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IN THE FATHERLAND'S BYWAYS

— e IMPRESSIONS OF A TRAVELLER. Berne, April 21. A Swiss who has just returned from Germany, where be has been spending some time in the country districts, remarks on, the untrustworthiness of inlormation gained from German newspapers and German private letters, all of which pass through so strict a censorship that anything really calculated to throw light on the state of the country is invariably eliminated. Nor can a correct idea be formed from visits to Berlin and the other large German cities. It will be noticed that it is almost always of Berlin that the Germans speak, and always Berlin that they like to show to any neutral visitor. This Swiss, whose business took him to small tonus and the oountry districts, remarks that in his opinion it is utterly misleading to speak now of the mass of the German people being enthusiastic for the war. All the working classes, all those with relatives at the front, the farmers, business men, and most of the highly-educated classes, speak of the war as of a vast misfortune, which they hope will end as speedily as possible. Even invalid soldiers, of whom great numbers are now to be seen, soldiers who have been sent home on account of sickness, and the Landstunn men, guarding powder stores, railways, and bridges, all adopt the same tone. "The German people is becoming more and more convinced that Germany has nothing more to gain from the war, and that her situation is becoming daily worse, while it is more and more frequently complained that the people are kept in the dark as to tho true state of affaire, and even that they are being directly lied to and deceived." Mistrust of the Government is increasing, and the present reign of terror mates it worse still. Low Wages for Women. This applies most especially to the poorer classes of tho population—thoße who travel fourth olass, who are orowded together in cramped dwellings, and who are now being underpaid and underfed owing to the lowness of wages and the high pices of necessaries. The bread rations are much too small, at any rate for this class of people and for those with large families. The poorer people cannot afford meat, and often cannot procure potatoes eitlier, and frequently have consumed their allotted portion of bread in two-thirds of the time allowed for its consumption. Consequently for days a poor family Las often no broad. It is true that there is plenty of meat in Germany, especially owing to the immense number of pigs which have been compulsorily slaughtered of late for want of sufficient fodder. Meat, therefore, it might lave been thought, would not be dear, but, as a matter of fact, it is from 20 to 30 per oent. dearer than before the war, and thus rarely appears on poor people's tables. In many industries not only have wages been reduced, but also hours of work. The "great German patriots" have not failed to exploit the present situation. Fox instanoe, a large Stuttgart textile firm, which has been fully ocoupied working for tbe Army and Navy all the winter and must have cleared quite £25,000 profits, has been paying its women workers live marks weekly. Apparently only the skilled workmen, can now command good wages, and owing to the I scarcity of such men thoy can always insist on being well paid; but as for the women, who frequently replace their men folk serving in the Aimy, they are paid starvation wages, aad t»us the rate of wages in general is being lowered in Germany. It is a mistake for people returning from Berlin or Frankfurt to say that the war is not noticeable in Germany. There are many signs of it apart from the large buildings everywhere converted into military hospitals and the number of invalided and maimed soldiers. There is, for instance, much less life, at any rate in the smaller towns, and in at least one fairly large industrial town the trams are not running owing to these being so little demand for them. In the fields it is almost exclusively women and children who are preparing the ground for the summer crops. The big Army contracts have been given by the Government entirely to large firms in large centres of population, and not to smaller firms, which is another of the reasons why the effects of the war are much more noticeable in the smaller Gorman towns than in Berlin and the other chief cities. — "Morning Post."

The -war receives special mention in many quarters nowadays. In the annual report of the New Zealand Club, Wellington, tho following occurs:—"Tlio club's activities have been overshadowed by the war, and we have 110 reason to apologise to our members for having allowed the great struggle in which tho Empiio is engaged to considerably curtail our usual plans. The war naturally interfered with travelling, and there have been fewer distinguished guests available to entertain than during any previous year in tho club's history. .Members, however, will now look back with pleasure and satisfaction upon the opportunity they obtained of meeting General Sir lan Hamilton last June, for since that dato our distinguished guest lias held high commands in the British Army, and he is now directing land operations at the Dardanelles, where our New Zealand soldiers are showing their courage, hardihood, and resource. It is also a matter for congratulation that the club was able to entertain Captain Hall Thompson, New Zealand Naval Adviser, who has sinco taken an active part ill the naval operations." Miss C. W. Chrislic. National I.efturer, of the Theosophical Society, lectures on "Evolution From a. Theosophicii] Standpoint." it th/? Tb.Msopbir.oJ Sociolj-'e rooms, oji Suadajr evening,

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19150612.2.73

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2486, 12 June 1915, Page 7

Word count
Tapeke kupu
959

IN THE FATHERLAND'S BYWAYS Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2486, 12 June 1915, Page 7

IN THE FATHERLAND'S BYWAYS Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2486, 12 June 1915, Page 7

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