1915 | First World War

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Send-Offs for Local Nurses (24 March 1915)

By Michael Etienne • On March 24, 1915 • In 1915, War

By the beginning of March, the Canadian Press Service was reporting that the German advance along the Eastern front had been reversed. With the exception of heavier resistance from the Austrians in the Carpathian Mountains to the south, a large portion of the Eastern Front from the Baltic Sea to the Romanian border was reported to be advancing westward. By the middle of March, the Russians had defeated Austrians in the Carpathians, reportedly taking 4000 prisoners and pushed further into present-day Slovakia and Poland. Within a few days, the fortress at Przemysl was taken by the Russians. This was a large victory since Russia had been trying to capture it since December, it was believed to be essential to German General von Hindenburg’s northern strategy, and it was the media’s focus throughout this push along the Eastern Front. By the end of March, Austrians were reportedly “in full retreat” over the Carpathian Mountains.
These successes occurred alongside optimistic outlooks for the British fleet in the Dardanelles and the Entente along the Western Front. Together, they contributed to the estimates that the Entente would win the war within a few months.

(“German Invasion of Russian Soil Has Completely Failed,” Berlin Daily Telegraph, 1 March 1915.; “Line Moving West,” Berlin Daily Telegraph, 6 March 1915.”; “German Defeat in Poland,” Ayr News, 18 March 1915.; Przemysl Surrendered Today,” Berlin Daily Telegraph, 22 March 1915.; “North Poland Clear of Enemy,” Ayr News, 25 March 1915.; “Austrians Retire,” Berlin Daily Telegraph, 29 March 1915.)

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Professor F.V. Riethdorf and Reverend C.R. Tappert (30 March 1915)

By Michael Etienne • On March 30, 1915 • In 1915, German-Canadian Identity, Timeline

F.V. Riethdorf was a professor of German at Woodstock College. He was born in Germany, and he served in the German army before moving to Canada. During the war he was famous for his position as a native German with strong loyalty to the British Empire and deep opposition to the Kaiser. Articles published from Toronto to Kelowna, B.C. reported on Riethdorf’s defense of the German people and hatred of Prussian militarism which he blamed for the war.
Rev. C.R. Tappert, also a native German, was the new pastor at the new St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church in Berlin, and had just moved up from the United States. Tappert challenged Riethdorf’s claims, and defended the German system of government.
Responses to their disagreements, even from Toronto, were sympathetic to Riethdorf and suggest that many Canadians did not fault a German for his love of his native country, but were outraged by the pro-German sentiment of men like Tappert.

(“War Over in Few Months,” Berlin Daily Telegraph, 22 March 1915.; “Traiters to the New World,” Berlin Daily Telegraph, 26 April 1915.; “Remarkable German Denunciation of Present War, Kelowna Record, 3 September 1914.; “Mr. Tappert’s First Love,” Berlin Daily Telegraph, 26 March 1915.; “As Others See Us,” Berlin Daily Telegraph, 30 March 1915.; “Prof. F.V. Riethdorf, Woodstock, Replies to Rev. C.R. Tappert,” Berlin Daily Telegraph, 30 March 1915.
Visual: http://generations.regionofwaterloo.ca/getperson.php?personID=I80451&tree=generations)

Reverend C.R. Tappert

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The Canadian Patriotic Fund (31 March 1915)

By Michael Etienne • On March 31, 1915 • In 1915, Home Front

In fall 1914, 5700 of the 20 000 citizens of Berlin had pledged to raise $96 000 within two years for The Canadian Patriotic Fund, which provided support to the families of soldiers. As March 1915 closed, Berlin was still well on target to meeting its goal. Articles in the Berlin Daily Telegraph reminded readers of the 6-month installments, and also tracked the funds contributed to that point.
As of February 28, the Berlin chapter of the Canadian Patriotic Fund had collected $22 994.17. By the end of March, they had exceeded $30 000, and so, were further ahead than projected.
The Waterloo branch, by the same point had received over $9000. Waterloo’s population was approximately one quarter the size of Berlin, so its per capita contributions were greater than Berlin’s.
Waterloo County counted on these contributions to demonstrate that even though they had such a large German population and did not have impressive recruitment numbers, they were still loyal to the Empire and willing to do their part for the war effort.

(Philip H. Morris, The Canadian Patriotic Fund; A Record of Its Activities from 1914 to 1919, (Ottawa, 1920): 215-216.; “Second Instalment Due,” Berlin Daily Telegraph, 1 March 1915.; “Canadian Patriotic Fund in Berlin,” Berlin Daily Telegraph, 30 March 1915.; “Patriotic Fund Monies Being Paid in,” Berlin Daily Telegraph, 8 April 1915.; “Over $8500 Is Sent to Headquarters,” Waterloo Chronicle, 1 April 1915.; Norm Threinen, “Canadian Lutherans in the First World War,” Canadian Churches and the First World War, Gordon L Leath, ed. (Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications, 2014): 205.
Visual: Picture courtesy of Archives Ontario
http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/en/explore/online/posters/pics/16186_patriotic_fund_770.jpg
With permission)

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More Dissent from Waterloo Region Farmers over “Patriotism and Production” (7 April 1915)

By Stephen Collins • On April 7, 1915 • In 1915, Economics

In March of 1915, the Central Dumfries Farmers’ Club expressed their disapproval of the Canadian government’s Patriotism and Production Campaign as wasteful spending. They were not the only local farmers’ organization to share this sentiment. The Central Waterloo Farmers’ Club expressed similar objections to the campaign and its local meetings. The Berlin Daily Telegraph reported that the club made a formal objection to campaign not only as a misallocation of government funds but as an insult to the patriotism of Canadian farmers:

“We believe that the farmers of this fair Dominion of ours need no urging at this time from any Government to make them loyal and that this campaign will not make any material difference in their loyalty to their country or in their efforts in production.”

(“Famers’ Club is Opposed to Government Plan,” Berlin Daily Telegraph, 7 April 1915.)

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“Great Britain needs foodstuff” (7 April 1915)

By Caterina Katzer • On April 7, 1915 • In 1915, Economics, German Newspapers, Timeline

This announcement asked the Canadian vegetable growers to help Great Britain to get enough food during war times. The war destroyed so many vegetable fields that the British needed support to get through the year.

Despite the obvious sympathies the Berliner Journal held for Germany, articles like this one again show their dedication to providing for the Canadian war effort.

(„Patriotismus und Produktion“, Berliner Journal, 7 April 1915)

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“Her sacrifice” (7 April 1915)

By Caterina Katzer • On April 7, 1915 • In 1915, German Newspapers, Timeline

A fictional story, which was connected to the war and its difficulties, was printed in the Berliner Journal. It dealt with a young German girl, who was engaged to a Russian student, who had to go back to St. Petersburg. She was sad about it and missed him. When she learned that there would be war against Russia, she was very afraid and didn’t know what to do. She searched every day in the newspapers after the name of her fiancé, trying to find out if he was imprisoned as a spy. Over a few days, she noticed a man, which seemed very old and very young at the same time and she was worried about him. At a public assembly she noticed the strange man again and suddenly recognized that it must be her fiancé. She called his name out loud and then he was arrested as a Russian spy. The young woman cried and realized that she had made her sacrifice for the war effort.

(„Ihr Opfer“, Berliner Journal, 7 April 1915)

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“The cold wretches” (7 April 1915)

By Caterina Katzer • On April 7, 1915 • In 1915, German Newspapers, Timeline

A German senior lieutenant wrote in a military letter how horrible it was to see all the dead soldiers. There were notes about the dead recruits, how they died and who their doctor had been. The men prayed and cursed the enemies who had killed their comrades, but these “cold wretches” would never see the dead and their empty eyes. Furthermore, the senior lieutenant asked who exactly were the “cold wretches” because every nation saw their enemies this way. The lieutenant repeated that this war had lasted eight months now without any hope for an end so he asked when this terrible massacre would stop, nations would see reason and conclude peace.

(„Die kalten Schufte“, Berliner Journal, 7 April 1915)

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New War Taxes Go into Effect (14 April 1915)

By Stephen Collins • On April 14, 1915 • In 1915, Economics

Beginning on April 14th, the federal government’s new war taxes went into full effect. The new taxes included a one cent tax on new bank notes as well taxes for loan and insurance companies. While these taxes surely would have had an impact, it would have been the variety of direct taxes which affected Waterloo Region residents most keenly. New taxes were applied on cable and telegraph messages, on letters and post cards, on money orders and cheques, and on railway and steamship tickets. Taxes were even applied to items such as wines, patent medicines, and toiletries.

Even before the taxes went into effect, local post offices began selling government-issued war tax stamps. These stamps came in one- or two-cent denominations and were used for paying the new duties on letters, post cards, and money orders, but could also be used to pre-pay for duties on other items like patent medicines, bank cheques, and wines.

(“War Tax Went into Force To-Day,” Berlin Daily Telegraph, 14 April 1915; “’War Tax’ Stamps Now on Sale,” Berlin Daily Telegraph, 12 April 1915; “War Tax Patent Medicines, Perfumes, Etc.” Berlin Daily Telegraph, 14 April 1915; “War Tax on Tickets,” Berlin Daily Telegraph, 13 April 1915.)

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Local Businesses React to the War Tax (20 April 1915)

By Stephen Collins • On April 20, 1915 • In 1915, Economics

One of the areas targeted by the Borden government’s new war tax was withdrawals from loan and savings companies. Understandably, such companies were concerned over the possible loss of business, because of the added fees brought on by the new tax. Less than a week after the new taxes went into effect on April 14th, the Waterloo County Loan & Savings Company published an advertisement in the Berlin Daily Telegraph, reassuring residents that their interest rates would “more than offset the small tax of two cents on withdrawals.”

(“War Tax,” advertisement, Berlin Daily Telegraph, 20 April 1915.)

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“Berlin Is Now Called Kitchener?” (20 April 1915)

By Michael Etienne • On April 20, 1915 • In 1915, German-Canadian Identity

Ten months before Berlin would hold a plebiscite asking citizens if the city should change its name, an article was published in the Berlin Daily Telegraph (the Berliner Journal also reported on this) which reported on an article published in Berlin, Germany. The article, written on December 15, 1914, prophetically reported that the city’s name had become offensive, and that Berlin, Ontario was now called Kitchener. In June 1916, “Kitchener” would be a last minute addition to the ballot of choices for Berlin’s new name. It was added to the ballot only after the death of British secretary of war, Lord Horatio Herbert Kitchener. His death is also the accepted reason for the name’s popularity among voters, yet it had been predicted in Germany by accident 18 months before.
The German article also erroneously reported that special constables in “Kitchener”, as in all smaller Canadian towns, were arresting anyone with a German accent and that all German-language papers would soon be prohibited in Canada.

(John English and Kenneth McLaughlin, Kitchener: An Illustrated History, (Waterloo: Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 1996): 124-125.; “Berlin Is Now Called Kitchener?” Berlin Daily Telegraph, 20 April 1915.)

Portrait of Lord Kitchener at Kitchener City Hall