Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1918-11-22

Our compartment was crowded with
|. officers on their way to join their regi-
ments and very grand and important
they felt In their new field-gray uni
forms which may have long been put
away in moth balls for just this oppor-
tunity, but which took the German peo-
pie as well as the allies completely by
surprise.
At Naumberg, which is about half
way between Frankfort and Berlin, a
company of soldiers boarded the train
and guarded the corridors while a non
commissioned officer questioned the
passengers.
My wife, who was asleep in a cor
ner of the coupe l, was the only wom-
an in the compartment. Believing that
her sleep might be feigned and she
might, in fact, be man in woman's
clothing, the officer yelled at her:
"Where are you going?" Her Ameri-
can accent. revealed when she an
swered him. incensed him the more
and he demanded angrily: "What right
have you to use this train? Where is
your passport"
BY that time had produced all the
papers of Identification could find and
tried to tell him that my wife and |
were returning to our home In Berlin,
but he was too excited to listen and
would have dragged us off the train
had not an officer, with whom l had
been talking en- route, interviewed and
said: II shall make myself personally
responsible for these people" 1 was
Sad had admired his new uniform.
From the coupe next to ours l saw
soldiers drag six Russians, throw them
down and kick them In the face, and
one was woman! The train pulled
out as the crowd closed in on them SO
that was unable to ascertain the fate
of those innocent but helpless passen-
gers.
When we finally reached Berlin.
about five the next morning. 1t seemed
like dead city. There was not o
drOschke, a taxi or q tram. in sight.
Every available means of lOcomotion
had been mobilized for the time being.
AS we had heavy bags, we simply
had to find something to take us home
and after half an hours search far
from the station found an old cab
driver who thought he could take us
for the liberal bonus agreed to pay
Dim. We had hardly got seated when
an officer tried to force us out, and
only my wifes quick plea Of illness
saved him a black eye and me iron
bars or large fine.
After England declared war, the eff
forts to capture spies were doubled
and the mob had a new lot of signs to
tear down. We We're forbidden to talk
English on the telephone or on the
street. We kept to our homes rather
closely. Most of the buses, taxicabs
and horses had been Communicated
and the only signs of life in Berlin
were furnished by the officers driving
madly about in high-powered cars
which exceeded all speed limits and
other traffic regulations.
After few days, things began to re-
turn to normal again. The food sup.
ply seemed ample and the headlines in
the newspapers were so encouraging
and the reports of victories upon vic.
tories SO convincing that every one ex.
pected the war to be over within q
very short time and they began to eat
up the stores they had SO excitedly
collected.
Bread cards were initiated, it is true
but the amount allowed was more than
adequate for all except, perhaps, the
very poor who depend ALMOST entirely
upon bread.
The press began advising the peO.
pie to conserve food but at the same
time said that if care was taken there
enough for ALL School teachers gave
daily talks to the children to eat every.
thing on their plates. One went so far
as to announce: II always lick my
| plate, children, and you should do the
same!''
The result of these warnings was
merely to increase boarding and buy
ing from food spectators. l never
knew of single German who volun-
tarily deprived himself of single
article of food out of patriotic mo.
tives, The only sacrifice German Is
willing to make for his country Is the
one he cannot escape.
As time went on and England's
blockade became increasingly effective
the internal condition of Germany
went from bad TO worse, and long be.
fore / left Berlin, on January %, 1918
conditions had become well-nigh un
bearable.