Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1919-01-15
CAPT. ]. ]. DAILY
IN GERMANY
Well Known Decorah Physician.
Captain i'm the Army Over in
France Writes Mrs. DAILY an
Interesting Letter
HAS BEEN VISITING
MANY GERMAN CITIES
In Concluding His Letter Sad He
Was Leaving on an Early Morn
ing Train For the Sunny
Sea Near Italy
Dec. 2, 1918

|
Dec. 2, 1918
Dear Wife:-Tired not yet, but
again. But note or two before l go
to bed. Belfort. Have you really been
reading up on France? If not you
will not understand. The places l am
sketching are most interesting and if
you know what they mean in the war
and in past history you will see the
Importance they bear in connection
with my trip.
At Nancy: Formerly capital city
of Lorraine. Had chat over the wire
"a cafe with a Belgium mother,
daughter and her two sons. The
women were-are refugees, have fed
from home to England and now over,
to Lorraine. Nancy to meet the
sons just out of Germany as prison
ers. You see what little note | am
making about them now will mean
to me when l see this letter on my
return. l can't stop to write down
what the boys said, nor what the
women said, especially their inn
pressions of the English and their
experiences. wrote once about a
Belgian woman, also refugee, whom
talked with at the movies in Ar
cuhon. These Belgians talk good En-
glish.
| At Strassburg: Talked in store
Ito French woman, also refugee,
Iwho is married to an Englishman.
She has been over here in Alsace
quite while, got caught over here
when the war broke out These are
all waiting prisoners returned, like
wise waiting for means, transporta-
tion, etc. to- return home. Talked to
me about souvenirs which you might
like.
| Golmar: Nice visit with a little
lad who sat on my lap in the train.
His mother could manage to make
me understand his French-Cerman.
Mulhouse: Home of dress goods,
prints, paper cloth. All these towns
are oh, so German. Americans are
bit more at home here than in
France. In your room if you want to
wash you turn on "kalt" or warm"
and know what you are going to get.
In France it is "chaud" OF, "froid"
and you guess. NE pas Sc penoher
sn dehors" is more foreign than is
''nicht hinaus lehnen." both meaning
don't stick your head out of the
train window"
| Perhaps you are reading in the
papers, about the French soldiers
entering Alsace and the way the peo-
Iple are receiving them. am here to
see it and so get sidelights on it,
Was getting change in bank in
Strassbourg. Peasants came in en-
Touring about finances. In week or
two German money will be dropped
and French substituted. have quite
time managing to get away without
being loaded up with German change.
have notes on food, on paper foot
gear and clothing, which l mustn't
put in the mail.
Mulhouse: Left Straasbourg at
Is a. M, Mulhcuse at 1880. Caught
an auto and here TO Belfort 25 miles.
First having had all afternoon to see
al ail mi
bridge blown up by the miserable
Germans. The German frontier was
only A or 8 miles away at Straas-
bourg / mean Germany proper.
Alsace was part of Germany until
Foch came to Straasbourg Nov. 22d.
The people don't know just whera
they are at yet. As years of German
rule. Barber shop sign: Dogs and
talk about politics verboten.'
Belfort: Auto trip wonderful. No
Mans Land for four years past has
been half way between here and
Mulhouse. Can't stop here to tell
about it. Nor about this walled city.
three times has it resisted war. Am
going to bed, and leave on an early
train for the sunny sea near Italy.
In another letter written from
Straasbourg, in Alsace, ON Dec. :,
the captain wrote two paragraphs in
German, but we We're unable to di-
gest it, so will conclude his letter
with the following paragraph, telling
lahost Straasbourg.
Here, you remember is that won
derful clock much larger than the
one at Lyons which I wrote about
(Continued on page 60