El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-10-18
GERNANSSTARVE
FOR REAL FOOD
Letter From a Frau to Man
In Trenches Shows How
the People Suffer.

French Front Oct. 1S.-Among the
documents taken during the recent
fighting is one throwing considerable
light on the internal conditions of
Germany, particularly as affecting
the middle classes. It is written by
Madame Rossler. employed in a choc-
olate. biscuit and sugar factory in
Leipzig. and addressed 10 Leopold
Rossler, serving in the fifth company
OF the 474th infantry regiment She
writes;
We'll, it is good news that you have
been able 10 have the JOY of again
eating your fill. and something good
at that. How I could love 10 have
been with you Il viii be very, very
delightful IL some day you can send
me home here a little Of the excess
that the French and British have. 1
have great need of it. At any rate.
it would be splendid If you could eat
oftener from their mess.
AT present we have nothing-no
potatoes-and vegetables are terribly
dear-two marks for three pounds.
Who can buy at that price, Turnips
and everything fetch tremendous
prices. The government fixes maxi
mum prices, but no one pays any at
tention to them. You should lust
watch the arrival OF the cherry cart.
You cannot get near il. and prices are
awful. The lowest I have seen was a
few days ago-S5 pfennigs a pound
FOR quite poor cherries. I should have
liked TO have some, but my money
would not run TO il. People thrOng
round the vendor, tearing his stock
from him. and literally praying and
begging him to sell
4 Real Treat
'On Sunday 1 wanted a treat. and
bought some minced meat had still
just a little butter. and tried to buy
a pound Of new potatoes at half a
mark There are no old ones left. New
potatoes are again requisitiOned, or
at any rate, IL is said so, and to get
a pound Of potatoes yau have to buy
three pounds Of peas Al two marks as
we'll There I was, with my minced
meat on my hands. 1 bought = pound
Of bread in advance for the week. and
there was my Sunday dinner. All the
week I have been without bread be-
cause I used my bread card to buy
biscuits for my birthday 1 could not
merely give people coffee 1 had re-
ceiyed from Frau Schaaf and from
Antonis few ounces OF barley and
some milk from Gertrude. They all
thought It was real coffee
1t is true that there were only
60 biscuits, that had cost two marks,
for II people, and as I had sent you
Is or &c Of them you can see il did
not leave many per head. Frau
Boden gave me French beans and
dried fruits-Eearly Il quarter OF
pound from what had just been sent
10 her-and Frau Bart bag Of l
roasted barley, a small pot Of honey, l
and a little flour. I had some KAT I
feersatz (probably chicory substitutels /
and piece OF cake made by herself, /
from Frau Gunkel, and everyone else I
brought me some cake You see how I
I was loaded with presents.
Dining out"
1T is not pleasant passing q whole 4
week without bread and without pO-
-atOes. especially when prices are so
high that you cannot buy other TeSe-
tables, but IL will pass On Monday
[ was at the doctors for dinner. There
were potato soup and three fritters.
Frida was cutting up onions when I
came She could not see clearly, she I
had cut so many. She was raging. /
said 10 her: Why are you preparing 1
all these onions% For the goulasch,' /
she told me You do not need so 4
many, I said. Yes she replied, this 1
time we have got more meat And /
The butcher never gives me any. 1
lived in hopes OF getting a little Of /
that delightful dish as a birthday |
present I heard her say: When are I
we going 10 invite Frau Rossler Z
again? When are we going TO have
gOulaschT There was a whispered I
and then I was invited
10 come back on Wednesday. I was
counting on goulasch and had eaten
nothing except the cold fritters and /
cold bilberries- one OF the Iritters
was stone cold I was beginning to !
feel quite bad, and as there was
little coffee left / warmed up a cup. !
We drank some Gilka afterwards so
as TO avoid cramp in the stomach. !
How grateful I was for a mere morsel !
Of meat, or even some goulasch |
sauce, and potatoes. I am going back I
there on Monday. and there may be |
some more"