Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-10-26
Shows Less Outward Changes
Due to War Than London,
American Declares.
LIGHTS STILL BLAZE AND
THEATERS CONTINUE OPEN
Social Life Dominated by Benevo-
lence for the Wounded Soldier.
Children Wage Mimic Warfare.

Correspondence Of the Associated Press
BERLIN, October Am American.
recently arrived in Berlin from Lon
don, WAS surprised to find that the
German capital showed less outward
changes due to the war than London.
He remarked that there was less OF
nervous anxiety here than there and
he saw evidence of this in the fact that
Berlin still shows it's usual blaze of
electric lamps at night, while London.
fearing an unheraIded visit from Ger
man Zeppelns. has greatly reduced its
illumination, Just as HarlS mas dohe
for the same reason.
Another cause for comment was to
see so many men capab BILE of doing mill
tary duty still moving about the streets
of Berlin, engaged in their customary
work. As a matter of fact most OF the
military barracks of the empire are
still well filled with soldiers. for the
most part men who are to receive fur
Their drilling before going to the front.
Another class of soldiers now fire.
quentIy seen on the streets are the
couvalescent wounded, looking some
what less trim and we'll fed than when
they marched away from Berlin two
months ago.
Every Attention for Wounded.
The life of Berlin, in fact, centers
just now about the wounded soldier as
well as the soldier still in the field. So
cai life is dominated by benevolence
for him. Women and girls are indus
triously knitting stockings and wrist
lets for him: and wherever they meet,
at the afternoon coffee party. at the
cieties for. assisting the sick and
wounded. even occasionally at con-
certs and in other public places, their
fingers are soon busy with their work.
Nearly every Berlin woman of the
weather. classes is doing something
to help Some are working in the
kitchens. conducted for the feeding of
the poor; some in charity organiza-
tons. which are looking after the chill
dren of soldiers at the front left with
out adequate means of support and
many are nursing sick or wounded SOL
diers. Most families of the Weather
classes also are taking into their
homes poor women and children for
one good meal daily, and there are or
CARNATIONS of women to find such dis
pensers of charity and supply them
with mouths to fill.
Another function of the charity Or
San1zation is to collect books, pic
lures and newspapers for the military
hospitals. of which there are num-
Der in Berlin and the suburbs There
IS even society of British citizens in
Berlin which sends it's agents now and
then to American families to ask for
american magazines and books for the
English prisoners at Doeberitz, a few
miles outside of Berlin. The theaters
and concert halls of Berlin are all open
us usual. but the attendance is not
large. The war figures largely in the
light musical farces and in the produc-
tons at the variety theaters, and the
Or-t
films of many kinds. There are sham
fights made in very close imitation of
real war, but proposal to take NOV
ing pictures of real battles. or at least
of the military authorities, as the Ger
man government make it set policy
to spare the public the useless emo
t1onal excitement of seeing and read
Ing about the horrors of the battlefield.
Correspondents Kept Far in Rear.
There are but few so-called war cor.
respondents. and these are kept far in
the rear and never see more than mere
scraps of the fighting. if any at all
Their descriptions of battles are con.
fined to the few details that the stat.
officers dole out to them. The thrill
OF the eyewitness is utterly lackina
in their reports.
The theaters and concerts give evi
dence OF the high wave of patriotism
on which Germany is now riding. Be
tween the acts at the playhouses the
latest war bulletins are read. Their,
is loud applause over victories an
nounced, and patriotic songs are sung
Concert programs also show a strong
leaning to patriotic music. Neverthe
less. as already said. the attendance a
all places of amusement is much les
than in times of peace; and the man
ayers are therefore not making money
Concert singers now number them
selves among the suffering classes ant
charity concerts are being organized
to aid them. Many people cannot at
ford the luxury of the theater or tn,
concert, and many others living in
high heroic mood feel that this is n,
time for amusements. The deep mourn
ing worn by many women supplies an
other explanation for light audiences.
Some of the people in Germany, how
ever, fail to catch the spirit of deeI
seriousness in which most Germans ar,
now living, and picture postcard max
ers recently have tried the experiment
of getting out comic war post cards
These, however. have fallen fiat wheI
sent to the front. Word has been giver
out by the military authorities that tn
soldiers now doing hard fighting ar,
in no mood to enjoy these ill-dmet
efforts at fun, not a few of which, be
sides, are in very bad taste, and thu
newspapers have requested their read
ers to refrain from sending such mis-
sives to the front.
Children Play War Game.
The play impulse in Germany, how