Free Diary of Annie's War by Annie Droege Page A

read. I did thank God that none of mine were in the war in Russia.
    Wichman, the electrician from Lamspringe, came to see me today. He is an under officer here and trains the men. He tells me this last lot are all Landstorm and many are forty-two and forty-five years old. Some of them have never been in the army before. They were not accepted because of their eyes or other ailments. Now all must go up and it’s so very difficult to drill them. Many often have five and six children and some of them have sons in the army. He says the work is hard.
    Women are now to do men’s work and they have women as porters, signalmen, ticket collectors etc. They also work in the post office and in the town as snow shifters. There is no one else to do it.
    During February and after there is to be no more white bread. War bread is to be baked made from oats, rye, potatoes and barley and all people must eat it. If a baker is caught baking any white bread, even for his own family, he is subject to a severe penalty.
    Most of the Schnapps breweries have been closed for some time for they dare not buy potatoes or corn for the schnapps. In fact all luxuries are forbidden. Of course we can do without drink if we could get the food. The beer is still there but the breweries are short of men. The hotels are feeling the shortage of food and I cannot buy many little things myself. People are not allowed to buy large quantities of food as it all must be evenly distributed.
    Hermenia came from Woltershausen and she says all is well there. Several men have returned cripples and one will not get better. She says all the corn and potatoes have gone to the army. The farmer is only allowed enough to seed his land and fifty pounds for each person in his house. So regards horses this is bad as he is only allowed to feed them with two pounds of corn a day. The rest must be straw or chaffs. No horse can work on that. Our ‘Moor’ used to get fourteen pounds a day and all other horses got ten to twelve pounds. I feel so sorry for them.
    We read of the coal strike in England and it gives the Germans great pleasure. They say that the English people are quite sick of English laws and that they do not know how to govern workers.
    Belle has told me of the intention of Germany to block all the neutral waters and shipping. They say here that the neutral lands are sick and tired of being dictated to by England, who rules the waves, and are glad another power has stepped in to show her her place. I myself cannot see the neutral lands quietly sitting down to that. We are told that after this blockade begins on the 18 th of February the war is only a very short time to the finish. I wonder what England thinks of it.
    There is a very strange article in the papers. I believe it is to the effect that England has decided to fly neutral flags on all her ships to repay Germany for what she intends doing regarding the blockade. The papers here say that it is the Admiralty’s orders. I flatly said I did not believe that. For if it was so, and allowed, then why had not Germany or England done it before. Also that this was not allowed at sea and I did not think that even if England could see herself being beaten she would play a false game. She was too sportsmanlike for that.
    We hear nothing from anywhere only from the German bureau and no news of the enemy. Only that each day they are sent further back. Where to? They do not say. It’s my opinion these things are only put in the papers to take the people’s thoughts off the war because there is no definite news
    Yesterday there was the weekly lecture on the war and the hatred of England. The people were told that it is not German man against English man but also German woman against English woman. The women of Germany must remember that. I wonder if ever there will be a revolution here and the people will use these words again. It is not a pleasant time to live in. Thank God there are a few of nature’s