Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1918-07-17
War Time Conditions In Germany
AS Observed by Rockford Man Who
Returns From Long Sojourn Abroad.

stated the doctor. Thugs and thieves
infest the streets of Berlin, Hamburg
and every German city. If a man has
to walk through a dark street, he
stands a chance Of being held up.
And the thieves will not take his
money, but his wearing apparel his
coat, hat shoes and even trousers.
Money means nothing. It can buy
nothing, and has shrunken in it's in
trinsic purchasing power with every
issue of paper money. A little child,
with a decent pair Of shoes on play
ing in the streets, cannot stray too
far from home or some mother will
steal the shoes for her own children.
All Gold Taken Up.
Every resident in Germany was or
dered long ago to give up his or her
gold. This vast treasure of gold has
been assembled and is held by the
German government against the day
when the rag" money must be re-
deemed or to purchase goods from
those countries with which Germany
can transact business. Paper money
is issued everywhere, and of curse
exchanges in neutral countries far
below it's face value.
Leaving Germany.
When the diplomatic break with
the United States came DR.. Henry de-
cided to leave Germany. He was in
formed that he would have to put up
a bond of $4,000 marks to insure the
kaiser's government that his taxes
were paid and that he would take no.
thing of value out of the country.
After much pickering he was al
lowed to put up a bond of 5000 marks.
He had to swear that his taxes were
paid, and was not permitted to take
any papers or articles of value out of
the country with him. He was also
allowed to take but 1000 marks, or
about $3.50 away with him, but when
this money was exchanged in SwitZer-
land he received but $50 per hundred
fol- it.
Ridiculed America,
While he was arranging to leave,
the German officials were very anx-
ious to talk about the United States
with him. One and all they ridi-
culed the idea that the United States
could be of any material assistance
to England and France. They said
America had no army that it would
take too long to organize, drill and
transport American soldiers, and that,
once on the ocean,, Won Tirpitz's sub
marines would sink them. No Ger
man that DR.. Henry spoke with be
lieved that the United States would
be able in a little more than a year
to have one million and a half of
trained soldiers on the fighting front
and another million ready for over
seas service.
Berlin in WaI Time,
Berlin was a sad sight from the
old days when I revisited it just be-
fore leaving Germany" said DR.. Hen
ny. MANY shops were closed. The
street car service was reduced to half,
and the cars that did run operated
for only half the usual distance. The
automobiles had no rubber tires, but
ran over the pavements on steel
tires that created an inferno of noise
DR.. Henry tells an interesting story
Of how Herr Streseman, a member of
the German parliament, a bitter en-
envy of America, vas making a
speech against the United States on
the very Sunday morning in Berlin
when news OF the break came. Herr
Streseman was explaining to a ire
mendOuS audience that America could
not and would not fight, that it had
no army, no spirit and was SO busy
making money that nothing need be
feared from this side of the Atlantic.
In the midst of his excited harangue,
however, a mar in the e of the hall
interrupter him and read a bulletin
just issued by the Lokal-Anzeiger
giving official news that America had
declared war. The audience then
booed Herr Streseman, who natural
1y found the wind knocked out of his
sails.
Hindenburg Not Strong Man.
Field Marshal Won Hindenburg, ac-
cOrding to DR.. Henry, is not the strong
man that the outside world believes
him to be. He wOn his record on the
eastern front when he saved Germany
from the Russian invasion, and this
made him the idol of the German peo-
pie. Now official orders on food and
other restrictions are issued in his
name. But the man of power is Field
Marshal Won Fa1kenhayn, and next to
him, ~Ludendorff, who with the Pan
German party and junkers are in con-
troll. The Pan-German party defeat
ed Bethmann-Hollweg, whom DR..
Henry says was a liberal man. The
Pan-Germanists hated Bethmann-
Hollweg because of his admission that
Germany must pay indemnity for what
happened in Belgium, and they final
ly succeeded in driving him out.
''Tirpitz," said DR.. Henry, "is a dis
credited man today in Germany. He
is blamed tor Americas entrance in
to the war. The Germans know that
so far as great conclusive results are
concerned the U-boat is a failure. It
has only made enemies for Ger
many"
Asked to describe the Pan-German-
is party, DR.. Henry stated that it be-
gan with a group of manufacturers
and OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES are get
ting rich out Of the a The reac-
ton against the Pan-Germanic party