Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 166, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 July 1915 — GERMANS FIGHT FOR GERMANY [ARTICLE]

GERMANS FIGHT FOR GERMANY

German Reservist, Now a United State* Citizen, Not Permitted to Enlist. MAN IB NOW RETURNING HOME Virginian Who Wanted to Serve the Kaiser Writes How Plans Went Awry. Brooklyn, N. Y. —According to a letter just received by A. W*. Schmidt of 2415 Newkirk Ave., from a naturalized American who recently went to Germany to fight for his native country, the authorities refused to accept him because he had become an American citizen. “The privilege of dying on the field of honor for Germany is reserved for German citizens,’’ he was told. According to him, Germany still has more soldiers than she knows what to do with. The writer of the letter is Hans Schlichtlng, a prosperous dealer in orchard and farm products of Winchester, Va. He says: “I trust you received my postal greetings and I am now keeping my promise, to write you more in detail. We had a good passage and all went well. On two occasions our ship was stopped by British cruisers, but no one came on board. Not until we were lying before the port of Dover did any British officers come on board. We were there 12 hours, but the English did not attempt to interfere with any of the passengers. We reached Rotterdam the next day, but were not permitted to start for the frontier until the following morning. “At Bentheim, the German frontier station, our passports (there were three of us, all Americans), were declared to lack proper authentication. We had failed to obtain the certification of the German consul. I hoped to get by on the strength of my old certificate of military service and I finally persuaded the authorities to communicate with headquarters at Hanover with regard to my case. Two days later came the answer: "We can make no more exceptions to the rule.” “That meant a return journey to Amsterdam, and at the cost of much inconvenience and expense we succeeded in getting back our passes. After that there was no more difficulty and I proceeded straight to Berlin. “My relatives were very much surprised to see me, as you can imagine. Immediately after the Christmas holidays I reported to the military authorities of the district and to my old regiment. In both places they refused to accept me on the ground that I had become an American citizen and had thereby forfeited my right to serve in the German army. Many of my old comrades were still with the regiment and it was bitterly disappointing to them as well as to myself that I was unable to realize my wish. "This insistence upon the letter of the law in times like these will show you how well matters stand with the German people. More than ever I am convinced of Germany’s ultimate victory. The ‘will to win’ is the dominant factor in German life today, and the people are ready for any and every sacrifice to that end. The barracks are all filled to overflowing. My old company, the Third, numbers 840 men. The soldiers are sleeping two in a cot because of the crowded conditions. The one ambition of the wounded is to get back into the fighting. “The way in which German industry has organized to meet the Incidental difficulties brought on by the war is simply marvelous. Business is booming everywhere. There are no men out of work. The Federal Government Is the great employer of labor and has bread enough and work enough for everyone. I shall be back in Brooklyn next month and hope to see you then."