FROM THE ENEMY'S COUNTRY

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2837, 31 July 1916, Page 8

FROM THE ENEMY'S COUNTRY

A NEUTRAL TRAVELLER'S IMPRESSIONS. A neutral traveller, who has been in Germany, writes:— "As to my experiences in Germany, I don't think I can describe them. One thing is certain, I havu not come out of it a day too soon. They are really at the end of everything. There is no money, and 110 food. The bread is made of a sour kind of Hour and grated potatoes—result, when you cat it, colic. Butter is a thing of tho past; fat you have to fight for, and pay an awful price —only 11 quarter of a pound at a timo for each person. Potatoes were bad, and very expensive; vegetables very rare; meat is rare, and'an awful price. You may well ask: 'What did you cat?' I got accustomed to living on milk, cheese, and 'khaki' rusks. Eggs wcro sixpence a piece, candles, oil, matches, and even soap were hardly to be got, In Frankfurt half, the shops were sliht—you never saw such a dreary place, it was really dreadful. • They are really at tho end of everything, I and people are very unsettled—no wonder. They arc told nothing but lies, and one cannot believe a word the newspapers say—they hush everything up. But then, on tho other hand, the soldiers who como back from tho front 'let tho cat out of the bag,* and then the grumbling begins in real earnest. Hugo wrote me from Posen that they had had bad riots in Berlin. Of course, the newspapers do not mention this, but a friend of his was there, and saw what was going on. They have taken all' the metal they can lay hands on—except the church bells, arid I suppose they will follow soon. "Muoh as I have learnt to dislike and despise the German character, I cannot help feeling sorry for the unhappy soldiers; they are so frightfully badly treated, and, after all, they are human beings. In the train from "Frankfurt to Coin there- were such a lot, going direct to tho'front—all older men and boys. The despondent and depressed behaviour, and tho despair in some of the faces touched me very much; they seemed to have lost all hope and courage. Tho scene on tho frontier I shall never forget—simply hundreds of soldiers and officials—it really was like a theatre, and of courso everybody excited—pushing each other aTSiut, asking questions, etc. I longed to have a good look round, but kept "eyes front,' as one was, of course, watched from all sides. I managed all tho same to see a lot. First cainc my luggage, which did not take long, as 1 could only bring what I could carry, if needful. Hut everything had to come.out and be examined, and my Dutch grammar and dictionary— the only books I had with me—were kept back to bs examined. However, they did send them after me, which cost me Is. Then came the examining of the passes. I began to feel shaky, as I saw ono person after another have them looked at and pronounced insufficient, and they were consequently detained. However, aa 1 had taken every possible precaution with mine, after a lengthy examination it was proved to be satisfactory. Then began the cross-examination, of: which I will give you details when we meetit is too long to write. I longed to laugh—it was so absurd—lrat managed to restrain myself. When I had signed my name on four appalling-looking documents, I could go in peace. Two Americans and I were the only beings out of the trainful .who could go on. What happened to the rest I don't know; I suppose they had to wait till next day.. It took two-hours and a half, and three changes, until at last I sat. in the Amsterdam train.

"Of courso, all your news interested mo very much, and it is an enormous load' off my mind to know how things really are. I was prepared for anything, as I Jmew absolutely nothing but the German side of everything. Everybody here bsbeen at great pains to enlighten me— and how they all laugh when I tell them how the 'Germans planned to build a huge raft, to carry upwards of 10,000 men over to the English coast, to invade London. This is no story, it is really trueit was explained to me quite earnestly by two or three German officers."