A War-time Journal, Germany 1914 and German Travel Notes

A War-time Journal, Germany
1914 and German
by Harriet
Julia Jephson

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Title: A War-time Journal, Germany 1914 and German Travel Notes
Author: Harriet Julia Jephson
Release Date: November 18, 2007 [EBook #23533]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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WAR-TIME JOURNAL, GERMANY ***

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A WAR-TIME JOURNAL
GERMANY 1914 AND GERMAN TRAVEL NOTES
[Illustration: ENGLISCHE KRIEGSFÜHRUNG (How the Englishman
makes war.)]

A WAR-TIME JOURNAL GERMANY 1914 AND GERMAN
TRAVEL NOTES
BY
LADY JEPHSON
AUTHOR OF 'A CANADIAN SCRAP-BOOK' AND 'LETTERS TO
A DÉBUTANTE'
LONDON ELKIN MATHEWS, CORK STREET M CM XV

PREFACE
Prefaces are rarely read, yet I have the hardihood to venture on this one
because there are certain things in connection with my journal which it
is necessary to explain. On returning from Germany, although urged by
my friends to publish the story of my experiences, I refused, fearing to
do anything which in the smallest degree might prejudice the case of
those still in captivity. There came a day, nevertheless, when I read that
all English people had left "Altheim." The papers announced that men
under forty-five had been interned at Ruhleben, and those over that age
had been sent to Giessen. There seemed, therefore, no possible object
in further withholding the journal, since, after all, there was nothing in
it which could by any possibility affect the fate of others less fortunate

than I. Accordingly I sent my manuscript to the Evening Standard,
which accepted it, and published the first couple of pages. Then, in
deference to the wishes of people whose relations were still at
"Altheim" (having been sent back from Giessen), I stopped my diary.
However, in view of the daily revelations in the Press as regards
prisoners in Germany, I have come, after seven months, to the
conclusion that nothing I can say will in any degree make the condition
of prisoners there worse. Meanwhile it is of supreme interest to
compare the opinions and conduct of Germans at the beginning of the
war with what they express and observe now. My journal is simply a
record made each day of my detention, and although it has no
pretension to being literature, it is at least a truthful picture of the state
of things as we in Altheim saw them at the beginning of the war. For
obvious reasons the place of detention has been given a fictitious name.
HARRIET J. JEPHSON.

CONTENTS
PAGE
A WAR-TIME JOURNAL 11
GERMAN TRAVEL NOTES:
"TAKIN' NOTES" 67
OF SOME FELLOW TRAVELLERS AND THE CATHEDRAL OF
MAINZ 76
SCHLANGENBAD 84
LIEBENSTEIN 90
TRÈVES 96

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGE
ENGLISCHE KRIEGSFÜHRUNG Frontispiece (How the Englishman
makes war.)
ENGLAND FINDET HILFSTRUPPEN (England finds troops to help
her.)
I. IN KANADA 17 (Behold the German idea of a Canadian.)
II. IN POLYNESIEN 33 (The German idea of an Australian.)
III. NUR IN LONDON NICHT 49 But not in London!
These illustrations are reproduced from German newspapers.

A WAR-TIME JOURNAL: GERMANY, 1914
VILLA BUCHHOLZ, ALTHEIM, August 1st.--Last night a herald
went round the town and roused everyone, blowing his trumpet and
crying, "Kommen Sie heraus! Kommen Sie alle fort!" This was a call to
the reservists, all of whom are leaving Altheim. To-day the crowd
cheered madly, sang "Heil Dir im Sieger Kranz," and "Deutschland
über alles," showing the utmost enthusiasm. To my horror, I find that
the banks here refuse foreign cheques, and will have nothing to do with
letters of credit. I have very little ready money with me, and the
situation is not a pleasant one!
August 2nd.--Germany has declared war against Russia! All men old
enough to serve are leaving to join the army. Proclamations are posted
up in the Park Strasse, and crowds are standing in tense anxiety in
groups, discussing matters with grave faces. We don't know how to get
away, since all trains are to be used only for the troops while
"mobilmachung" is going on. People have got as far as the frontier and
been turned back there, and some who left Altheim yesterday are still at

Frankfort. I tried to buy an English paper in the town, and was told that
none were to be had until England had made up her mind what she was