New Ulm review., 1921-02-09
P'ITIIF | | Ill PLIGHT
OF BERLINESE. B ] /. mi:
PEOPLE OF GERMAN CAPITAL
SUFFERING TERRIBLY
FROM HUNGER.
PATHETIC LETTER TELLS OF
DEPLoRABLE CONDITIONS
FOLLOWING WAR.

The terrible suffering and privations
OF the inhabitants of Berlin, the capital
OF Germany, are graphically depicted
in pathetic letter recently received
Gustav Schroeder of Klossner from
relatives, in the German metropolis.
Every sentence of the pitiful epistle.
tells OF misery, distress, hunger and
want, which clearly prove that the.
heart-rending reports received in the.
United States relative to the ex-
crutiating suffering Of the people of
Germany and Central Europe, and
especially the inhabitants of the large
cities, are not exaggerated.
Hunger, Hunger, Everywhere.
The letter is written by a cousin Of
Mr.. Schroeder and in it he says, am ong
other things: During the World
war we suffered the pangs of hunger,
and since the revolution conditions
have become even worse We can
tell a long and sad tale of privations..
Never would I have believed that we
we would ever be compelled to suffer
as we have, or that our country would
ever be strangled as effectively as it.
now is.
Very Meager Rations.
I'VE are all weakened and. UNDER
nourished; no fats of any kind, and
only very poor food We have been
forced to subsist principally on cab
bage, turnips and potatoes. To this
day, bread, sugar and milk are rationed
and all other eata bles are so terribly
expensive that one can not afford to-
purchase them. (.
There are only two classes of
people IN Germany today, namely, the
very rich, the people who have become
wealthy By reason of illicit iilficiit traffic In
foodstuffs during the war, and the very
poor, among whom are we poor officials,
who have been compelled to pay out
the very last penny Of our meager
savings to keep the wolf from the door.
Many Children Are Sick.
"Of 100 children at least 70 to 80
are afflicted with lung trouble and all
are under-nourished. The people are
dying off at a terrible rate as result
Of their weakened condition. What
we need principally is lard and other
fats. We have not tasted butter for
years.
II spent seven weeks in the hospital
on account of la grippe and pneumonia,
and, while | have escaped death from
these diseases, my right arm and hand
are paralysed My wife's hair has
become gray and mine are also mostly
gray. Our eldest daughter, who is
studying for teacher, is very weak and
is afflicted with lung trouble. Our
youngest daughter broke down last
year and was unable to walk; six weeks
ago she again broke down while walk
ing along the street and is now suffer-
ing with heart trouble.
Terrible Experiences.
We have had terrible experiences in
Berlin since the revolution. Often our
lives were endangered with bullets
flying all around US. Conditions here
were terrible during the revolution.
The rabble and vagabonds got in their
terrible. work Of destruction. Many
murders and other crimes are being
committed here every day as a result
of the lack of the efficient government
we once possessed = 81. W
Bruno Schroeder, the writer of the
above letter, is now a government
official in Berlin, after having been in
| the military service for more than 12
years. He. asks for temp assist
ance to tide him over until the much
hoped for better times set in. The
above letter was written by him in
reply to inquiries made by rela atives, ii
! the United States in regard to condi-
tions in Berlin These relatives have
already made arrangements to helI
alleviate the terrible suffering Of Mr.
lSchroeder and his loved ones in the
German capital.
.-z-e ss4f