Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 226, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 September 1914 — TELLS Of GERMAN PEOPLE AND THE WAR [ARTICLE]

TELLS Of GERMAN PEOPLE AND THE WAR

Royalty to Country and Confidence of Success Characterise People of the Fatherland. * ——— Henry Lucre was a pleasant caller at The Republican office this Thursday morning. Re was somewhat tired after his long trip back from Germany and had contracted an annoying cold. The ship ride across the ocean was cold and when he arrived in New York it was very Warm and the cold resulted. He was quite seasick for two days, also. Mt. Luers had, all Ln ah, a very delightful visit at his old home and came home with a quite clear impression of the Incidents concerning the war, He states that German people are unanimously in favor of the Kaiser and the war, that the Kaiser tried to avoid it, but was forced Into it, that the French were in Alsace-Loraine before the German troops were mobilized and ttyat Russia was also in east Germany before the troops of the Kaiser had been called out. Mr. Luers had not visited Germany for forty years and he was very much surprised to learn of the marvelous development that had taken place within that time. The people are well housed and happy and towns, cities and country have built up just as America ha£ There has been a growing jealousy on the part of other countries because of the agricultural and manufacturing success of Germany and this necessitated the maintenance of a large army. The people have not accused the Kaiser of oppression, he says, but regard him as having the welfare of the people at heart and the large army was essential to protect the country from the threatening attitude of France, England, and Russia. The people have great confidence in the success of their armies and believe the justice of their cause will result in ultimate success.

There are many thousands of soldiers not yet called to the front, he reports, and in the town of Ytecbta, about the size of Rensselaer, many who had gone to Oldenberg to report for training were sent back to their homes and told to be in readiness for a call. Mr. Luers has three sisters in Germany. One 'had three sons at the front, another had two and the third had one son-in-law. When he left Vechta on Sept. Bth the nephews were all safe, letters having been received from them jjist the day before. The Kaiser promptly issued an order that shut some avaricious merchants frpm raising prices. He caused a schedule of the maximum prices to be published and any merchant who tried to charge more than the schedule had his place oi business closed up or-had to pay a big fine. Needless to say the prices were kept within the limit. Many fathers of Children were taken to the front. In such cases the government provided aid tor the mother and the children. The neighbors also gave aid and the people were making the best of the terrible conditions. Women were patriotic and all were devoted to the German cause.

Mr. Luers told of reported hor rors to Belgium. He was told thai after the German soldiers hac passed through and Belgian citizens were back in the towns that othei Germans passed through to Join the army. They Were invited intc the towns very cordially and then fired upon from/ windows ahd housetops after they arrived. The women who followed the army into the field were abused to various ways, being scalded* with water thrown from housetops. The German army had to take effective means of stopping the Belgians anc whenever any shot was fired from a house the house was ransacked anc the person who fired the shot was punished. The practice then halted. After leaving Vechta on Sept. Bth Mr. Luers went to Bremen an< there saw the American consul, who advised him to go to Holland. At The Hague he saw the American minister and was given further direction. He then went to Victoria and then to London, where he remained four days before catching a boat home Hhe came on the St Paul, an American vessel. (During the .four days he was in London he saw many soldiers in training and saw the effort that was being made to get enlistmerJls fo'r the war. He said that GermanAmerioane were not molested, but all understood that it was prudent to keep their mouths shut. The most striking thing Mr. Luers found was the vastly better manner in which his countrymen lived than they did forty years ago. Land that was once considered non-pro-ductive was now growing fine crops. Rye is the most Important of the grain crops and oats is also largely grown. The season this year was favorable and large crops were raised. Germany was prepared, he thought, to provision itself for a long time. Mr. Luers had not received a letter from home for six weeks and was naturally very anxious. He had written home several times All of liq mail was opened and examined. One letter was sent back to him, possibly containing some statement bat would not.pass the censorship He was advised by the consul to write in German and leave the let-