Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-04-07


of. This assertion contains the quip-
tessence OF truth. for / have been there,
and il energies from the bitter depths
of personal and painful knowledge.
Germany. repeat. IS q nice country
TO be out of-So nice that any indi-
vidual endowed With hard and un-
fors!vnE disposition could not do bet
Ter than consign his enemies TO the
Fatherland IL preference to region
which, after all. may possess nothing
more than an ina einary existence.
As an unwilling guest CT HIS Inn
pcr!sl Majcsty Wilhelm H.. OF the
House of iiohcnzol!e-n. and OF the
fierce and warl!ke mustach!os, / en-.
dared many things O: a nature a!cu-
l. led TO create serious evaporation IN
the fountain OF gratitude. In othc;
words feel SO un;harkful for the en-
,ertuiumen; with which I was pro-
vidcd on the eastern bank Of tho Rhine
where vcr!table slaves in their mil
lions tot! night and day-that might
forget myself and dare 10 ruiiic the
aforesaid Wilheln's sense OF his d.
vine kingship were 10 meet him IN
some lonely spot Tar from The mad
ding crowd
Having thus expressed nay scnti-
ments towards the head OF the Ger
manic eRlpirc--upon whose shoulders
lay the main responsibilities for the
war and my own suffcr!ngs-i think
il advisable, even at this carly stage
of my story. TO draw u picture OF
recent economic conditions in the iand
of tho gentle Hun.
SERIOUS LACK OF FOOD
WAS CAUSE OF STRIKES
What are the real conditions. ana
what arc the people thinking over III
Grrmany?'
! These are questions ] have frequent
]
and before relating my adventures a.
/ II prisoner OF war in the land oi ihG
/ Hun think it well to answer them
4 From the summer Of 1915 umtii The
/ close Of 1917. when ] made my escape.
/ the German nation was gradually slip
/ pin. down tho hill Of food shortage
I into the valley OF starvation.
! And You can take II from me tina,
/ by this time tho German nation has
reached mighty near the bottom of the
slope The full force OF tho british
blockade was in evidence when ] left
and the result has been that the ~"
hulk OF the civilian population never
come in contact with Il square meal.
In my opinion. tho strikes in the
Fathcrland We have been hearing s"
much about within last few months
arc more the result OF lack OF food
for tho masses than amy strong desire
FOR a just and honorable peace.
I ;horitIcs display an amazing amour,
! Of ingenuity In feeding the nres OF
hone Seldom day ciapscs but the
newspapers announce that. consequent
upon improved organization or FOR
some other equally plausible reason
more and better rations VIII shortly
he forthcoming %or do they forget
to reltcratc stories to the effect that,
while there is shortage in tho FAN
crland tho conditions In tho British
Isles are infinitely worse.
IL IS true that wc sometimes 20
hungry" wrote one German journalist
but our sunering- a-e paitry com
pared with those Of tho hated English.
our U-bou,s form a r!n:: OF iron around
Britain. and The population is starving.
The members IL thc working classes
ere dying "a their thousands to: lack
u food Let those Germans who arc
inc!.u,d TO grurHbie recall 70 mind ii
Xxi" those f.e,s. We have nn!y 70
endure = !ittle longer, ana coGipIct.
victory shalt br ours"
OFFICERS ~ PRISON
CAMPS KNOW BJ:TIEE
The i;Ius swa!ow a.. such yarns
win aYiG!ty.
on lhe other hand the military OH
GERS CONNECTED Wits tho various prison
camps know :. !nl.n better. They sec
;he thousands 81 parcc!n wh!ch arrive
from rae HD!Eel:Ni 'pi me EfltlEt
prisoners o. war, ana have heard
,h.rn Laughing OYER ~" newspaper an
u1Uuc. rcn,s about fnod conditions on
u. cih,r a!ae nf The North sea
During the lsttcr part of the year
1911 IL was almost impossible 10 Oh
tain mts, ii any k!nd. and potatoes
were equally scarce.
True. The c!,izens were FUZZY pro-
T!ded VAN Il ple,hora Of ration cards.
enti'ling them % purchage quantities
Of var! ous KINDS Of foodatuns. but III.
trouble "as that Ia. ghopkecpcrs had
not the goods 70 sell.
gr"a, deal has been written and
published aboU, fDGd nubstilutea IN
vented by ,he Germans and no;
few p"rsCna seem 70 labor under the
impression that such rhIngs alternately
in!Hll tho functions Of the real articles.
Ia this connection ! would ttatc tnnt
the wat majority o, the substitutes
have done more harm than good. ard
the opinions expressed aucut tion by
th,!y Victims are OF an unpriut.b!e
CNaracl"r.
Thousands Of deaths haze been a..
rcrtly attributable 10 the use -, food
substitutes in the Tathcriand ana II
Us not too much 10 say that they nave
sorioUgiy impaired the hoa!th ana
strength Of tho nation az "a whole In
1917 the average German WORKING man
was 80 weakened by lac,s Of prouor
and nouriahins food that MS powers ~
production were reduced a, least 30 u.r
cont compared with pre- ~ar lines
! make t!s statement On the authority
%! tho managing dlr.Cto. III the largest
paper factory Ia Germany. where
worked for q period.
NENE. Ii MrISu ~ UoDy