The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1919-01-02
have you to use this trainf Where is

your passportT"
BY that time I had produced all the
papers of Identification I could find and
tried to tell him thnt my wife and I
were returning to our home In Berlin.
but he was too excited to listen and
would have dragged us of the train
had not an officer. with whom I had
been talking en- route, interviewed
said: ~ shall make myself personally
responsible for these people" I vas
glad I had admired his new uniform.
From the coupe next TO ours ] saw
soldiers drag six Russians, throw them
down and kick them In the face. and
one was n womani The train pulled
out rs the crowd closed In on them 80
that ! was unable to ascertain the fate
Of those innocent but helpless passen-
gers.
When we finally reached Berlin.
about Ave the next morning, II seemed
like n dead city. There was not a
droschke, n taxi or a tram In sight.
Every available means Of lCcomotion
had been mobilized for the time being.
As we had heavy bags. we simply
had to find something to take us home
aud after half an hours search far
from the station l found an old cnb
driver who thought he could take US
for the liberal bonus I agreed to pay
him. We had hardly got seated when
an officer tried to force us out. and
only my wife's quick plea Of illness
saved him a black eye and me iron
bars or a large fine.
After England declared war. the ef.
forts to capture spies were doubled,
and the mob had n new lot Of signs to
tear down. We were forbidden tc talk
English on the telephone or ON the
street. We kept to our homes rather
closely. Most of the buses, tnxicabs
and horses had been Communicated
and the only signs Of life In Berlin
were furnished by the officers driving
madly about In high-powered carr
which exceeded all speed limits and
other traffic regulations.
After a few days, things began to re
turn to normal again. The food sup
ply seemed ample and the headlines ir
the newspapers were 10 encouraging
and the reports Of victories upon vic
tories so convincing that every n ok
pected the war to be over within {
very short time and they began to en-
up the stores they had SO excited,
collected.
Bread cards were initiated, II Is true
but the amount allowed was more thai
adequate for all except. perhaps, tn
very poor who depend almost entirel,
upon bread.
Tho press begun advising the pee
Pile tn conserve food but Mt the sam
time said that II care was taken Their
was no danger Of there not bein
enough for all. School teachers CAV
daily talks to the children to eat every
thing On their plates. One went % 10
as to announce: N always lick m
plate, children, and you should do th
same"
The result Of these warnings wa
merely to increase boarding and bu,
ing from food spectators. l neve
knew Of a single German who voluf
tarily deprived himself Of q singl
article of food out Of patriotic ms
tives. The only sacrifice a German
willing TO make for his country IL tn
one he mn IT escape.
As time went on and England
blockade became increasingly effcctiv'
the internal condition Of German
went from bad 10 worse, and long b.
fore l left Berlin, OF January 22, 191'
conditions had become well-nigh vi
! bearable.