Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1922-01-24

| tIUuSnIS anu motives OF all ordinary
people.
These Southern Germans dislike
the Prussians. They hate them and
make no bones about admitting it,
but Prussia has practically forced
them into the empire and Prussia
still has the ruling hand.
That is why Germany must be
watched. / can't blame the French
for their hatred. If had any such
creature as the Prussian met on the
train living within thousand mixes
of me, I'm afraid / would squeeze
him just as the French are doing UNI
til ] knew he was helpless.
Of course, you are interested in
what the Germans think of America
AS far as we can make out, Amefi-
cans are hated less than any other
enemy country right at present. The
Germans had the propaganda forced
down their throats during the war
that there were thirty million Ger
mans or people Of German descent in
America. They were perfectly dunn
founded when we went to war. Their
excuse for sinking our ships is that
we were feeding England while they
starved and our answer is that we
would have fed them if they had sent
the ships TO get the food. In Prussia,
that is Berlin and thereabouts, there
is quite an unfriendly and hostile
feeling against us, though not as
much as against the French and
English. In Southern Germany, the
feeling cannot be described as hos
tile, but no particularly welcome
looks followed us around
Goat Attracts.
| think we made a mistake in
wearing the coats we lid. You re-
rsen,ber the mole ska coat | wore
wnie III the army Well, am wear
ing it and Mock is wearing one al
most Nike it. They make us look like
some kind of military officers and
everywhere, especially in the smaller
towns, people stop on the streets and
stare at us. Several have asked us
whether or not we were military Off
GERS. When we haven't on out coats
we are taken for English.
| had the idea before came to
Germany that the entire country
would be full Of French and English
troops. | suppose this is the case
with the Rhine country, but in the
cities we have visited so far | haven't
seen single English, French or
American soldier. / believe the
American soldier has behaved better
and is liked more than the others in
the area occupied by troops.
OF course, we are always on the
watch and never speak English in
crowds, but | think we are compara-
lively safe
/ was very much surprised at the
condition of the people and the life
they lead. The life must be different
in the smaller towns in Germany and
the conditions must be awful in
places, especially in Southern Geer-
many, but in Berlin you. see the peo-
pie just as well dressed as you see
them on Broadway; you see just as
fashionable and almost as expensive
cafes, Externally there is practical
ly no suffering, although there must
be starving and privation in the
background. The night life in Berlin
is that Of city which has never seen
or heard of a war, and dacing, thea
ters, gambling, music and wine all
run till late hours and are well pat
ronized. I rather believe that the
people who have money in reasona-
Bile quantities are spending it in q
feeling of rather reckless despera-
tion, feeling that their fortunes are
Just as unsettled as the conditions.
Two-Mile Factory
But with all this, they are working
hard. The largest crowd / saw on
the streets of Berlin was at z in the
morning when every one was going
to work. The countryside and su-
burbs are simply infested with fac
tories and industries of every kind,
working "a hours day. On the train
enc night last week we passed the
biggest factory I've ever seen or ex-
pect to see. It was clinical fac
tory and that little building was
just about 2 miles long and half
a mile wide. We passed it on
Christmas Eve night and it was going
full blast-never stopping day or
night.
With things ging like this, it is alb
solutely certain to me that the Ger
mans can pay their reparation debt
if they are pushed. Most of the
countries surrounding Germany and
other peoplee / have talked to who
have actually studied conditions say
that Germany can pay. They need
to be pressed, and the Allies are go
ing to turn the screws.