by Annie Droege
Real food is scarce and very dear. When a person has bought three-and-a-half pounds of bread a week they have no cards for flour. So it is impossible to make a pancake or thicken the soup. Vegetables are at a discount and sprouts are seven pence per pound, a cabbage is one shilling, swedes two pence per pound, and so on. Dried peas and beans are very scarce and dear at five pence and sixpence per pound. Just try how far one pound of those will go. The worst are the potatoes and they are a shilling a score, but you cannot get them. I guarantee that if you went in every shop in this town this morning you would not get a pound.
They are only available through the Red Cross Society for the poorest people and are sold on cards at five pounds for each person. You have to live on five pounds of spuds, three-and-a-half pounds of bread and whatever else you can afford to buy at an extraordinary price. Meat is two shillings a pound, and butter is two shillings and eight pence to be got only in quarter pounds. Rice, lentils, flour and cornflower are not to be got and milk is very scarce with one pint being allowed for three people unless you have a doctor’s note for more on account of sickness.
Yet the people hold together wonderfully and say we must help the Fatherland. I often wonder where it would end were it in England.
The small white breads are a halfpenny each and ten make up a pound. White bread is now five pence per pound and the dark bread is so awful to eat that sometimes I save bread cards and buy one pound of flour that costs four pence and I must give one-and-a-quarter pounds of bread cards for that. The system is really marvellous and there is no possibility of dodging.
Today we read a Russian report to the effect that they have completely demoralised Persia and that the Turks have fled from them. There is no question about the report so it must be true though no provenance was given to it in the paper. Also the French report that they got back the west side of the lost fortress before Verdun. There are no remarks on that. I fancy that it must be true.
How long is this war going to last I wonder?
Thursday 2nd March.
The war news from here is scarce but according to the French reports the Germans are surrounded in the fort they took on Friday last. One cannot believe it. I daresay that the French papers are like all the others and tell lies to suit themselves. No news from Russia at all, but the people hear that the war will last another year. I wonder if the Russian report is true and that the Turks and Persians are completely routed.
Hermenia came today and she says that they have not heard anything of the letter that went to Ruhleben. I am beginning to lose what bit of hope I had. And that was not much.
Lots in the paper about the new war loan (the 4th) and they beg of the people to put every shilling in it as it is their solemn duty. Every school child must take its savings and put it in, but people are so poor and food is so dear. One never sees the big fat soldiers that we had at first and now everyone is so thin. I never was so thin in my life before and many say the same for the food is not nutritious and the scarcity of fat is telling on all - rich and poor - young and old.
Tuesday 7th March.
Today I had a visit from Herr Vieweg. He is let out of Ruhleben for leave for an indefinite time. He brought me news of Arthur and we had a long chat together. He has improved his English very much in his time in Ruhleben. He tells me that they have classes amongst themselves and go to school just like boys. He has studied English and reads and writes it very well. So you see that even in the late thirties it is possible to commence studies again. It’s never too late to learn. This is the gentleman who called on me twelve months ago having leave to visit his doctor. He brought me some of the literature they published in Ruhleben and the small books are very funny. They are published every two weeks and cost two pence. I do hope that Arthur is collecting them.
I heard also that England is exchanging three German prisoners for every Englishman and that three hundred and twenty-five English leave Ruhleben this week and that one thousand Germans come back to Germany. This is not in the papers. All are to be over forty-five-years-old this year and as Arthur is forty-five this year we hope for his release. Arthur is very busy and often works till twelve o’clock at night. We are hoping to hear from him soon.
In the papers it states that the Germans are just before Verdun. The French report says they have been driven back again. One cannot believe the papers at all.
Wednesday 8th March.
Had a letter from Arthur and he thinks that he will get a few days leave at the end of this month. He says that he has met the son of Herr Richstoffen (from Blackpool) in Ruhleben. He says that food is more a trouble for us than them.
One spends all their time in wondering what to cook with the material at hand and all is so adulterated. Permission is given to the people to “fake” their products to make them go further and receipts are given on how to boil butter with meal etc. to make it go further. Life is one long dodge. How is it, I want to know, that England can send dripping and butter from Denmark to Ruhleben and that Germany cannot get it for her markets? It’s very funny to me.
Friday 10th March.
I received a letter yesterday from dad over America enclosing one from Kit written on the 31st December and one from James which was nearly a year old. They were such a pleasure to me.
I also had a visit from Frau Voight whilst she was here. Herr Vieweg came with his wife so we were a party. Mrs. Voight and I had our husbands in Ruhleben and Miss Shumaker has her brother there too. We told Mrs. Vieweg that she was a lucky woman to be having her husband to take her out to tea.
I do hope that Arthur comes through. Yet I want to be a little better before he comes.
Monday 13th March.
Had a disappointment today for I hear that Arthur has been refused his fourteen days release. I shall never again build up hope on him coming free until peace is declared.
The shortage of food is awful and so many shops are closed that it is pitiful to see. I sent my maid out for eight articles and she returned with two. The others were not to be had at all.
Friday 17th March.
St. Patrick’s Day and a very beautiful spring day here.
We hear of the resignation of Admiral von Tirpitz and everyone here is astonished.
We hear that there is trouble in the town about bread and meat and that one must be thankful for small mercies in these times.
We have had a new consignment of wounded soldiers. They parked furniture vans here and laid beds on the floors of the vans. This was to make the men more comfortable. I saw seven men, all under thirty-years-old, and each man had lost his right leg. It was awful to see.
I have been busy today making soft soap as one has to try at all trades. Soft soap is one shilling and two pence per pound and is awful stuff. Scouring soap is two shillings and two pence so it is all very expensive. If my receipts turn out well I will have ten pounds in weight for five shillings and sixpence. That’s a saving. We only clean the floors now once a week where before it was three times.
I have been strongly advised this week to auction the estate. I do not know which way to turn. Yet the advice, at present, looks very sound. If only I could get independent advice. I feel bound hand and foot here in a strange land.
Monday 20th March.
I have been to have a cup of tea with Mrs. Voight in the Wiener Hof and she tells me that she has heard that Herr Vieweg has been let free from Ruhleben because they are going to call him up for the military. If that is true I am thankful that they have not let Arthur free for he is better in Ruhleben than in the front.
No war news of any note only contradictions. The French say that they have not lost any places. The Germans say that they have got some. One does not know the truth. The Berlin papers say now that the resignation of Admiral Tirpitz is in consequence of a difference of opinion and that it had to be kept secret for some time. That sounds funny when one remembers the Kaiser wrote of regret for his ill health.
We are to have meat cards next month at so much m
eat a week. We don’t know how much.
There has been a difference of opinion in the parliament and the Socialist has been giving a bit of his mind. A visitor here tells me that in Berlin the Social Democrat women stormed the house of their leader for giving his word that the Socialists should go in the war. At the beginning of the war the Socialists were all for the nation. Now they say that they are not being treated as they should be at the promises of ‘one party only’ and they are angry.
Even in Warsaw there is trouble and the Poles say that the Germans are not keeping their word of last November and are angry about it.
This war loan is finished today and they have canvassed every school. Every scholar has taken five shillings and upwards to his teacher. In one school twenty six thousand shillings have been collected. That is here in Hildesheim, we have seventeen schools, so that will help the war loan.
The Bishop of Metz has written to his churches that all their monies must be invested from the church funds into the war loan so it is sure to be a success. I wonder if we will have a 5th war loan in another four months.
We are having lovely spring weather and for the last week it has been so warm. The sun is so strong that we had no need for any fires in the middle of the day. On St. Patrick’s Day we had no fires (only in the kitchen) until five o’clock in the evening.
Bread is so scarce and the bakers are often sold out at ten o’clock in the morning and many people have made a row at the town hall. One man went with card and money and would not leave without bread so they had to telephone to all the bakers. A woman with her six children said awful things so it all looks pretty serious.
Friday 24th March.
Got a letter from Willie today and also a photo of little Joan – she is a bonnie little girl – and I long to see her. Willie says all are well and that the news from Canada is good. That’s a blessing.
I have not heard from Arthur for over two weeks and I expect that he is as disappointed as me about his leave.
Meat is very scarce and has gone up dreadfully in price and many days you can get none. Flour is not to be had at any price so you can use none for cooking. Bread we get at the bakers and it is awful stuff and so sour and the white bread is so dark and full of potatoes.
The war loan has reached ten million marks or shillings so there is still plenty of money still.
Sunday 26th March.
I have been today to hear a young priest celebrate his first Mass. It was a very elaborate but touching ceremony. On the feast of St. Joseph three young priests were ordained and today they all celebrate their first high mass. One of them celebrates in the Dom (cathedral) for he and his parents are members of that congregation and the others celebrate theirs in their respective churches where they were brought up – one in Hildesheim and one in a village nearby.
At the beginning of the war there were nine young men in the seminary or church where they are educated for the priesthood. Those who were only in their minor orders had to go to the war, but those who had advanced were allowed to complete their studies and be ordained before they went away. Four went to the front in the first month of the war. Three are dead and one is wounded. He has lost a leg but is to be ordained for a cloister and he can become a monk. The three who were ordained last Saturday go to the front in a week or so. Then there is one left and when he is ordained the place will be empty and the seminary must close until there are more boys advanced enough in their schools to join the priesthood. It’s very sad. Even the professors (priests) go away every so often to the front and we expect every week that the regent (the head of the seminary) will have to go for he is already called up. There are no young priests left and all around here those remaining are in their fifties and over.
I asked what they made of the priests in the military and they said that they are made sergeants and are given watch duty. It seemed very sad to think that this young man saying his first mass must go away soon. I felt so sorry for his parents and grandparents. What is not sad in these times? I feel sorry even for myself but how about the poor people?
Every week food is getting dearer and scarcer. Cocoa is now ten shillings a pound, coffee four shillings, tea six shillings, soap two shillings and two pence, meat and sausage two shillings and four pence and three shillings a pound and not to be got at all, sugar is only sold in half pounds and butter in a quarter. Fat of any description cannot be had. We hear that lard is to be sold for three days next week in one place at six shillings a pound. They can keep it at that price.
We hear today that Russia has publicly sold her German subjects’ belongings so perhaps it will come here. One man said last week that if the war lasts much longer he is afraid that we shall have serious trouble over the food. There is a very bitter feeling against England again.
We hear of no more progress in Verdun. If only one could see the beginning of peace. It sometimes seems so far off and the anxiety of these days tells on one. The poor soldiers – I feel so much for them. Now we understand what a delightful time we lived in - in the days of peace. How small those little differences seem now – politics, education, income tax, free trade etc. in the face of this dreadful war.
We are now told that we must not have visitors and give them coffee or tea. Also we must not buy much material for our clothes so that there will be enough for all. No one can make these new wide skirts as it takes too much stuff. There is to be a new post tax next month and all is to be double price. The people are grumbling at that and we must not send Easter parcels to the field as luxuries are not required for the soldiers. We must consider the post which is very much understaffed and is closed for four hours in the middle of the day. In fact wherever you look it is serious.
It is now a month since the attack on Verdun commenced and we do not hear of its fall, though it is expected every day.
We read here that it is much worse in England for everything is scarce and the people are quarrelling amongst themselves very much.
A lady called to see me last week and a sister of hers is a nurse in a lazarett and she says that the French prisoners are very willing to help in the work and are very polite. The Russian will do what you tell him and is very obedient. But the Englishman is neither polite nor obedient and is very lazy. He will refuse to do even a simple job and he is the most unsatisfactory prisoner they have. Now, that is the second time I have heard the same complaint from two different lazaretts and I feel ashamed of the Englishmen. Such unthankfulness is dreadful to the people who nurse and attend them. Even if it is not as good as home it is better than nothing and one must be thankful for small mercies in these times of war.
Friday 31st March.
No war news of any note but a lot in the papers about the conference in Paris and that England has threatened to break the neutrality of Holland.
A lot of soldiers left here very hurriedly this week at only two hours notice. Many left home in the morning just to drill and never returned to say goodbye. They left the barracks straight away. They must have received urgent summons.
We read that Mrs. Asquith has been fined one thousand pounds for playing tennis with the prisoners (German). I don’t believe it.
We have had such a lot of fliers here this past two days – eight or nine in the air at once. They land and start off on a high meadow near the river. I have been to see them and it is very interesting.
Saturday 1st April.
Got a letter from Arthur today and he says that Ettie has written to him as regards Winnie at school. She is now fourteen but I wish her to have another year study and then we will decide what to do with her.
It is not true about Mrs. Asquith (we read in a neutral paper – Swiss) and that ‘The Globe’ had to pay her one thousand pounds for slander. So now the boot is on the other foot.
Many men are going away today and my servant’s young man has been called. He has ten days leave and it is his first for eight months. He had only been here for four days when he found out that he must return. He left here at si
x o’clock and arrived at eleven o’clock at night in Halle. He was re-clothed and on the train for Russia at half-past two in the morning and not a minute of sleep. It was sharp work.
Prices are rising very much and we expect double post rates this week with letters costing two pence and post-cards a penny and so on. Everything is to be at double price.
Tuesday 4th April.
There is great excitement this last three days about Holland. It is reported that England has made her mobilise and that the Germans have had to send many men to the Dutch frontier. I cannot believe it but the men were sent off in a great hurry.
They announce also that Asquith has been received by the Pope and that the Italians have once more turned around. They thought here that Italy was tired of England.
Thursday 6th April.
A big change in the weather and last night we had a violent thunderstorm and all the nice cherry and apricot blossom has been destroyed.
No special war news and there is nothing definite in the papers about Holland. Germany is quite prepared for whatever happens.
There are new rules about eating and every restaurant or hotel has to close two days a week and nothing to eat must be sold. There are two days without fresh meat and another two days nothing is to be cooked with fat. That is no fried or roasted, only boiled. Sunday is the only day you can have a real meal (dinner).
One day last week a man came here to see all the food you have in the house and you do not know that they are coming. They simply come in and ask to see your goods for you are not allowed more than a certain quantity in store or stock.
