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Show PAPERS DECEIVE GERMANJPEOPLE Kaiser's American Dentist Gives Inside Information as to Germany. i NEW YORK, Feb. 2S. "The German Ger-man press is carefully and adroitly continuing to foster the idea among the German people that America is not really in earnest about the war," declared Dr. A. N. Davis today in discussing dis-cussing the situation in Berlin, as he loft it just over a month ago. Dr. Davis, formerly of Piqua, O., is the American, dentist who lived in tho German capital capi-tal for fifteen years and numbered Emperor William among his patients. He said: Every effort is being mado to belittle be-little America even the highest officials offic-ials are attempting to convey tho Impression Im-pression that Germany has littlo to fear from the United States. Practically Practical-ly nothing is printed concerning America Am-erica except the president's addresses on war aims and the possible basis of a permanent peace. Even these are treated by the papers as if the president presi-dent wero speaking as a sort of detached de-tached person whoso interest was the welfare of the world; not with the idea that they represent the earnest determination of tho American people to see the war through to a successful conclusion. Not until Germany begins to feel the military pressure of the United States will the people realize tho new conditions that confront them. Uhcn, I predict, tho fostered enmity toward England will be as nothing to the hatred hat-red that will be poured out by the in- spired press against America. The American business men who took advantage of the nine months treaty between the United States and Germany to wind up business affairs as far as possible, were kept under tho closest surveillance by the police at all times and were not permitted to leave tho city without special permits. per-mits. To go to a race meeting ten miles out of Berlin it is necessary to apply for a permit at least a month in advance. The thing that has impressed me most since my return to America is the freedom we accord to German subjects sub-jects ovor here. It seems to me as If no restrictions were placed upon them whatever. In Germany, every time some new regulation was adopted regarding the Americans, the excuse was given that the United States was treating Germans Ger-mans harshly and there must be some retaliation! You can Imagine my surprise sur-prise to get -home and find German subjects free to travel about the country coun-try at will, just so thejy do not actually actual-ly go within a given distance of certain cer-tain establishments. Germans Restricted. And this, too. in the face of the fact that not since the war started has a single overt act been charged against an American in Germany, whereas here In the United States wo have had to put up with alL sorts of admitted crimes by German residents. I have inquired as to this leniency toward Germans in the United States and have been told that the country is too big and there aro too many Germans here to make it feasible to adopt the restrictive measures in force in Germany. Ger-many. I can assure you the German government would not be deterred by tho size of the task. The German people peo-ple themselves are restricted in their movements, and no person is allowed to travel without a special Identification Identifica-tion pass, which may be demanded as many as five times during a short journey. The slightest HtUo thing will result in a curtailment of an American's privileges. priv-ileges. A friend of mine criticised mildly an article in a Berlin paper. He thought only friends were about. Next day he was sent for, admonished, and required to report to the police twice dally and to remain in his quarters from S o'clock in the evening until 6 in tho morning virtual confinement. The most privileged Americans must ro-port ro-port to the Berlin police twice weekly and have their papers stamped. These papers show just what the bearer of them is permitted to do, what hours he must keep and where he is permitted per-mitted to go. Want to Leave. There are not half a dozen Americans Ameri-cans in Berlin who are not anxious to get home. Many of them are having trouble to get permission. I first applied ap-plied to leave last August, but was ro-fused. ro-fused. Somo time later I managed to obtain a permit for my wife and child and they came to America long before be-fore I was permitted to leave. I had. about made up my mind I was to be kept in Germany for tho duration of the war, when I received word my request re-quest had been granted. I did not take the risk of Informing even my closest friends that I was leaving. I was afraid up to the last minute that something might be said against me, some anonymous letter might reach the police po-lice and result in a revocation of my permit. The story that I traveled on a special spe-cial pass signed by the kaiser is wrong. I had the same police authority author-ity granted to every other American who haa left within the past few months. And, like those other Americans, Amer-icans, I did not feel happy until I landed horo in Now York, where I intend in-tend to romain. Dr. Davis said a German offensive in tho west had been freely talked about in Berlin since last November. "Many people havo suggesfod to me that If Germany really Intended an offensive, of-fensive, she would not be talking about it so much. "That is a wrong theory. Wo heard about tho Italian offensive for months beforo it began. The stories got around In the aaine way and I am con-vlnced-iQeniiaTntenda to; srJk&BQ eral hard blows even if she does not havo an idea of definitely breaking the allied line. Food Supply Critical. "The food supply is critical in Berlin Ber-lin and Hamburg, but in the less congested con-gested districts all reports say there is comparatively plenty. Tho difficulties difficul-ties are In many cases those of trans -portion and restrictions against transporting trans-porting food from one province, or state, into another. "On some of the big German farms, where Russian prisoners are employed these prisoners are being fed upon threo quarts of milk a day among other things. Yet there are children dying in Berlin for want of a little milk. So you see the difficulties of food distribution are still difficult even in highly organized Germany. Americans Amer-icans need not be surprised that they have had to face some of these difficulties. diffi-culties. "We will get over them quicker than Germany has dono. My own food supply sup-ply was happily increased by Ambassador Ambas-sador and Mrs. Gerard, who turned over to me a large share of the stores they had accumulated. Including several sev-eral barrels of flour, oil, soap, sugar, etc. I feel I owe them a deep debt of gratitude. "The real Americans who wero compelled com-pelled to remain In Germany for a time after the war was declared did not lose one ounce of their Americanism. They submitted without a murmur or complaint to every restriction that was placed upon them, and only bided the time that they could safely and legitimately get away. Many of thorn had to mike big personal sacrifices, of course, but they did it cheerfully and loyally and have come back to America with an even keener appreciation of patriotism than most of those who have never been abroad." nn |