Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-12-07

tables. If other things are missing he
must just draw his belt little tighter
and do as the alternating bear does
live on his fat
Ten pounds of sugar and ten pounds
Of coffee kept me in wealthy meals for
an entire winter" said one man to me-
To understand this is must be remem-
oered that the rich man in Germany can
get all he wants to eat. except of those
things that have been completely ex-
hausted Jack Myers, the European
representative of the Merganthaler COM
pany. was an example of the power OF
wealth in Berlin. His liable was laden
with the best of the season at all times
but il did not include tea or coffee, for
tea and coffere there was none. Sugar
he had in slender quantity. but the guest
at Myers hospitable board was looked
upon with more favor IL he brought his
own lump of sugar to drop into his cup
of coffee substitute after dinner.
The coffee substitute is exceeded In
loathsomeness only by the tea subsd-
tute. according to the unfortunates who
have experienced both. In fact the
German effort to substitute theory for
food has fallen away short of expecta-
tons Sweets have been produced which
tickIed the palate. but lacked nourishing
qualities. and the various artificial fats
have practically all disappeared from
the market because they were not eat
able more than once The man OF whom
/ spoke i'm the paragraph above managed
to get out to Holland and bring in with
him the sugar and coffee referred to.
Won't You come to dinner this eve
ming. Mr.. Goodthing?" an eager hostess
would beg.
"onIy il I may bring coffee and su-
gar for our party" the gallant guest
would reply.
Through practice he learned to the
tithing of A grain just how much cof-
fee and sugar went to the after-din-
ner coffee cup-and no one of the par
~ was given more than one The
grateful hostess in return would lay
the board with the best food they could
borrow or beg. for il became an under
stood thing NAT the coffee-and-sugar
Midas would not dine with people who
understanding of the food shortage in
Germany last year may be secured
through comparison.
NV last meal in Germany, in May.
1915. was a two-mark affair at a res
taurant on the Inter den Linden in Ber-
lin. At the then rate of exchange the
meal cost me about - cents. In ad-
dition to soup. a salad, and a veget-
able. three heavy meat courses were
1
of us at the table to finish the meats
They we're appetizing, but there was too
much of them. The third course was
hardly touched. The lunch was serv-
ed on fine white linen in excellent
STYLE. This was at the so-called pop
ular" restaurant where the music was
almost as much of an attraction as the
meal.
At last accounts luncheon at the Ad-
Ion-the proprietor of the Adlon used
to boast with some show of justice that
his was the best hotel in the world
cost twelve marks. That would be three
dollars If the mark were at par, and ap-
proximately two dollars at the then rate
of exchange. Since then II is said the
Adlon lunch has gone UP to fourteen
marks but Of this do not know. There
are n otablecloths or napkins, thin paper
serviettes making shift for both. A
nondescript soup is served. ut has a
fine flavor" said a sufferer, but 1
defy any one to say what the flavor
is. II is certainly not meat" Then
there is a mere wafer of a fish, hint
of a vegetable, astamp-siz literally
norton of meat, anothing tiny vegetable
and dessert.
Il would like to know what the pud-
ding they usually serve is made Of"
said an Adlon guest I'm 1915 the
-four shortage compelled tnem 10 rely
on eggs and sugar for their cakes and
buildings Then the eggs were with
drawn. Lastly the need for sugar in
making glycerine for explosives took
away the sugar. Yet they serve a cake
and A pudding which is a defiance of all
culinary laws, for IL is made without
-four or eggs or sugar"
What does il taste like?" I asked.
lust like that" said he.
At the worst of the shortage an at
tempt was made to bake bread out of
the dried fiber of turnips and the meat
Of horse chestnuts which had been chem
ically treated to neutraliZe the poison.
These attempts failed, not merely be-
cause the product was vilely upappetiz-
ing. but because they were actually dan
gerous to human life. Experience showed
that while such foods may have lacked
any poisonous element, they also lacked
nutritive qualities. and they had ten
dency TO develop unsupported weak
nesses of the stomach and digestive
tracts.
During the turnip bread period" a
German sympathizer said to me, zone
of my friends died from cancer OF the
stomach.
"'At least. that is the only thing we
can call it, said his physician. He
would never have known he had it II
he had had nutritious food"