New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-01
By CARL W. ACKERMAN

copyright 1917. ~ the Tribune Association
REGISTERED according TO me Copyright net.
Cduddc, 1917. b. The Tribune Association
Last January. while in Berlin. want
ed TO buy a shirt saw in shop win
dows shirts Of all kinds and varieties,
and went in to one Of the big depart
ment stores 10 purchase one. When !
told the clerk what wanted. she asked:
"Do you have 'bezugschein?'
This was new to me. asked her TO
explain. She said it was now impos-
Sible for any one TO buy a shirt with
out a special card from the city magis-
trate. She said it would be useless for
her to SHOW me the shirts for sale I'M
less had this card.
Because lived in Wmmersdorf. a
suburb of Berlin, had to go to the City
Hall of that suburb. Arriving there, |
WAS told the ticket Office was located on
the fourth floor of another building. Ar
irving there, found a long line of men,
women and children awaiting tickets
for clothing. Finally, when | reached
the desk where tickets for mems cloth
ing were issued. | was asked for my
registration slip. which the police issue
TO All foreigners and others when they
take up residence in Berlin. This slip !
did NOT have SO ] was Informed that !
could not have ticket for a shirt until
brought my police registration card
with me. went home, obtained the card,
and returned TO the magistrates ticket
office to find that it was open only from
9 o'clock in the morning until ! O'Clock
in the afternoon. This was just one OF
the means Of discouraging people from
doing anything except the most neces-
sary buying. The next morning, az
o'clock. ! was standing in line. In due
course of time | was ushered into the
little room where the tickets were IS
sued. When again informed the woman
that desired shirt. she asked whether
had purchased any other clothing re-
Gently. After my reply in the negative,
she handed me card to fiji out with
MY name. address, age, religion, busi-
ness. wife's name, the number IN my
family and my nationality. ] returned
this card. She marked on the back:
Ticket for one dress shirt given Janu-
airy 4, 1911" and handed me card en-
titling me to one shirt.
This is the process one must follow
i'm all German cities to-day If one
wishes TO buy clothing Of any sort.
Should one desire pair OF stockings,
SHOES. gloves, shirtwaists, suit OF UNI
derwear, or anything else, one must
90 to the magistrate, explain the neces-
sity and have it recorded on the city
magistrates card.
The number of these articles which
one can obtain depends entirely upon
the officials issuing the ticket. AT one
time no one can buy more than TWO
pairs Of stockings, or two handker-
chiefs, or three towels. or one SHIRT, or
two collars. Raw materials in Germany
arc so scarce that the government IS
compelled to limit the sale OF all cloth
ing.
Cotton and wool supplies have long
ago been exhausted. New clothes whicn
have been made during the last year
have been manufactured from cotton
and wool yarn made of rags. The gov
eminent buys every possible stitch OF
old clothing. sends it 10 government
bureau. where the wool in the gar
ments is separated from the cotton.
The material is pulled 10 pieces, the
wool and cotton are bleached or dyed
black. and cotton and wool yarn and
thread arc made from these scraps.
Nothing goes TO waste. From this sec
ond-hand warn new underwear. shirts.
women's and mems suits and overcoats
arc made. and the material naturally
js Of very poor quality. Last Octo-
Der I purchased two heavy suits Of
woolen underwear. which IN less than
six weeks were full Of holes and pulled
ont of shape. These garments were
made from old wool AMI cotton and
cost $3.50 each.
Because most Of the workers in fac
tories have been modified only sufh-
Gent clothing establishments are being
operated TO supply absolute necessities.