The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-11-30
GERMAN WOMEN WEAR
GARMENTS OF PAPER
All Right AS Long as sun Shines, But,
When IL Rains--Oh.
Horrors.
BERLIN pLAGrE-RrDDEN CITY,
Spirit sof Rebellion Has LEFT Faces
Of Cowed Half Starved Weakiings
Composing Csty's PopuIace.

London, Nov ga graphic FIRST
hand picture OF the desolatiou and
war WEAKNESS in Berlin after four
years Of fruiuess struggle Is brr~ssat
here hy j. Jepson, who has just ar
rived in England after his release
from the German prison camp at
Ruhieben
There were eighteen of us alto
gcjher. and we had been released
from Euhleben and were on our way
10 The Dutch frontier said he. We
walked the eight miles from the camp
To Berlin and were the first party OF
prisoners allowed 10 march through
The principal streets of that city in
broad daylight.
Il Was able 10 mix with German
men. women and children aud study
them mt close quarters.
III was easy to understand that
they we're ready 10 accept "a peace at
almost any price, hut it vas just as
clear that IEcy were aS doclle as ever
ia the hands of their rulers.
There WIS nothing of the spirit
of rebellion IN the faces of these
coWea. half-starVed wcaklings What
ever might IA the spirit Of the army
the civilians looked al If they had
Ittt AfAS JDNi BIZ ~ StitAatt a fH''4'N'-tf
when we left RYhleben. the feel
ing was that, whatever happened, the
. war could not last much longer and
that peace would come very soon
The prisoners were looking forward
to an early release and the guards
were expecting to be demolized.
AT this time the Br&ish armies
were sweeping forward, and il was
realize1 that a disaster had befailen
the German armies from which there
was no hope Of recovery.
We left Ruhleben amid tremcud-
ous cheering from the prisoners he
hind us-aR ragged and disrepujable
"A company of Migrants AZ ever left -
work house. Among us was ii British
peer-the Earl of Perth. Al the head
( Of the procession was myself the
Official rat catcher Of Ruhleheu can
occupation which helped keep me
spne1. With my terrier. with $500
+ German rats to his credit, trotting
along by my side and two ferrets on
my back.
Plague Ridden CITY,
As we entered Berlin, through the
district OF the geological gardens and
the west end, NO seemed To he enter
ing - plague ridden city. city Whose
peoplr were la"boring under some ter
flltie curse We met scarcely any
4 o'clock in the afternoon.
compared with the gay days 81
August, 1914. when the streets wer'
crowded with addressed well-fef
people, and swarning with automo
biles and taxicabs, Berlin looked in
describably desolate. | remem be-
seeing one taxicab. OF course, it hat
no tires. but wheels fitted VIII
springs, and it looked as If it woult
"a a mis- q t1% Worry
tram cars were mining, and the
Were cramWed, art Travelled VET,
Il slowly. as If almost worn out.
Il was particularly impressed b,
f the decayed appearance of the publ
buildings. They looked as If they hat
, not been cleaned, decorated or repair
ed since the beginning Of the wal
: The plaster on the walls was a,
. cracked and peeling of, giving tn
appearance OF shabby poverty.
The streets neVerthe less wsr
well swept and clean, l;ut the con
traSt with London, which seems l.
me. after four years, buster ant
smarter than ever. is remarkable. u
( Berlin a large number Of the shop
We're closed, and some of those whiol
Mere oaap5 litl4sdug From Me 4irin
je6t haa, ware flied with m.ser
at'le assortment OF goods.
Tho people we saw were reieCte'
and looking very III. Their faces wer
/ emacitted They all looked as IL The
We're suffering from slow starvation
! ! did not see one cheerful facee-no
one that Gid not indicate "a condition
q Of misery and despair
The women wore paper clothes
= II was fne day and The streets Wor
dry. 30 that ii did not srcm so Yer
= odd But on IA wet daa.. was toh
: by a German they aresssslsssssS2r Gus nm,