New-York tribune., 1918-05-27
American Found
Germans Spirits
Buoyed by Fraud
Singer Was Forced to
Leave After Wilson's
Note

AN ATLANTIC PORT, May 26.-The
story of a starving, disgruntled Ger
many striving to keep up the spirit Of
its people by fraud and deception was
brought to this country to-day by Miss
Bonaventura Sphinx, dramatic soprano
of Indianapolis, who fed from Ham
burg on March 25, when the people
turned upon her because she was an
American.
Miss Sphinx had been in Germany
four years and four months, singing in
Llepsic, Dresden, Berlin, Hamburg and
other cities. Because of her art she
managed to get along without trouble,
but when President Wilson issued his
last note she was ostracized, denied ad-
mission to the opera houses and hotels,
and was forced to seek the intercession
of the Spanish Ambassador to get into
Denmark.
She said that Germany was tottering,
ensky was deposed. and that the So
called truce effected by Trotzky and
Lenine at BrestLitovsk gave the army
new lease of life by releasing troops
from the East. Some of the German
officers, she said, admitted that the
British were unbeatable in Flanders,
where the German arms had counted on
decisive victory.
The feeling Tor Americans" she
said, twas not generally friendly, but
within the last five months it has be-
come exceedingly bitter, SO bitter that
1T is impossible for any self-respecting
American to live there. The few Amer
leans left are seeking to get away.
I'm all the big cities the military
element is seeking to bluff the people
by lavish entertainment and merriment
y? theatres, opera houses and restau-
rants into the belief that all is going
we'll with the war; One can get plenty
of food in the restaurants by paying
high for it and somehow the people
accept this deception with the knowl-
edge that there is scarcely any food
for their own tables at home.
Grand opera is in full swing. Wag-
ner, of course, predominates in Berlin;
and Gounod On the boards. which helps
add to the whole scheme of deception.
They are even bold enough to stage
new productions.
when the spring drive started
word was sent back that the German
troops were again close to Paris and
that the whole offensive had been one
| round OIL ieutOnlc victories.
WORD leaked into Germany that
American troops were appearing in
| large numbers on the Western front,
but this was denied by the. military
leaders and the military newspapers,
which declared that there were no
American troops on French soil. The
people have been forced to read edi-
torials continually stating that it
would be at least five years before
| American troops could be trained and
| transported to France and that before
half that time had elapsed the war
would be ende by glorious German
! victory.
British discipline was ridiculed and
reports of British insubordInation and
mutiny in the British army and navy
were constantly kept before the Ger
man public.
Throughout the land children are
being starved that soldiers may be
fed. The little ones are being kept
from school because they have not the
physical strength to attend. The rail-
roads have been in poor condition for
some time and are gradually getting
worse.
an Berlin butter is $3.50 a pound;
sugar and -four cannot be bought; tea
| is $40 q pound, and such other foods
as are obtainable are proportionately
| high"