in the
tentc. They know that II Germany
ms nothing by tho war, her economic
sition will be SO desperate that. the
my once demobiiized and freed from
G bonds of discipline popular dis
intent will assume a form that will
ipcril the stability of tho throne and
@ position OF the entire ruling caste.
Hence the forces of reaction ara daily
owing more insolent. and tho military
rty, with l.udendorff Mt It's head, is
wing TO force all tho more moderate
smcnts from oflico by threats Of thoir
IN resignation.
AS long as tho German front remains