IN BERLIN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15821, 19 January 1915, Page 5

IN BERLIN.

PRINCESS LICHNOWSKY'S

GOVERNESS.

Both the light and the dark side of the situation in Berlin are described by Misa Brown, English governess in Prince Lichnowsky's family, who has just returned from Berlin. This lady went to the German capital with the three children of the ex-German Ambassador to London, just before the war broke out, and is consequently in au excellent position to judge of the trend of events.

Generally speaking," she said, "everything appears to be going on as usual in Berlin. The people there still believe that Germany is winning, and it is confidently stated that the war will be over in March or April— course with Germany triumphant. There are, however, a number of disquieting sights. One is the large number of wounded German soldiers to be seen. They go about in bodies of a dozen with a nurse in attendance, and are meS with in the streets, parks, tea gardens, and all parts of the town. " Another matter which is very noticeable is the large number of refugees who pour into Berlin from Posen. Just before I left they began to come in in great' numbers. Most of them appeared to be in great distress, with their luggage packed up in bundles, clothes ragged and torn, and little children with scarcely any clothing on at all. On this point, however, there is this to be said—that the Germans appear to have quite made up their minds that the Russians will penetrate some distance into their country. They even sav that they may get to Breslau, but they are as confident that the Russians will never reach Berlin as we here are in our ultimate triumph. " Then— perhaps most significant of —there is the marked change in the soldiers as they go to battle. In the early days of the war I was struck by the great enthusiasm of the troops going away. A column of soldiers from the first man to the last sung, laughed and joked as they marched through the capital to the station. What a difference now ! Silence and downcast looks on the part of the men, and tears in the case of the women, many of whom walk for some distance alongside their husbands and carry their rifles, while the soldiers take their children into their arms.

" Many of these troops, however, are mere boys, and here is another matter that struck me as very curious. The latest troops are- entirely composed of these youths and grey-haired men, while you see any number of young and middleaped, able-bodied men walking about in the towns. "I am bound to say that the majority of the people were very nice to me. and I was exceptionally well treated bv Princess Lichnowsky. I did not see much of Prince Lichnowsky, as he was engaged in military duties, but he returned to his family about ten days before I cime back. His nerves were then completely shattered with worry and anxiety. He was a broken man, and was unable to sleep. On his return the family went to their home in Silesia, and it was mainly owing to this that T returned, as an English woman was not allowed to go so near the frontier. "In any case my position was not a very comfortable one, despite the kindness of the family, and 1 was exceedingly glad to get back" to England. At this time I had to report to the police twice a dav. All Englishmen were interned, and I believe they were fairly treated. "Princess Lichnowsky was greatly upset at having to leave England. She loves London, and when she was at the Embassy used to take long walks through the East End and other poor parts. Never once, she said, was she rudely spoken to or treated in an ill-mannered fashion. ' Give my lovo to England,' she siid to me when I left. The Licknowskv's home in Silesia has been turned into a Red Cross hospital " As far as I could judge food prices arc normal in Berlin. There arc many unemployed, however, and probably yon will not be surprised to hear that some fuss was mad'' about Princess Lichnowskv employing an English goven.ess while "there are so many Germans unemploved. " The stories of German hatred of England are not exaggerated. 'Nobody believed that England would join in the war, and when she did their anger was only equalled by their astonishment. It is regarded as a matter of fact that the German soldiers bare orders to take French and Russian troops prisoners, but to kill Englishmen. I found it rather strange, by the way. thct when Paris did not fall, as was confidently expected, the German people's hopes of an early victory did not seem to be at all diminished. * I think they are as well drilled in concealing their cbazrin as they are in their general duties in life.

" The streets of Berlin are not in semidarkness at night as they are in London, and though there was some diminution in ordinary business, the Christmas season was commencing in the shopping centres when T left. Finally, it is interesting to note that some of th*> terms employed about the Germans here are also used" by them against us. Here, for example, is a Berlin newspaper, printed in English, and run bv an American, and on» of the headlines is ' The English Huns. "