FEELING IN GERMANY

Evening Post, Volume XCIV, Issue 60, 8 September 1917, Page 3

FEELING IN GERMANY

POLISH REFUGEES PREDICT

UPHEAVAL

U-BOAT CAMPAIGN BLAMED.

Refugees from Poland who reached New York recently declared that underneath the surface in Germany there is a deep, political unrest and a growing belief that the country lost more than she could gain by the unrestricted Use of the submarine when she forced America into the war on the side of the Allies. Unlike those who, preceded them, these refugees passed through Germany less than three weeks before reaching America, and seemed to agree that Germany believes the war is going against her. while some predict the. real political' upheaval will come when the soldiers are released from the rigid discipline of military duty and come to a gradual realisation of what has been going on in internal affairs.

One of the refugees, Mendel Strottsky, was a successful merchant until the Ger. mans entered WiLna.

"From what I have seen of the Germans," he said through an interpreter, "they agree that the war is lost and their only hope is to save something out of the wreck. They fight on because the soldiers are held 'under strict discipline and' because they are urged on by their patriotism. The food 1 situation is" troubling Germany more than anything else. German hopes were centred on Russia, believing they could conclude a separate peace with the Russians, obtain from them a. food supply, and then turn on the remaining enemies. "The Gentian soldiers axe sorry that America is in the war, not because they ftar the military power of America, but because America is in a position to shut off their supplies. The Germans do not hate America,- and they did not want to fight her. There can't be a revolution when only the women and children and the men necessary for civil positions are ht home. The soldiers have plenty to occupy them, and besides the soldiers are well led. There may be trouble- when the soldiers go hungry." . Chaim. Berman, merchant and teacher of Grodno, Poland, another refugee, has gone to America in hope of finding his wife and children, from whom he became separated when the Germans entered his native p)a,ce. "The Germans left us only our clothes," he said. " They drove off the live stock a.nd took possession of all the goods in the place. It is impossible to describe conditions in Grodno, where the people are starving, and every bit of food is under Government control.. For trivial violations of the military order Jews are beaten daily. Food prices are very high, and those who have money can eat; the rest must starve. For six months we could get no meat. Sugar, for example, is 70 cents a pound, and other things correspondingly as high." Some refugees brought their food cards, and in some cases their allotment was an egg a month and a lump of sugar a, day. Berman said that not so long ago he went through BiaJostok and saw children on the streets crying and begging for food. When lie returned those children .were dead of hunger, and ho saw some of their bodies. Mrs. Esther Eisenberg, who left Warsaw three weeks ago to join her husband in Chicago, said :

" The people in Warsaw are dying of hunger. The death rate is SCO a day there, and those who do not 1 actually dio of starvation are ■so weakened by lack of food that they fall victims to disease. Six months ago bread was 17 cents a pound. Now it is 35 cents. The fortunate get about four, and a-half pounds of bread every two weeks. " The Germans are sick of war. It was bad news to the soldiers when they learped that America, had gone to. waj\ They did not think she would. Though there, was strict censorship, the people learned that American troops had arrived in France. . They do not know how many are there, arid believe the number is insignificant. The soldiers are willing to lose if only they can have peace again." , ■ - Those who have just passed through Germany had no chance to-sec anything of that country. . They were in closed cars for three days, with little to eat. When the- train passed through Berlin the guards were doubled and an inspection made to mal<© sure that communication with the outside was impossible. Soldiers were stationed inside the trains, and there was a guard posted on the outside.