Diary of Annie's War (14 page)

Gosbert von Ludwich, seventeen-years-old and a very delicate looking boy, had offered himself, free willing, just before Easter. He went to the officers’ school at once because he intends to make the army his profession and after a few weeks training he goes this week to Warsaw as an officer. His training has been severe and I cannot think that he is quite ready yet. His mother did not expect it so soon and she is upset.

There is great excitement over Italy. They think she will go into war. The Kaiser has written himself and there is yet a faint hope of peace.

Belle tells me that she reads from a neutral report that England has landed troops at the Dardanelles and already has shooting graves dug. This has never been in our papers and I wonder if they will get the Dardanelles. It also states that America has sent a demand to know what of this disaster with the
Lusitania
. She refuses to hear anything only the words of the commander of the torpedo boat who sank her. They will have no one else report.

There is an account of the estate of Baron Reuter being confiscated. This is the Reuter who sends the telegrams for England from all over the world. He is a German but has become naturalised.

They told me at the bank one day that if a German died and left anyone in enemy land money or goods that these would be confiscated. As an Englander I should get nothing if Arthur died and it would all go to the crown.
Arthur had better keep well
.

No war news of any note only great unrest over Italy and a certain insult if we go into a shop to buy anything Italian. The people’s nerves are all on edge. They are certain of winning if they can keep Italy out. Even then they will win but the war will last longer.

It is Ascension Thursday so a general Sunday and all people are fine. The shops are open for one hour only. It is lovely weather and every promise of a good year.

It is the usual war news. The English sent back from the Dardanelles and the Germans making headway in France.

News of a warship being sunk by the Turks and Germans at the Dardanelles, the
Goliath
, and they report five hundred men drowned.

Great excitement is reported in England about a visit of a Zeppelin over Southend. They say that the English attacked the Germans and that the police want all the naturalised Germans to be put in prison (like Arthur) for their own good. The temper of the people is so very bitter. I hope the Englishman will have more sense than to get the name for himself that the German has. I hope that he will leave hatred to this country alone. For it is beneath an Englishman’s character.

Our coachman (from the hotel) went to the military today, poor fellow. He is not at all strong and suffers from consumption but he had to go. He coughs dreadfully and spits up blood also. I suppose that is why he has been left to the last. There are not many left from twenty to forty-five-years-old.

Went to the bank today and told the banker that I thought of going to the Harz Mountains. He told me to stay where I was for the people in Germany were very angry at the way the Germans were being treated in England. He remarked that the accounts in the papers were dreadful. He said if I was in a place that I was not known that it might go very bad with me.

I shall decide to stay here as this is much safer.

Food is very dear, butter is one shilling and ten pence a pound and lard is one shilling and eight pence (they use it here on bread a great deal) and the cheapest meat is one shilling and six pence a pound. Green vegetables are at a discount. Old potatoes are at one and a half pence a pound and you can only have so many. Oil and benzene are a dreadful price and you are limited to a pint a week.

There are long notices out warning the people to be careful, and especially in the kitchen. The winter is to be dreaded if the war continues. Dried foods like beans (haricot) and peas are an awful price. They are six pence and eight pence a pound. Rice is not to be got, and also sago. Cocoa and chocolate are very scarce and English people are not allowed to buy them. It is the same with tobacco and cigars.

They report a sharp note from America, but do not give us the contents.

I saw Frau Ernst today, the sister-in-law of Steffen, and she tells me that they have not heard from her brother for four weeks and are uneasy. He was in Flanders and he had a sudden order for Russia but did not know what part. He then wrote them he was in Russia, but again he did not know what part. The soldiers were three-and-a- half days in the train and then had an eighty kilometre march over dreadful land. They were now at the front, but still knowing not where. Frau Ernst feels very uneasy for he used to write regularly.

Serious news today for it seems likely that Italy will go to war and everyone is in mourning. You have to turn around to see anyone in colour.

I feel a little better, not much, and am still on a diet of one quart of buttermilk per day with nothing else to eat. I have only lost four pounds in a week. It’s rotten to feel ill in a hotel.

Today the place is full of soldiers and their friends as they have two days holiday. Here Sunday and Monday are the same two Sundays together and everyone goes to Mass and keep Monday as little Sunday. It’s sad to see the soldiers with their relatives. One young soldier has passed here with his mother on his arm and she is such a feeble old lady. There are crowds of soldiers with their wives and children. The father is ready for the field in his grey uniform (they only stay here a few days after they get their grey clothes) and often he is carrying one little thing and the mother another with one or two more holding on to their clothes. The parents are looking anything but bright. It is a sight on a Sunday night to go to the station and see the people leaving their soldier sons and husbands here. It is too sad for words.

They are down in the mouth over Italy and say that they will soon make that dirty place clean and will never forgive her for her falseness.

No war news of any importance and the papers are full of Italy and a few untruths. One of the untruths is that the English people have offered the Pope ten thousand pounds a year to go and live in England.
That
did make me laugh. We do not know what this is about. Perhaps the English Cabinet, in time, will let us know.

Nothing to report except Italy. Already we read how her papers lie and no one gets the truth - only we in Germany. There is one report of the whole regiment (Italian) being against this war and have all run away to Switzerland. I said that I admired them and that I also would run away before I would be made to fight in a cause I thought wrong. I also said that every man in the field ought to be free willing.

Been to Woltershausen today and things seem bad in the food line. Steinoff gave me a list of the increase in prices he is paying – it’s really dreadful.

Maize for hens is now twenty-seven shillings per hundredweight - before it was seven shillings. Beans for cows & pigs are now thirty-six shillings per hundredweight - before they were eleven shillings per hundredweight. Rice for chickens is now seven pence per pound - before it was two pence per pound. And so on.

Pigs, he tells me, are fetching ninety-five to a hundred shillings per hundredweight alive and little pigs, six-weeks-old, twenty-six shillings each. Before the war they were fourteen shillings and forty shillings per hundred-weight and that was good for live pigs.

I am not much stronger and the doctor says I had better get some stronger air as I lost six-and-a-half pounds in a week. I am glad of that but I feel so weakly.

We hear tonight that the Russians have had great losses by Przemysl. Twenty-three thousand prisoners and a lot of guns were taken. They never seem to know when they are getting surrounded though we can see it on the map for days before.

There is news of an English ship, the
Majestic
, being lost and news of the Italians being in a fight in the mountains. The Austrians won of course. The Italians are such cowards. As soon as they heard the big guns they ran away.

Hear of the English being sent back at the Dardanelles and the loss of another ship. The Germans complain that the English will not come out to fight and her ships are all in harbour.

Today a canary flew into my room. He is so tame. I shall keep him.

Got a letter from our Willie today and it is over two months since anyone wrote me a line. They must write more often.

Corpus Christie and a fine feast day here. We hear of the capture of Przemysl and the Russians have lost heavily. The Germans have retaken the place but it is Austrian of course. The Russians took it about three weeks ago. They (the Russians) do not seem to know what they are doing.

Today it is announced that we must prepare for next winter and that the women must get their wool at once from the Rathaus (town hall) and commence knitting for the winter. Carole Osthaus has got some. All the socks that were used last winter have had the feet worn away so all the legs are washed and unwoven. This year we are short of wool so the legs of the socks are being knitted out of thick cotton and the feet are knitted out of the wool taken from last years socks. They are very practical here. I am sure their war is costing them less than any other country that is in the field. Everyone works so very well together and the organisation is marvellous. If it were only so in the other countries then much suffering would be saved.

A French flyer has been over the Crown Prince’s quarters and dropped bombs but there is not much damage. A German flyer has been over Harwich and set many places on fire.

Yesterday a soldier here shot himself. He was ready for the front but did not want to go. He was married and has two children.

There is a note in the papers that England has offered a large sum of money if anyone can take the Duke of Brunswick a prisoner so the Kaiser has forbidden him to go to the field again. I do not believe it at all.

We are badly in need of rain for we have had none for a long time.

The Germans are confident that this month sees all Russians out of Austria.

We are desperately in want of rain. There was only one day of rain in the early part of May and all things are drying up. The heat is intense. This past two days it has been thirty degrees in the shade and no signs of rain.

Fraulein Ernst was here yesterday and she says that her brother writes from Austria for food. The food is so scarce and bad there with only one meal a day in the evening.
And he is in the shooting graves
! He writes that if he lives to be a hundred he would never forget Whit week of 1915. In terrible heat he marched two hundred kilometres in three days in full rig out. He then went directly into the shooting line, poor fellow. He has been wounded twice and this is his third time out.

I have applied for leave to go to Woltershausen for a short time. I am not at all well. It will take two weeks to get permission. The heat and dust is so stifling that I can scarcely breathe.

Today all the butchers have the order to only open half a day. Fresh meat is so scarce.

In the papers it states that if the harvest is not good then we cannot hold out this coming winter. But if anything can do it, it is the marvellous organisation. From the third month of the war everything eatable has been controlled. Germany knows to a day how long she can last.

America’s sharp note is commented on in the paper and that all she says is all untrue. No one tells the truth but Germany.

Arthur writes me that he is surprised that my people do not write oftener because all their letters come through to him.

I had a visit from Miss Seales, the Californian lady who is with Miss Marhgraf, and she is in a fix about cash and has had none for four months from America. At least I could help. Still a great deal of uneasiness over the American note.

Belle went to Celle today for a few weeks and I shall miss her terribly but Carole Osthaus has promised to write me any German letters that are necessary.

We read today that England sank the under sea boat
U14
on the 8
^th
of June but it has only been announced in small type. We never hear of a German boat being lost and one thinks that the English navy is asleep.

It is announced that the Ambassador who was sent to America regarding the sinking of the
Lusitania
has returned. But he is not at liberty to say anything to the press.

Belle used to take Arthur her bread allowance. She heard from the police today that her bread was now withheld in Hildesheim and she must have it in Celle. It is to prevent the people here getting her share whilst she travels.

Next month only so much fresh meat is to be bought on the same lines by ticket from the police. One must admire the organisation, it is so perfect. German soldiers, who have been sent into Austria to help, soon remark on the want of organisation there. The Austrians are very neglect in comparison with Germany.

I got my allowance to travel to the estate so I go on Monday .