New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-01-04
"BERLIy UNDER TIE NEW EMPIRE"
HOW THE CITY LOOKS THROUGH MR.. VIE
VEIIYiS EYES
rrom 49, I'm MaN Gazette,s Rerier.

From me rail Nan Gazstte's Repieic.
As pictured III this book the city IS me httlhg
the true capital of the brandDew lron-handed,
brazen-headed Empire of craft and force. Its APP
pearance Is ostentatious and unprcpossessng' pre-
tenious and unattractve. Garlsn ana yet not Drill
liant. To the Niennese IL IS the SaudDOx OF
Germany" to its people it is the Athens OF the
Spree" To the world at large the sandDox quality
of Berlin IS great deal more apparent than the
Athenian; and it has withal mingled nav0r or
brutality and science. of pride and ynlgarity, OF
poverty and annoyance, peculiar to ITSELF ana CIV
ing II place apart among cities Apparently, 1t IL
built of solid stones actually it is town OF stucco
and plaster. Apparently, II was designed Tor the
use of trade and society actually 1T is arranged Tor
n military despotism and with an eye to the prompt
suppression of revolution
Apparently il is universally educated, exception
n " intelligent, abnOrmally prosperous, preternat-
urally pOus and obedlent, content to be the centre
of a grand military system actually, its TOughs
are the worst IN Europe ITS press and its theatres
are paltTy and corrupt It's misery is excessive, II Is
headquarters of political and theological scepticisIn,
numbers some 10000 male socialists lone among
its population. apparently it is supplied with all
kinds of modern improvements. and governed and
ordered on The purcst modern principles; actually,
il ab0unds in open debauchery, its roads are scan
dalousy bad and cOmiortless, its stenches are as
gross and multtudiness those that COerldge
counted in Cologne.
1t is almost needless to add that every second
person in Berlin is specialized. Youth gances amor
Ousy at beauty through ono pair OF glasses. ana
beauty returns the message cOyly through another
The PrussIan Cupid Is not blind, but only short,
be the keen hand he IS at n bargain ~ course
Berlin is not withal healthy city Mr. NHetcliy
confidently expects II 10 he one OF these days the
prey of a tremendous epidemic. There seems 10 De
no money To spare on such commonplace matter
rs sanitation. Sewers are useless from military
point of view and not penny of the Cpl .oOo.O
Prussia received as her share of tie FIVE Mllards
cOuld be spent on anything wholesome.
The BerlIncsc are extremely Thrifty. They live
chcaply, an officers dinner costing HIM no more
than minepence or a shilling; and as they have n
hard struggle 10 make bOih ends meet economy
takes very severe shapes Add 10 this that they are
divided iptO castcs which castles are thcmsclycs
divided INTO sections, which sections IN their tGrn
are subdiyded into clique, and n VIII be seen that
the difficulties IN the way Of social intercourse are
many aud great. I lie Emperor Is the Ali-lhghcst;
and after him IN genteci dinnuendo, rcmIndIng
one Of the Mousse Tale IN Allce IN wonderland"
his anxious subjects troop. MT. K'iclly Processes
to have seen q card Inscribed WIN the siYIc ana
a gnify of the ROyal SWecprics OF the Apartments;
and declares that shopman or domestic entering
the service of = grocer who duurg the whole coiiisr
of his career has by some chance or other
once Supplied the ROYAL Palace with pound al
coffee, viii bc compelled 10 address. hiS master on
every occasion rs Herr iolcrant lurv"yor 20 the
Court And then every male D. privileged 10 cN-
tcud the style ice bears to lis female. AM ~ u GU
quctfc % address them hrth by II IN tuiI ~
win be- uofcd how admirably The Emperor we'll
known pinciplcs OF Divine Right and the AutEo-
Tity OF kugsmp have come 10 tarcatui" inc Ne
selves. WHAT'S most Pru-s.an and laurntahic OF
an Is the little regard that with all this stiaining
after the shadow Of birth and authority, is paiH 10
good manners and even common drccucN Your
Pru-siau says Mr.. NlZ"tcl N,FS the most lmpoit ol
meu He may scniimrntaEzt dcyotediy with
lddy, aud quote pages az thc hlplTuolicaI rhetoric
OF German ciOtIcs 10 her; huf hc VIII not STR To
omen door for her or hand her a char. or assist
her with her cloak. or the salon rs II cN-
lists IN Paris, of the dTaWlng-r"on as u cNlSts III
London. Berlin knows next to nothing. LIthcr lis
visits are purely formal ~ ITS meetings are MANI
fcstatiOs OF the caste spirit aud oi ltic interest 10
any body who Is unattached e. particular group oi
particular section. Sometimes Benin uhes SOY
cmuy: but Nh Vizotclly declares that Berlin cooks
badly and fares poorly. Ga the whole, tins author
Is clear that society M Berlin L. not only dull IN IL
sell but sugullTiy well qualified 10 be The cause OF
dulues, IN any one who gets INTO u.
IL - Ia hc noted that Nh. Nz'tclly Is shockingly
nngalIant to the ladies' oi Berlin. lie looked az
them ~ vln II appears. Tor single classical nose
lie Is impOlltc enough 10 insist that In Ecrlln
beauty has always big feet; aud be- declare. that
IN dress she Is garish or she Is dONdT, or she Is
both. OF the JO,OOOOOO gallons oi beer, moreover,
that are BcTlus annual brew Beauty consumes
fair sharc. 10 the click-click of her knitting
needles sine assimllatcs alike the music of Bee
thOYcn and the batteries of her sutOls the COME
songs of lcmcrding and his imltators, the vows OF
aspiTants to her little fortune and her lar large
hand Nh NiZetrly has noted her IN the
Thicrgarten sumptuously apparellcd and con-
yerslng with generals and counts; has
viewed her eating peas and gravy with
her knife all good Prusslans do, and the
outcome Of his studies Is that she - not DIS
posed to number himself among her admirers.
Indeed, he seems 10 think that there ~ not much
that is truey admirable IN the PruSsan capital
unless peTchaucc II be liz geological collection aud
lis ire-brigadc. 'Pcrhaps he may he little prcJu-
diced but whether he IS historical or picturesque,
didactIc or reflective, cpit0mlNng the career OF
Bismarck the Red Prince. 81 noting he manners
and customs of the Berlin rough. he always worth
listening TO for he always speaks IN such tone as
10 convince you that he Is speaking honestly, from
competent observation.