The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-05-01
GERMANY IS
COPS PARADISE
Policeman Has Happy Time in
the Fatherland
A GREAT MANY REPORTS
Almost Every Act LIS Forbidden and the
Copper Has Plenty to do Trying
to Regulate the Lives and
Acts of People
A GREAT MANY REPORTS
From the Baltimore Sun.

Some one has said that in Germany
it takes one-half of the nation to con-
troll the other. Certainly no foreigne~
visits the country without being struck
hy the immense numbers of the police
and the innumerable regulations they
have to put in force. "Berboten' CIT
is forbidden) seems almost the national
motto of Germany. In a Commute
walk in a Berlin park you can count
at least so notice boards all forbid
ding something or other.
You will find, for instance, that you
cannot sit down on any seat you nee.
some seats are marked For Children,
some For Nurses and Children only,
others For Adults only" There are
separate paths for cyclists, pedestrians,
riders, light vehicles and heavy We
L1cles. for children and for ladies walk
ing alone.
There are notices forbdding peonle
to walk on the grass and others for
bidding dogs to walk on the grass. The
German dog is said to be so thoroughly
accustomed to obeying police regula-
lions that any dog found on the grass
is bound to be foreign dog.
The German policeman carries small
library of books inside his blouse. lie
has to make innumerable inquiries AMI
l eports. No one in Germany can en-
gage a servant without supplying the
police with particulars as to her name.
her age, her nationality, the color of
Iher hair, her complexion, the state of
her teeth, the period she is engaged
for and many other points.
She, too las also to send in report
Another report has to be given when
she is dismissed, telling where she is
going and giving all the personal de-
tails over again.
When a householder changes HIS
place of residence the police have IT,
ne informed of his income, his future
abode, the number of his family and
other things, to use the hallowed
phrase. too numerous to mention. WheIT
| Il foreigner comes to German motel
| or takes house he soon finds pc
liceman swooping down on him pull
| ing out little book and insisting on
| + full confession.
In Germany one Is forbidden to leave
Inc front door unlocked, to hang Il
bed out of the window 0n Britain you
may hang yourself ~there), to play the
piano after IL, to cross bridge Oh
The wrong side to "ramble about in
droves after dark to shoot with i
crossbow or blowpipes in the street.
You must not break bottles or jugs
J IN the streets, too If they do set
| broken YOU must not leave the pieces
a 1ywhere. Whether you are to pick up
tho pieces and carry them always with
| you the regulations do not say. You
must not leave them there and must
not put them anywhere else.
But usually the regulations are very pre-
/ else Bulldogs and other large dogs must
| always make their public appearances in
| nluzzles and be led by a leash not longer
than 16 inches, and they must walk not on
| the pavement, but in the street. If your
| dog banks in the street after 10 o'clock a
! Policeman soon runs up, shouting; That
og-must-not-bark.' If your children
| are making a noise in the street he soon
let's you know that too. Mattresses must
| not chat with customers. Their skirts
| must be of a certain length and their
| collars OF a oertain height.
Your clothes must be seemly In Ber-
| lin not long ago a Highlander set out for
a party IN full Highland evening dress.
He met the inevitable policeman. To
the que stion, What are you doing in
| those ciothes?' he returned the answer,
wearing them
"Why on CThe German policeman al
ways asks "Why?')
$40 keep myself warm
In tie end the Highlander was escorted
| back to his hotel in a closed carriage
1t needed the British ambassador to per-
suade the police that there is a country
l in wflci Highland dress is not regarded
as unseemly and to get the usual fine
withheld.
For all these crimes have a definite fine
The water troughs in the streets are
marked For Horses Only" If you mis-
took them for public baths or fish ponds
you would not puzzle the police. Every
contingency, possible and impossible, II
provided against in the bulky manual o.
police regulations that every town issues
The manual, by the way points out pre-
cisely what breakages you may compe
your servants to pay for and what yol
may not.