Diary of Annie's War (23 page)

I have been working on the garden a little and planting various small things – parsley, onions, carrots and beans – for I do believe that this war will last at least one more year and it’s best to be on the safe side. One did not know before the war how thankful to be for ‘our daily bread’. We know it now and every bit of land is being cultivated. Beans, potatoes, cabbage and carrots flourish in the front gardens and are more taken care of than flowers. We were living in too much luxury (sometimes I forget the English words).

I am very busy at the moment spring cleaning.

There is a lot of sickness here including diphtheria and smallpox. There is also typhoid. One cannot wonder for all are underfed, rich and poor alike, as the food one gets is so scarce and poor.

I had news today that upset me. A friend has written that he gets the ‘Times’ of London and that he reads in it a famous lie that there has been an attack by the mob on Ruhleben. It was because the people are so angry that the Englander gets better food out of England than they get here. I do not believe it at all. It is very likely there has been unpleasantness. But as regards an attack I do not believe. The German people are too under the law of militarism for that. They have not the impudence of the Englishman.

We read today from an island paper that over one thousand and one hundred people were killed by the last raid of April 1
^st
to 4
^th
of the Zeppelins over England. It’s too dreadful for words. I am always upset when I hear of their trips and one of these was over Leeds. I had such uneasiness about Winnie but by the account in the papers no damage was done there.

I hope that in a few days to get leave to visit Arthur but I shall not build upon it. I have had too many disappointments.

They are preparing here for the war to last at least twelve months longer and all food supplies are now so scarce. I heard on Wednesday that an attempt had been made on Ruhleben by the people of Berlin. That was upsetting news but how true one cannot say as there is such a strict censure of all papers here.

The news of the Turks does not seem bright for them and the Russians have won a little by Riga. Verdun is the same as last week but the Germans report progress by the river Iser in Flanders.

We hear of great unrest in England about the conscription and they say here that the masses will not join to save their country. Also there has been a deal of bloodshed in Ireland. Why cannot people let all their differences be on one side until this war is at an end?

Today we expect the sharper blockade of England and an answer to the American note.

Things cannot go much worse in the food line for the scarcity and the badness of the eatables is not at an end. All animals are now confiscated by the government as so much food is not to be got. All is scarce and lots of articles are entirely run out. It is providence that we have been able to get food from Romania. There seems to be a settled depression on all the folk.

I have decided not to let the house in Woltershausen. The garden is of more use to me as you cannot buy the food.

I am anxiously awaiting the result of my petition to visit Arthur but I shall not build up on it until it is really granted.

We hear today that the food stuffs bought from Romania have cost so much money that all the food baked from there (breadstuffs) will be three times the price. For example a loaf costs nine-and-a- half pence (black bread) and from this meal from Romania it will cost two shillings and two pence so it will be very dear stuff.

All cakes were forbidden to be baked for the confirmations or for Easter and no one dare bake at home.

We have just heard a good joke. It says in the German ‘Punch’ that we have two days without meat, and two days without fat, so to save the clothes stuffs we are to have two days a week without clothes. It is true that all materials are very scarce and very dear.

We are very quiet at Wörth Strasse and spend a few hours a day receiving visitors or paying calls. Then I must cook. This girl cannot yet cook to please me, or rather my stomach. We live a very regular life and half past nine each night sees us in bed.

A lady here tells me that her husband, who is in Ruhleben, has written to say that Herr Dröege is anxious to get his wife to England. Well, I shall not go. Firstly I should be anxious about him and secondly I should be afraid to cross the water with their underwater boat war. It is no use to think of it at all.

Read today that the Russians have landed in Marseilles (France) at Verdun and that a German General has died in Turkey of typhoid. Also that the Russians have got two more places on the sea coast by the Black Sea.

I have no news yet of my proposed visit.

The butcher tells me that there will be no meat for three weeks as the government has given orders for no slaughtering for twenty-one days. Mutton is now three shillings a pound, veal three shillings and two pence and fat of all kinds put together and rendered is four shillings a pound. Soft soap is not to be got and we are to have soap cards and each household is to get one pound a month for cleaning and a quarter-of-a-pound per month for toilet.

White dresses are forbidden to be worn and the children must be allowed to run about bare foot to save the shoe leather for winter. I am so glad that I do not have a family.

Great excitement about America but I do not think that it will come to anything. We have had excitement from these people many times and it has always blown over. I wonder what they can do even if they do come into the war.

Today is lovely weather and just like mid summer and Uncle George Steffen called on me and is here on a visit for a few days. He talked of Woltershausen and of the very happy days that we had spent there. He is in military service but having had an operation three years ago here he is given garrison duty and looks very well.

There is still no news of my Berlin visit.

I have got permission to travel to Woltershausen next week.

No news of America but there is great unrest about the answer.

We read of the arrest of Rodger Casement. It’s a funny business and one does not know what to believe of the various tales, but it seems to be very serious. I think it is a disgrace of Ireland and especially during these times when there is so much suffering. Here the people are so united and put up with much worse than ever an English or Irish person would dream of.

All the meat shops have been closed this week. Seven days and not able to buy one ounce of meat and we do not know if we can get any in the morning. It is said that every person will be allowed one quarter-of-a- pound of meat per week, two ounces of butter or margarine, three-and-a-half pounds of bread and five pounds of potatoes. That is to be our allowance and we have cards for it. Whether you can get it is another question. You can go in half the shops in town and get none of the above articles for money or cards.

I think it is utterly impossible for us to last three months longer if all transactions are cut off from America. We do not hear of any of those food stuffs being here from Romania.

We hear this week that Russians have landed for the second time in France. It is said that they came over Norway as workers and were sent to England, fitted out as soldiers, then shipped to France - but this is only paper talk.

News tonight of the surrender of Kut-Al-Amara and thirteen thousand Englishmen have been made prisoners. I am sorry for General Townsend and am sure that they held out for as long as possible.

There is news of the Irish rebellion and they say that Dublin is in the hands of the Fenians and all telephone communications are cut off. That has been a dreadful business throughout and I feel thoroughly ashamed of Ireland.

I travelled today to Woltershausen to plant a few things there and to arrange about the garden. It was a glorious day but it was sad to see the place so neglected.

We commenced the new time today and all the clocks were put on one hour at midnight so all the pubs close at eleven o’clock instead of twelve o’clock to allow the people to get earlier to bed. One did not remark the difference as it is so light in the morning. In the land they have not altered their time for they say that they must work by the sun and it is too hot at noon. Also the cattle must not be fed one hour later as it will make a difference in the amount of milk produced.

They had the impudence to ask me if I would pay the rent of the electricity for the house as if we were living in it. I told them: ‘No, it was not my fault that we were no longer living there and burning the light’.

Also I get no interest on my money.

I bought some ‘quassa’ chips today to boil and use as soap for washing. They have none in the village at all and it’s a bad thing for them. We boil the chips in water, it smells like ammonia, and then we wash in it. It makes quite a lather and using soda is more complicated.

They announce a ‘compelled’ war loan where every man (single) who earns over sixteen shillings a week has not to be paid the difference and his employer has to give him the sixteen shillings and pay the remainder into a savings bank. Through this bank he must invest all his extra money in the new ‘forced’ war loan and it is to commence in June. The people do not like it but say ‘we must’. I believe that there has been trouble in the industries about it.

We hear that all troops are being taken from Verdun and sent to Ypres and there is to be a great battle there and then Ypres is to fall and then Calais. How long is this dreadful time still to last?

I got some eggs yesterday and they were four for a shilling. Steinoff tells me that a suckling pig of ten pounds weight costs forty-five to fifty shillings.

We are awaiting the answer to the German note sent to America and there seems to be great anxiety about it now.

We read of the failure of the compelled war loan as the men in the industries will not have it.

We have not so many soldiers here now and it’s a good thing for food is so scarce and there is a great deal of suffering. We get a quarter of butter, a quarter of meat, seven pounds of bread and ten pounds of potatoes for fourteen days. That is all there is allowed. You must fill up with jams, macaroni or whatever you have or can buy.

We are having perfect weather with every good prospect for the crops. Many people say that we can hold out for two more years at the present state of affairs as regards food but not as regards men.

The soldiers get fewer and fewer and many houses are without enquarterings now and one remarks that in the streets there are not many uniforms.

They say today that Sweden has written to England and Russia and that it looks like war. They are angry with Russia but one gets so many of these shocks that one gets used to them. I myself think that the American note will end like it did last June and July.

I found out last week that I had lost or had stolen three coats (two silk and one cloth), a pair of trousers and a black satin underskirt. I do not know who to blame so I have called in the police.

The note from America has arrived and the people here are angry at the way it was received in America. Wilson has a nice name at present.

Things are no better here and there is no news of my visit to Berlin.

I had a letter from Arthur asking for some of his underclothes and I find that they have also been stolen which is rather disagreeable as everything is so scarce.

The talk of the people and the papers is all about food. It is awfully scarce and every day we are having trouble. There was a revolution in Brunswick last week but there was nothing in the papers though it is freely talked of amongst the people here.

The bakers are sold out at eight o’clock and of course the butcher is only opened for a few hours each Saturday morning.

The butter is mostly brought by women from the various dairies in the land and sold to the houses. Now the people waylay these butter women in the streets and forcibly take the butter away and throw in their baskets the money and cards. It’s the same with the bakers. The boys dare not go out to deliver bread as the people waylay them. Everyone must go to the shops themselves and push in with the crowd. It is really the survival of the fittest. If you cannot go in the crowd and fight for your bit you get nothing. We seem to have gone back to the time of the savage now it comes to famine. I could write pages and pages about the food question.

I am keeping well at present but Belle has been four days in the Krankenhaus as she had to have her teeth out and chloroform was necessary. She is now at home again and getting better.

There is terrible lot of sickness here at present and I suppose it comes from the nerves and the poor food. I know lots of people who have had no butter for two or three weeks and often it is impossible to get bread and meat (a quarter pound). It is not allowed to sell cans of meat or sausage.

No news from Verdun but I have an old London Times of last year and the news is very different from what we heard. I wonder which land lies.

It’s no use me writing the war news for what I read one day is contradicted or no notice given to it the next day. Then I know it is not to be believed. In future I shall keep to my own private affairs and how the war affects me.

At present I am well but begin to feel my disappointments about my visit to Arthur for it is now seven weeks since they received visitors. Though I wrote up at once for permission to visit him I have not even received a line to say that my request is being considered. We are having lovely spring weather and I work in the garden and keep generally busy.