Evening star., 1918-01-27
GET IN CLOSE TOUCH
WTHMEN IN RANKS
German Officers Confer With
Soldiers on Situation to
Help Morale.
BY PAUL AYRES ROCKWELL.
Especial Correspondence of The Sunday
Star and Chicago Daily News.)

Especial Correspondence OF The Sunday
Star and Chicago Daily News.)
WITH THE FRENCH ARMIES, De-
cember 21.-The German soldiers are not
at all pleased at the idea of a fourth
winter in the trenches, and every sort
of effort imaginable is being made to
keep up their morale. Reports of ap-
preaching peace, wildly exaggerated
stories of successes on various fronts
and tales of internal dissensions in the
allied lands are given out freely to
Of the kaiser. Officers frequently give
Informal talks, and even hold lengthy
conferences with the men under them.
On an officer recently captured by the
French during a local attack were
found the following notes, written with
a view of using them in an address to
his battalion:
Our general situation" writes the
unhappy German. "is excellent from
military point of view. Our enemies
realize the impossibility of conquering
US. Their tentative efforts to pierce
our lines in the Somme, at Arras, on
the Aisne. in Champagne and at Lens
have failed. Many men were engaged,
with very great losses and the mini
mum of success.
necessary that eac hone of us have the
firm will to hold out; it is necessary
that we keep our grip. You must, every
man of you, realize why you are fight
ing. and what will become of US if
the war goes against US. Enslaved,
Inundated, crushed down, our wealth
sacrificed, no longer free men. our lives
would be torment.
Submarines Magnificent
Our submarines are carrying on
magnificent work The danger for
England is much greater than we are
told. and than the English confess it
never will find, an efficacious means
of combating this peril. More than
one-third of the total commerce of
England has already been sunk; her
commerce is almost completely para
lyzed. Several great navigation COM
panies no longer will allow their ships
to leave port, and the imports of Eng
land diminish more and more. That
is the veritable object of our sub
marines: sinking thousands of tons of
shipping is of less Importance than the
complete isolation of England
scarcity of food, strikes, universal dis
content, internal troubles-peace in
two months!
Russia Is Being Cultivated.
: From an economic point Of view our
situation is equally 6ffIIIaHt. Statistics
from the imperial ONCE for food sup
plies show that by continuing to live
as modestly as today we have yet in
hand three years of food rations. The
forecast for the approaching crop is
very good. except for potatoes. Every
thing is organized in an impeccable
fashion. In Russia great tracts of land
are being cultivated; therefore, an
abundant harvest.
"Just now we have ahead of US two
more bad months: we must restrain
ourselves a little, never losing sight of
the approaching better times.
Equipment supplies are getting low.
Spare your clothes; some still remain,
but no more new ones; at the rear,
great stocks of little worn clothes
come from the wounded who are in
hospitals and do not need clothing. At
the depots the men are wearing their
peace-time clothes. 1t is necessary to
be farsighted.
Above all else, guard good morale"