Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-01-16
IMMATURE ALMANAC.
KNOWING WAR IS LOST.
DESPAIR FILLS HEART OF
THE HUNS WITH RAGE

CONTINUED from First Page.l
in full speed. After the war he was
going to America and spend tho rest
of his life in hating the rrusSians.
will tell YOU II is in the nature OF
the Hun--he must hate, and unless
ho Is hating something or somebody
he Is never happy.
asked him point blank what he
thought OF the war outlook for Ger
many. For moment he looked as II
he were going to fly into a temper.
but he controlled himself with an eff
tort. and answered after few seconds
OF reflection: You wilt win, and you
deserve to win. We have been too
clever. We have gone too far, and
must now put TIP with the conse-
qucncea
Our men are hgh:inG on with the
courage OF despair. They know Ger
many cannot win. but they hope that
IL they fight on the allies will quar-.
rel among themselves or the people
in allied countries will weary of the
war ana force their governments to
make peace.
II don't believe anything of the kind,
but our men Sill think 1t possible.
and they arc encouraged in that belief
by the high command. We are kept
in ignorance of what Is happening n;
home. Letters have been stopped by
tho censor, and even then the stop
paEe Is not enforced all references to
bad times arc struck out.
PUNISHMENT FOR MUTINY is
SERVICE on WEST FRoNp
The result is that in the army we
have had to establish a post of our
own. and thus we obtain news OF how
our people are faring. What we hear
is terrible.
We are told from time to time OF
riots. OF hungry women and child on
conGreSat!ng IN the streets and being
attacked savageiy by military and 20
lice. who are afraid to refuse TO carry
out work Of this kind because th.v
know that il thsy refused they would
be sent off TO the western front. That
IS the punishment for nearly every Sc
rious offense to-day
IN cases or treason, such as in con-
ncction with the revoIts in the army
ana navy, they don't carry out the
death sentence themselves. They SAY
II would be waste of German am
munition. which ~ already scarce
enough. They send the prisoners on
10 'ne western front. where they are
PAN i'Ao TIC lTORe-llEc trenches.
sometimes they are chained 10 ma
chihe guns. but. IS rule. there Is no
neeu 10 take pains of that sort Death
.i'oS 20" soon enough where the Brit
ish guns are.
In the army In Flanders the men
are continually refusing 10 fight on.
ne night was captured we were ont
with patrol. We found that we could
was far TOO risky, because of the wov
the British were watching. so we had
to give it UP. We knew that If we
went back with the story OF failure
we would be put on to some more dan.
Cerous work that would be as good no
death sentence.
we talked IT over. and decided that
we would try to reach the nearest Brit
ish post to surrender. The officer IN
the party was against Il al first, but
when he saw We were IN earnest he
fell in with US. and we gave ourselves
up 10 tho British. I dare say we will
be punished if ever The German author
'ues get TO know, but I'm not going
back to Germany
Men are hurried back from hos
pitfalls before they are 1T for duty, and
'hcy break down as soon as they re,
back. had a case OF the kind the
other day.
battalion made up OF men who
i'"a been brought back from hospital
was gent into the frs.-line trenches.
Ihcy had not been In an hour before
'hcy came out again. Some OF them
were crying like women or babies. ard
thcy had not the heart TO fight. The
DOCTORS said they ought never ia h.va
hecn discharged from hospital.
Many OF onr men commit suicide
rather than return to the front.
OF my own company, l know eight
who have taken this way OF escani;u,
from the horrors OF war within the
last Two months. In many cases they
Just put finger or a hand ont q,
safcty in the hope OF getting a
wound that will help them to get
away TO hospital The result OF thls