The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1918-12-26
HUNGRY IN BERLIN.

There is Little to Buy for Christmas
and that Little Is Costing . Lot
-Rubber Tires Disappear.
! Berlin, Dec. 19. II am hungry.
eternally hungry. here in Berlin!
EVERYBODY is hungry.
Living is unpleasant, even in the
finest hotels, where the best food OBJ
tainable in Germany may be had.
! The food is not nutritious because
1t Is lacking in fats.
have bought a pound of goose
grease for 80 marks-better than 81
= for my own use as substitute for
butter. 1t Is expensive. but it is tbs
only way I can get nutrition.
! In the streets crowds Of people may
be seen nightly munching apples
and staring into the shop windows at
the extraordinary display Of "erzat"
Substitute food.
Beer is of inferior quality, but it
Is the only drink obtainable.
Despite the high cost of living. one
can buy theatre seats only by apply
ing days in advance.
l attended production OF "Carni-
val Fairy" musical comedy which
mas been running for four months at
the Metropole theatre. 1t was witness
ed by packed house. All Berlin is
humming the song of it's popular
star. Fritizo Massary, a Hungarian
actress.
Evidences Of the former popularity
OF the German kaiser are being re-
moved and covered up throughout
the city. In Freidrichstrasse, a huge
cafe sign read. "Kaiserkeller." The
first half of the name has been blot
ted out. A lifesize statute of William
Hohenzollern over the doorway is
now canvas covered.
Actual destitution among the Ger
man people is observable only under
the surface. I have learned by max
ing tour of the poorer districts.
On the Alexanderplatz and Jacob
strasse the stores. large and small,
are but scantly stocked. The win
dows are filled with high-priced,
shoddy goods. but inside the shelves
and counters are nearly empty.
Nevertheless the crowds are pre-
pairing to do their Christmas buying.
And here are some Of the prices
they will have to pay to stock their
Christmas trees and to make their
Christmas dinner. The prices are
given In marks.
A mark is just under "a cents.
Toys, two marks.
Candy. 1S marks a pound.
Chicken, ten marks q pound.
Coffee. 80 marks obtained by
stealth.)
Cotton handkerchiefs. four marks.
Collars. fiye marks.
Cotton socks. three marks. :,
Cotton underwear, 100 marks.
A mans hat IS marks.
Woman's felt hat, 60 marks
The working classes which use the
subways In the morning show plainly
their impoverishment. For most Of
them breakfast consists of acorn
coffee and q slice Of sour bread.
1t Is impossible to obtain soap, ex-
cept such as Is rendered from fish
bones.
I saw q horse fall on Unter-den-
4 AA"NSn ohu ASc iCS ~AS OEOkcn. ttS
throat was Immediately cut by the
authorities and it was conveyed to
the slaughter house to be prepared
for food.
Gasoline is scarce and there are
only $50 taxicabs in all Berlin.
Most of the autos are without rub
ber tires. AS a substitute they use
four inch iron band with spiral
springs between it and the wheel.
There is plenty of brass and other
metals.
Machine gun bullets have marked
the royal stables. But the only dis
quieting factor is the growing DOW
er Of the 1000 soldier deserters who
are holding meetings Of discomfort.
have been surprised Mt the eff
cient operation of the machinery for
displacing the women in the factories
with soldiers as rapidly as they are
demoblized and finding other work
for women.
A woman tramcar conductor told
me she came from the country and
was eager to return to her country
home. where there was more food
than in Berlin.
-O-
SINGULAR ACCIDENT.