Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-05-26
ALL But DISABLED.
SERVE IN GERMANY
Germans Rope In" Every Man
for Service Up to Age
of Fifty-Five.
BELIEVE ENGLAND is BEATEN
Women and Children Do Most
of Work in Big
Stores. :
BELIEVE ENGLAND is BEATEN
international News Bureaul
BY Err NEST LIONEL. PIXIE,

five is fit for military or national serv-
ice. Nearly three years ago the Ger
man high command adopted a simple
Elan for utilizing their man power.
All except the manned. the halt and
the blind were ropcd in to do work OF
national Importance.
The streets of Berlin are not crowded
with able : bodied citizens strollinG
along. blissfuliy believing that the
war is being won for them. No, in
deed. The high command gave the m
sort OF junior partnership: the wage
was only shiliingS Il day. II is true.
but every Hun was given to under
stand very plainly indeed that his
Private feelings and interests did not
matter In the least.
There are no crowds of comparatively
young men docking into the railway
stations at Friedrichstrasse, Geological
Gardens and Letter Barnsholf No
Hmblc young porter is waiting to take
your luggage or call a taxicab; there
are no taNicabs. for one thing. No.
knickerbockered plain-faced Hun fe.
male surlily grabs Your belongings.
throws them into a carriage and in
| common with all Germans. waits with
outstretched hand for the tip
| Piccadilly and the Strand, with their
well-iilied restaurants. would cause the
average German TO so into an apoplec-
tic fit. Liverpool street and Kings
Cross Stations at night would make
| him wonder if the stupid English were
not really more idiotic than he ever
hoped for. do not know If the Ger
mans will ever get the opportunity to
read these articles but | hope they
VIII. Then. perhaps. another nail will
be driven into the coffin OF the official
liars whose business 1t is to make
their long suffering countrymen be-
lieve that England is at her last gasp
| Fancy telling the German War Office
man of certain age is no use TO the
nation! Anything on two legs bctw e en-
the ages OF fifteen and sixty is use full
to the Germans. Men OF nifty guard
the prison camps, some OF them too
weak TO stand the weight OF their
rifles. There is no such thing in Ger
many as business house pleading
that young man is indispensable to
them: II would be 'lcse majestic OF
the worst description, TscIe sle "a
! - :: rlsisani tribunals 10 listen with
sympathetic ears to tie tale of a svall
! wife and a large family. You cannot
do those things in liuniand; sentimc nt
is entirely dead about such matters.
Every young man in Germany fit for
the trenches has TO so, his place Is
taken by one OF the fifty-year.olds.
The streets do not tcem with hale and
hearty men discussing what their
brave boys are doing at the front.
war is business with the Germans,
and it is IA business in witch every
German is compelled TO take moro than
passing interest. No actors find IL
possible to get a nice "cushy Job" close
TO Berlin and do their performances
ut night
TWO MILLION PRISONERS
OF WAR IN GERMANY
II is the proper utiliSation Of his
man power which makes the German
such formidab bic enemy AMI accounts
Tor the position he is in to-day There
is no time wasted in discussing
whether man is physically capa BILE
or working for the nation at fifty years
OF age Two eyes, two legs and two
arms-that is all the high command
asks for. He is soon fourd work, es-
sential to the winning OF the war. Once
month all able bodied citizens are
medically examined and the doctors arc
not SO obligins as ours. You are not
asked If YOU have ever suffered from
any particular disease. The past does
not interest the German
There are over 100000 prisoners Of
war in Germany, most of them Rus
SLAMS. When ! left Berlin they were
stu 10 be seen about the streets, driy-
ing carts, cleaning the streets. repair-
ing the tramways do not think
the gentle German has any intention
OF letting them return to their ma tive
land yet awhile. Women and children
do most of the work in the big stores
Even the men of nifty and over cannot
be employed there
Inc administrative departments Of
the army are carried on by tad
wounded men, There are no "cushv
Jobs" there either. Men I'D to fortv
tive are pu. in TO the trenches; those
UP to nifty guard lines OF communica
tion' escort prisoners, dig trenches
man the medical service. In Ruhleben
we had mixed collection for guard
There were commercial travellers. bank
clerks. portcrs and farmers who had
frequent leave). Highly Skilled people
like druggists and opticians: were ell
employed in working for the army.
The streets of Berlin arc not filed
with young men who should have hen
"9i7 'o' their country three years
ago. Most of those I say during my
numerous visits 10 the German. sea- ri.
tai had been discharged and were
sporting the black and white ribbon of
the Iron Cross. There are no ION var
service badges TO be seen in Berlin.
The whole system is so beautifully
simple. Either YOU are in the army
or. for some very good reason YOU
are not You may be on civil dienst"
'ciril duty). in which case you receive
. marks a day. as compared with the
3S ptcnnigs the private soldier receives
although even then you are not guar
anteed the greatest inducement any
German can be ofcred--that OF three =
:.
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