The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-10-17
BERLIN SUFFERS
FROM TRADE CRISIS
More Than One Thousand
Shops Are Vacant
RENTS HAVE ADVANCED
Germany Faces an Enormous Deficit.
Reichstas VIII Open During Last
Week In November-Desert-
err Returns from America.
RENTS HAVE ADVANCED
BY MALCOLM CLARKE.

in the LeibZtgerstrasse and Friedrich
strasse cannot disguise it; the coffee
houses and theatres cannot mask it.
There are over 1000 empty shops walt
ing for their counters to be clothed; in
every street the tell-tale ''sofort re YER
miethen" Ito be let immediately points
back to yesterdays over-development
and today's reaction.
Rents have risen enormously, in some
cases as much as % per cent, within the
last few years, and living is becoming
exorbitantly dear.
Excessive building and the Impossible
ity for many business concerns to clear a
profit ought to induce landlords to bring
down the rents, but they refuse to do so,
preferring to wait
In addition to the empty shops, there
are already 1900 unoccupied dwellings.
I learn that the Reichstag will open
during the last week in November, and
that the budget for 1910 will be presented
before Christmas. An enormous deficit
will have to be covered by hook or by
crook. How?
1t is difficult to say. The Germans
themselves do not know. Taxation will
ing on the smaller trades and on the
average man will have to be Increased.
Duties surcharging the ordinary means of
living will have to be increased
But the great trusts, for whom Ger
many is a paradise, and the landlords,
whose domains are heaven upon earth'
will thrive in prosperity and peace b'or
the former the customs duties have been
n favor the latter
there will be no increase in legacy dues.
But Germany needs money Where Is
st coming from? From the middle classes,
from the smaller tradespeople, whose ex-
istence is already precarlous, and from
indirect taxes.
The results of protection and tariffs
are more easily to be seen in Berlin than
elsewhere For Berlin is the Reichstadt
par excellence. and its 10O0-odd empty
shops and 1900 empty dwellings and
flats are products of fiscal policy that
has favored trusts and monopolies, whilst
burdening the masses and lettering the
smaller trades.
The chamber of commerce is organiz-
ing prize contest for the best decorated
and arranged shop window. 1t must be
admitted that the decorations of the show
windows are in many cases both charm
ing and artistic. There is little over
crowding or clashing of colors. Crowds
wander up and down. gaping and staring.
and the "sofort zu vermiethen," the COM
mercial depression, the financial swamp
are forgotten.
deserter named Adoph Asch, who
has just been dealt with by a court-mar-
tial at Strasburg, has had a very curious
career. Leaving the country without per-
forming his military service, he went to
France and worked In Paris as a carpet
the United States, he became a prison
warder, policeman and captain of the
municipal police.
Finally Asch became homesick and de-
cided to return to Strasbdrg and surren-
der himself to the authorities. It appears
that President Taft has interested himself
In the mans case, and has approached
the German Ambassador at Washington
in his interest
The defaulter. who is 50 years of age
has been sentenced to six months impris-
onment, the lightest punishment that can
be imposed. His judge has signed a PEI
ttion of pardon in his favor.
Frau Hedwig Wangel, OF the Deutches
Theatre. Berlin. one OF the most famous
German actresses, has astonished her
friends by announcing her abandonment
of the stage for a religious life
Frau Wangel states that her desertfon
OF the footlights was precipitated by her
attendance at recent Salvation Army
meeting. To an interviewer she said:
The honor and the soul Of everybody
who serves the cause Of the theatre as
heroically as / have done must go to
eternal ruin. The theatre means ceasing
to be. My decision was not taken sud
denly.
For two years I have been determined
to leave the stage and the world and de-
vote myself entirely to my Savior.
Il shall not join the Salvation Army. A
Salvation Army meeting 1 attended awak-
ened me, but it was not that which pri-
marily inspired me. 1t nourished the pas
sion raging within me,nbut in what way I
shall walk myself do not yet know.
II have forsaken all earthly things.
Nothing any longer holds me back, and
If / give up my family and my home to
serve God it will not be hard to desert
my art in which I saw so much that was
sinful
My decision to turn my back on all
that is worldly and dedicate myself ex-
clusively to Christ and brotherly love was
fastened by the death and burial Of AL
exander Strakosch the Berlin actor who
died fortnight ago while declaiming
some lines from King Lear.
His death was untimely His life to
the last was rich in earthly joys. He
had to leave the world unprepared. With
his last gasp he recited an indictment of
human ingratitude- 1t referred to one of
his pupils now a recognized artist"
Frau Wangel is "a yearApd. She sep
arated few weeks ago from her hus-
band, Herr Carl stabernack. the we'll
known musician.
AS result of the liberal experiences
Of this summer a number Of changes are
to be introduced into future airships of