Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1919-02-20
AUDUBON BOY
TRADES IN GERMANY
SAYS HUNS WILL TRADE ANY
THING IN THEiG POSSESSION
ZOE \ HAE OLE SOAB

the army, has Just written his folks
the following letter
Hundsanger, Germany, Jan 10
Dear Folks:--I received your let
ter written Christmas day and was
glad to get it, | am getting my
mail petty regularly now.
have never seen Ben Twist nor
anyone else from home didn't
know he was in the outfit He is i'm
the first brigade and I am in the sec
ond, so are not very close together.
We have several Iowa boys i'm the
regiment now, they are from the old
First Iowa The men from Co. g
are from Dubuque. They came after
the armistice was signed They are
all good fellows
What outfit was Arthur Ballou INF
How long has Ben Twist been with
the 18th?
have been al the front seven
times. Sure was lucky but can
tell you more about il when | get
home. l went to minstrel show
last night and il sure was fine. got
"a Christmas card from Elsie Ghreman
but have lost the address
am sending u postoTice money
order for 800, you can save il for
me or use it if you want to. This ia
the first pay have drawn in fourteen
months Ny service records are in
an awful shape after being transfer
red so often They are all fixed up
again so l will draw my pay regular.
Is Henry Preston over here? sup
pose he has been over here a long
time.
81,
came. II showed twice about Xmaa
time but it is all gone, only stayed on
the ground a few days. The grass
rs green yet. or else it never dies
II we stay in Germany much longer I
will be able to talk better German
than you can. can talk enough
now so the boys hunt me up when
they want things at the store Things
are pretty cheap over here and not
rs high as one would think. l buy
American condensed milk at the
store as ! use it for my coffee
/ enclose you clipping from the
New York Herald, published in Paris
which will be Of interest to you folks.
"Montabaur. Germany, Monday
Montabaur is thifty looking Ger
man town, within the S0-kilometre
circle. occupied by the Americans
beyond the Rhine. 1t is the largest
town within a few miles of the ont.
posts bordering the neutral zone, and
is the headquarters of che First Di-
vision of the American Army of DC.
cupation. III it were not for seeing
the American soldiers policing the
town one could never imagine that
there ever had been war. Young
Germans. who have already been de-
mobolized, are noticed on the streets
ia civilian clothes. and many OF them
are already at work.
The Inhabitants seem 10 have Seen
absolutely within their own wails
during all these years of war, OF
which they know practically nothing,
and seem so far away from the
worlds disorder and turmoil that it
is almost impossible to believe they
are the brutal Germans who brought
the war on che world and that their
government is in tho MIDST of an up
heaval
The shop windows Indicate no
scarcity of anything; and notwith--
standing the reports that leather has
for some time been unknown in Ger.
many. the children are all wearing
leather shoes and let me say here
THAI there are thousands of children
in the streets of every village and
they are all well clothed Ar Of.
Gcer remarked that h. had not seen
a German prisoner in France that
had not pleaded for mercy because
he had three children at home" and
each time he had thought what
Ia ~
since his watch on the Rhine he ia
convinced that they have lied in the
opposite direction for six children to
each German would be more just
count
The ouly thing that | have noticed
here which is entirely out of the ord
mary is the quantity of paper used
for everything. Paper strings tie
the packages from the shops and pa
per is made to initiate wood panel.
ling on the walls; but with all the
paper that one secs we have linen
table cloths and napkins here in.
stead of the paper that is used in ell
the restaurants and hotels in Cob
lenz.
Soap is to be seen in the shop win
dows here. II looks to be of very
poor quality but 1t is soap and the
linen looks as il it had been washed
with soap. while in Coblenz there is
not a scrap of soap to be had at any
price. 4 bar Of soap will buy any.
thing there. the soldiers have great
fun trading soap for chickens. One
doughboy told me that he had traded
= bar of soap Tor three chickens and
another said he had delicious goosss
in exchange for soap.
When asked il the war had made
much difference in the town or in
the price of food. etc. the inhabitants
say "Oh. no, not a great change. Our
men went of course and some of them
did not come back. but aside from
that. we have noticed little change.
Our food restrictions have not been
severe. With the exception of bread
we have had an abundance of every
thing. There was no butter to he
seen in the shops though the chill
dren have been noticed carrying pals
of milk through the streets. At the
Hotel Schlemmer we had a very good
luncheon composed of soup, good
roast pork with potatoes and carrots
and turnips, and an apple for dessert
for I marks. soc. Chickens are sold
By the peasants for l3 marks. Az
far ~ food is concerned the dough-
boys say that they are delighted to
find that Fritz has a fondness for
trading. Something is sure wrong
with these Boches," said one OF tho
boys, for can trade off canned
Biz for chickens
Training is constantly going on
back Of tho outposts. Yesterday the
troops were all set for battle post
tions. The Germans were supposed 20
be attacking and as much interest
was being taken in the maneuvers nv