A War-time Journal, Germany 1914 and German Travel Notes | Page 6

"Deutschland über
Alles" ad nauseam; and the Kur Haus and all private dwellings are
draped with bunting. Red Cross people are busy preparing for the
wounded--sewing classes are held every day in Bad Haus 8, and the
doctors are full of work. Mr. S----, a young Englishman, formerly in the
army, has been arrested, and also the hall-porter of the "Grand," and
two English valets.
August 24th.--A terrible day! First of all Käthchen announced with
complacency and obvious triumph, that there had been a great victory
"ganz herrlich!" and that an English Cavalry Brigade had been cut to
pieces at Lunéville, and that those who were not killed had "run away"!
Of course I did not believe this, but it made one terribly anxious. Then
in came Miss H---- saying that two men of our little colony had been
arrested and taken to the police-station, whence after examination they
were to be sent to Frankfurt. At the Polizei Amt the Officials exhibited
the results of their Kultur by being rude and rough to the unfortunate
people arrested. A Polish woman whose son had been made prisoner
sobbed and cried, whereupon the grim old inspector came into the room
and said sternly: "Kein Frauen Jammer hier!" ordering her out of the
room. I was in the Park Strasse and heard some Germans chuckling and
saying: "Zwei Engländer sind verhaftet" (two Englishmen are arrested),
looked round, and saw two of our little community, both service men,
following each other in Einspänners, each surrounded by soldiers and
fixed bayonets. It was anything but a pleasing sight to me!

August 25th.--The clouds are lifting, thank God! Cheering news has
come that we are to be allowed to leave this delightful country in eight
days' time; most likely we shall have to travel either by way of
Switzerland or Denmark. Those sagacious personages in Berlin seem to
imagine that the secrets of the Rhine fortresses will reveal themselves
to us as we go by! What a compliment to our powers of clairvoyance!
Fraulein G---- has just been in to see me. Usually she is a most pleasant,
gentle little woman, kind and charming; now she is full of scorn and
hatred of England. She says the Englishmen were arrested because they
were heard to say that German papers were "full of lies." "So they are,"
said I, "and you can go now and get me arrested too." "Oh, no," said
she, "I would not tell on you!" In spite of her magnanimity I cannot
think our interview was a success. We argued until I said, "If we are to
remain friends, we must not discuss the war. I cannot think England
wrong, and as a loyal German you think Germany right. Don't let us
talk about it any more."
The "Frankfurter Zeitung" declares that no workmen in England will
fight for their country, only the "mercenaries" who are well paid to risk
their lives. Oh, this life is hard to bear! Such intense, frightful hatred
speaks in every look, in every action of our enemies. It is consoling to
remember that their own Nietzsche says: "One does not hate as long as
one dis-esteems, and only when one esteems an equal or superior."
August 26th.--A chauffeur at the Bellevue was arrested to-day and
taken to Frankfort. He is only twenty, a Glasgow lad, and absolutely
harmless.
I am so sick of "Heil Dir im Sieger Kranz" that as the children pass my
villa shouting it or "Was ist des Deutschen Vaterland?" I go out on my
balcony and retaliate by singing "Rule Britannia." Small children with
flags and paper cocked hats, toy swords and tiny drums march through
the streets, day after day, singing patriotic songs, whilst (poor dears!)
their fathers are being slaughtered in thousands. No reverses are ever
reported in the German papers, nothing but victories appear, and
Germans are treated like children. If it were not for the "Corriere della
Sera" we should be tempted to believe the Allies in a bad way. The

"beehrte gäste" departed this morning. At the station a band played,
flags were waved, and every American man and woman was presented
with a small white book which contained the telegrams which passed
between the belligerent nations at the beginning of the war. Again we
hear that Copenhagen is to be our destination.
[Illustration: IN POLYNESIEN (The German idea of an Australian)]
August 27th.--I saw Dr. G---- this morning. He begged me to be most
careful what I said. Two patients of his (English) Levantines were
talking on the Terrace, and one said to the other, "We had better shave
off our moustaches, or we shall be taken for military men." They were
promptly arrested, having been overheard by a spy. We are now
ordered to get health certificates, which