Day of Illusion Over For Germany.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 249, 9 February 1917, Page 1 (Supplement)

Day of Illusion Over For Germany.

SAD, ANXIOUS FACES IX THE STREETS OF BERLIN. AX AM ERICA X DOCTOR WOXDERS. "Xo one who has studied the German press lately could fail to be struck by certain indications of the progress made during the first month of the third year ot the war toward the final disillusionment of the German people." Thus writes the correspondent, who from month to month has supplied the l'all Mall Gazette of London with a review of the internal affairs of the Central Empires, in his summary of the economic situation in Germany during August. Reference is made to crowded meetings in various parts of the Empire, at which resolutions in favour of "a speedy peace without any annexations" arc enthusiastically adopted. The underground political controversy directed against tie Government, it is asserted, is becoming increasingly bitter, the attacks on the Food Dictator growmore and more violent as his failures to achieve the impossible becomes clearer, and considerable latitude is now allowed to the Socialist press in discussing the causes and effect of food scarcity. There is also a spread of revolutionary tendencies. A neutral diplomatist of strong German sympathies has written a letter in which he renmrks that "THE SAD AXD ANXIOUS FACES"

one meets in Berlin make on think t»!iat happiness had fled from the world." After admitting that the confidence in victory is no longer what it was, he concludes his letter: —- They are still putting a good face on things and some even believe that Yerdun will be taken soon, but all the same, my impression is that the morale of the German soldier has become weakened, and that he has no longer his old confidence in the utility of the efforts demanded of him. Germany's strength can grow greater, but has reached its apogee.

A Dane who has resided in Berlin six or seven years writes: There i.s little talk now of the final victory. The military authorities say, of course, tiiat they will fight to the last man, but the common people huugcr after peace, as also do most of the soldiers. Robberies and plundering are common, and would be much more so were it not that many of the shops are empty, in fact, about half the i shops are closed, and the smaller restaurants also. Rioting is of daily occurrence, both in the city proper aud the suburbs. Crimes are increasing rapidly, murder, robbery and assault are common, also suicide. It seem? aif the town were struck with madness. DIFFICULTY OF OBTAINING FOOD. An American doctor, who has been studying in Berlin for some years, describes the growing difficulty of cbtain- ; ing the necessaries of life, even when : one possessed the money to pay for i them. '"Till September, 1915," he • writes, "there was no hardship, but then the thumbscrews began to tighten, ' and now the people of Germany are j slowly but surely being starved out. i . . . * It is a riddle to me how the poor j families have managed, and condition* ; must be much worse now." i The woebegone tone of documents | found on recently captured prisoners is amazing. They" tell of hunger being I rife, of the impossibility of obtaining ! sufficient food, of the scarcity and exI orbitant cost of clothing and boots, of ! the countless food tickets, of the long | waits in the food queues, of the fre- ■ quont failure of supplies, especially of ' meat, fat, and potatoes. There are conj staut allusions to growing discontent ' among the masses, to strikes and riot.- ! and to collisions with the police. | Many of the writers express the opinion that things cannot last much longer ! as tliev are, and there are ominous niur- ! murings against the rich and the "food j usurers." That the suffering among : the masses is real, no one who reads these letters can doubt, and the knowledge of this .suffering cannot fail t > j exert a depressing influence 011 the solj diers at the front. I ROUMANIAN ENTRANCE.

The entrance of Roumauia into the ! arena of course must nave a mo-t 1 serioiß effect on Germany. It is pos- | sible that the full effect of the cutting ; off of I'ou ma ilia's supplies may not be | apparent at first, in view of the German harvest, but before the end of the j winter Germany's position should again become critical". The yield of the harvest. •however, is a good average one. j "What the result of failure in the I war will be on the finances of Germany," says our correspondent, "I liesi- ■ tate to prophecy, but others far bettor ; qualified to express an opinion than I are unable- to see any outcome oi tlie ] present financial position in Germany j other than bankruptcy in some form or other."

j There is good evidence, he ad<J>, tiiat 1 our stranglehold on the throat of (!crmany is far more effective than it was j a year ago in preventing snpplie- of 'food coining in from the outride. We 1 may look forward with a certainty to an ' even inteuser food crisis next spring i than we have witnessed during the pa.-t few months. "That this crisis will leaee • the proportions of a famine that will ' force Germany to sue for peace 1 still do not believe, hut, on the other Land, the enthusiasm and conlidonce which supported the people through earlier privations have disappeared and giv ni way to widespread depression, and the pawers of endurance of the people have been proportionately dimini.-hed ! AI'STI'I.V'S I'OSITIOX. ! The same correspondent de.ilitcr v.ith the position in Austria, remark- tl.at ]!onmania's entrance into the i\.ir ni.iv not weaken the re-i-tancc of Au-l Hungary, al all events, for the moment. So far :is Hungary i- concerned, it may have the oppo-ite effect, as every Ha'., garian v ill jovially contribute to the defence of the soil of his couniiy. 1 There i-. however, a strong feeling in favour of peace in lno-l of the town.--. (!ut-ide information in regard to e< nomie conditions is far more difliudt to obtain than in regard to Germany, neutral vi-itors ebing rarer.

Various army orders that liave fal.cn into the hands of tiie Allied forces indicate how seriously tie want, not only of food but of many materials in military equipment-, Is making itself felt.

One captured order from the Austrian General Headquarters prescribes that in view of the scarcity of leather all troops which have no marching to do shall bo provided with wooden in.-tead of leather boot soles, wiiilc another directs that polished steel shall be used universally in place of nickle in the manufacture of surgical instrument*. An order forbids the°use of light petrol in engines which can be run with heavy petrol, and the shortage of motor spirit is likely to be greatly aggravated by the closing of Koumania's sources of supply. There are .-igns of considerable anxiety as to how a sufficient stock of clothing is to be provided to cover t*ie essential requirements of the population. There are good grounds for believing that the reserves of food from last year have been allowed to run very low, and that the country is entering on the new harvest year with a very narrow margin from lant harvest. The much needed grain is slow in reaching the mills, and t»!ie Hungarian Government is showing signs of anxiety as to the tendency of the farmers to hoard their crops and delay delivering to the authorities.