Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-09-28


better. for the Germans have learned
by their mistakes of this year.
Dread This Winter
The children who have been on the
farms these last few summers are
learning fast. The women ara learn
ing. and. SO far as growing things are
concerned. Germany will be in better
shape next summer than she is this
year. But. oh. how the people are
dreading the coming winter! They
have no hope that the war will be
over this winter. and as they have no
idea of giving in. the German people
are looking forward with sick dread
to the cold weather.
Last winter we had only about one
third enough fire all through Berlin.
We had very little gas and less cleo
tricity We depended for comfort on
the quettes"-brick-sh shaped pieces
of fuel which are made, think. by
COMPRISING coaldust and, maybe,
sawdust and other things of that sort.
They burn steadily. but do not give
out much heat. and they cost a great
deal.
Many morning we have gotten up
and the temperature in our fiat was
below zero. Ice was thick on the
windows and we nearly froze before
we could get dressed and get some
thing to eat.
/ feel afraid for the Americans in
Berlin 1 think there are about 200
there now. 1t may be, before winter
is over that II will be practically i'm
possible for them to buy anything.
And there always is danger that the
money sent to them never will reach
them and, in Berlin, 1 really don't
know to whom they would turn for
help.
1 was glad to get out when 1 did.
would not have remained so long.
but I wanted to finish my musical
course. Just as soon as that was done
how foolish I was to stay as long as
did.
Food Restrictions
In telling Americans of the restric-
tions governing the buying of food.
sometimes it is hard to make them
understand just how severe those re-
strictions are.
Every person in Berlin-all over
Germany for that matter-is regis
tered. Each person is allowed to buy
only in certain stores.
/ bought my bread in one store, my
butter in another. my canned goods
in another, my green goods, my meat
all in certain stores.
/ could not take my bread card and
go into any store and buy. Every
store was given each week enough
supplies for the cards which, 1t was
known. would be presented at that
store. Occasionally, by paying three
or four times the ordinary price. l
could get an extra bit of butter or
meat. through some person being
away for few days and not present
ing his or her card. But this was
ric 40 Of nd
myself. I would have been sent to
prison and he would have had his
store closed. But graft of all kinds
went on just the same. even with the
danger.
A policeman stood at the door of
every store and permitted only so
many people in the store at one
time.
People stood in line for hours to be
permitted to buy their portion of sup
plies. I could not take my bread card
and go to my store and buy my bread.
l would get there at about $50 a. m
and stand in line sometimes untfl
noon before l could get to the store.
have seen lines extending two
squares before stores.
Cod Liver Oil MS Food
COulu only get so mucn at q time,
too. 1 could not take my bread card
for the month and get my four week
ly allowances all at once-I must get
one a week. 1 could not buy more
than one pound of beans, of peas, and
such things at a time We were not
permitted to store up anything, even
goods not perishable.
l know of one big corporation in
Berlin which made counterfeit bread
cards and sold them to people hungry
enough to take the risk.
They were discovered of course and
there was big scandal in the papers.
The corporation was fined $4,000
marks. Every person found to have
voluntarily aided in the deception
also was fined or imprisoned.
Speaking of medicine reminds me
that in Berlin, to help counteract
the starvation of the body through
having no fats or oils in the body.
many persons are taking cod liver oil
regularly. 1t is very expensive. a
bottle holding about four ounces cost
ing about 70 cents. But it does help
that terrible empty. hungry, dried
out" feeling that you get when YOU
never eat any fats at all.
1 took it for several months and
sometimes think IL it had not been
for that 1 would not have pulled
through.
(TomorrOw Marie Brown will write
about "What They Eat in BerIin..l
(CODyright 1917 PITTSBURGH Dra..