Evening star., 1945-04-19

that it is better managed in Berlir
than in almost any other part o,
Germany.
But one person was rationed only
3 pounds of bread per week. That
is not very much, only a loaf about
so big and very little when you con.
slider that Germans eat nothing but
bread for breakfast and supper.
Il haven't been back to Berlin
since then because of travel re.
strictions. You have to have specia
permission to travel on the trair
now. I can't tell you much abou
politics in Berlin. Although my
husband was a member of the Naz
party I never kept up with theil
party affairs. I have no idea where
the party leaders are now, but a!
far as know they haven't appeared
in public in Berlin recently, I die
not hear them mentioned.
"The Germans never bothered
me because of my citizenship. I die
not talk much about it. I always
spoke English when I talked to my
children and some people regarded
that a little suspiciously. But my
two oldest children speak English
as well as they do Germans
we'll as you could expect for chill.
dren their age.
Haven't Heard From Family.
Il haven't heard from my family
in America since the war began.
presume my parents are still living
and have a sister and two broth.
ers, the younger IA years old ano
the eldest in the Army now, I sup
pose. There is no bitterness owe,
my marriage. although my mothe,
did not like it at first, my marrying
man she had never seen anc
marrying him away from home. She
burned up the mails with letters
when I first told her I was going te
marry.
s@But my family grew quite fond Of
my husband, when we visited them
at Chevy Chase in the summer oi
1899 and I think my husband woulo
have been content to remain ir
America if he could have found a
position there as a teacher.
II think that the reason that ]
have not heard from my parents is
that they thought that any letters
from them might cause us to fall
under suspicion. And do not know
exactly what my fathers position is
now. I really do not know what
his job was with the Department OF
Justice when I left. I was not in
terested in such things then. All
cared about was dancing-and
travel.
"One of my husbands cousins had
a farm in Pomerania. When the
Russian advance overran that part
of Germany, the Nazi government
ordered the evacuation Of all Ger
mans there. OAr cousin started out
with four wagons and IL horses fol-
the farm of another relative near
Nuremberg. He came through
Mecklenburg and I joined him with
my children at Muenchen-R -Reuth, q
town about $50 kilometers above
Berlin.
Whole Villages Move.
Germany is full of such Wagon
parties now, all moving west. Tricks
they call them. Sometimes whole
villages are on the move. You will
see as many as 80 wagons in one
group. They are the villages from
which the big landowners, the
Junkers, are moving all their people
Nobody stops you or asks ques.
tions. The people moving in the
tricks have been ordered to get
across the Elbe River, to try te
reach the lines of the American OF
British troops. The Germans are
terrified of Russians. They have
been told so many stories Of what
the Russians might do to them.
I'm our trek, besides my cousin
myself and my children were a
coachman and three French pris-
oners of war who had been work
ing on my cousins farm in Pom
erania. The French were in uni
form but they wanted to 20 with
my cousin and they had been given
permission to come.
"All the world possessions we
could carry with us were in those
wagons. And six of the horses were
good Arabians, which my cousin
was anxious to save. We had two
of the wagons fixed up like covered
wagons with rugs over them. It is
quite a common sight to see wagons
on the trek covered with beautiful
Persian rugs. The children and I
rode in one Of our covered wagons.
I'VE started out four weeks ago
We have travelled about IS days
averaging roughly 80 kilometers per
day. We stopped each night at
some farmhouse along the way
We stayed on an abandoned farm
Easter. The farmers gave us milk
for the children but about the only
food We had was potatoes boiled
in the skins.
Hear Guns Firing.
Saturday night we pulled our
wagons into the woods a few miles
north Of here. We could hear the
guns firing. We built a tent out of
rugs and all day Sunday I kept the
children in the tent. Yesterday
morning the firing was closer, so !
took the children and hid there
while some of the men in the party
crept down to the edge of the woods
to keep watch.
"They saw the American troops
take possession of the village near
the woods.
"We have been staying in the
house of German family which
the Americans ordered to take care
of us. They haven't much to eat
For supper last night the children
had potato salad. For breakfast
this morning they had black bread
and malt coffee, the German ersatz
morning drink.
We asked Mrs. Donner what she
had missed most in Germany and
what she wanted first when she
got back to the United States.
Without a moments hesitation
she smiled and said:
"IcA cream"