Evening star., 1914-10-10
CONDITIONS IN BERLIN
ARE FAST IMPROVING
Shops Are Re-Employing Discharged
Help and Business Is
Reviving.
People Watch Captured Frenchmen
curiously, But Feeling Against
British Is Bitter.

Correspondence Of the Associated Press
BERLIN. September 20.-Some of Ber-
Inns night amusement places are clos
ed, there are not SO many young men
on the streets as usual and in the Door
er sections Of the city a few of the
smaller shops are dark and q sign on
the door announces that the proprie-
tor has been called to the front. There
are few other things that betray to
one who knows his Berlin the fact that
a great war is in progress, but 1t is
doubtful whether any one who knows
the city less well would notice that the
Berlin Of today is not the Berlin of
July. Friedrichstrasse and Unter den
Linden are filed nightly with the same
amusement-seeking throng. Many the
aters again present their usual Offer
ings and concert halls are crowded.
Another indication Of the return of
comparatively normal conditions is the
fact that the war has ceased to be the
sole topic of conversation. People are
things and in a measure to resume
their ordinary routine of life.
Prices OF foodstuffs are in the main
but little higher than under normal
cenditions; Flour has gone up mark
Is largely due to the fact that the au-
tumn trashing had to be postponed,
owing to scarcity of horses and help.
Later. they declare. prices will reach
the usual level. Meats have risen hard
ly at all. and the same is true of near
ly all provisions. The milk supply has
been somewhat affected. and certain
products. notably tropical fruits. are
not as abundant or so cheap as in nor
NAL times. Outside of this, however,
the food supply has been little affected.
Berlin Conditions Improving.
Conditions, on the whole, are undoubt-
edly improving. Families that dismissed
all their servants upon the outbreak of
the war are re-engaging them; shops
are taking on some of the workers
discharged during the first days, and
In some lines business is plainly be-
coming better. The street car. omni-
bus, train and underground railway
service has been greatly improved in
the last month. and many of the lines
are running nearly on peace-time sched-
ules. The cab service. too. which was
crippled for time, Is growing better.
Not even the street-cleaning service has
been affected. and Berlin is still as
scrupulously clean as in times of peace
The people Of the city are supremely
confident Of the victory of the Ger
man arms. Most of them expect the
war will soon be over, and are going
about their separate occupations with
this confidence, but they are, never
theless, prepared for a long conflict,
while not expecting it. The same
scenes of enthusiasm that marked the
initial departure of the troops are re-
peated every time a troop train leaves.
Crowds line the tracks and fill the
bridges along the way. cheering and
waving flags and handkerchiefs.
Bitter Against British.
Trainloads of prisoners-chief1y|
proved as great a mag
net in the last few days. The Berliners
watch the red trousers" as they call
them, with a quiet curiosity. There
are no expressions of animosity. These
are reserved for the British, against
whom the feeling is as bitter as in the
opening days of the war.
A very considerable number of the
permanent American colony has thus
far elected to remain here. despite the
embassy's advice that, while no danger
is to be expected, America is. neverthe-
less. the best place for Americans until
the conflict is over. Those who remain |
heIfeye that Berlin is the safest place |
On the continent. and unless matters
take a deeided-and unexpected-turnI |
,yorse thew will stay.