New-York tribune., 1918-01-06
Intimate Picture of Everyday Germany as 1913 Dav

@ONDITIONS in Berlin at the begin
4: :. ming of the fourth war winter arc
we'll reflected in the latest news
papers that have arrived. These are full
of evidence that the German capital is liv-
ing under war conditions that are hard to
bear. And yet there is much matter indi-
eating more normal conditions than might
have been expected, in view of the many
reports Of distress that have been dis
seminated from adjacent neutral coun-
tries.
High prices and extortion, scarcity of
food and other goods, contscation of COM
modities, from village church bells to COM
mon rags; a coal famine and Interrupted
transportation facilities, thefts and other
crimes under pressure of war distress
such are the dominant notes running
through tho columns of these newspapers.
The stories Of theft and 'war usury," as
the Germans call profteering, are not
without certain humorous side. Thus
the Burgomaster of Halle, at a recent
meeting of the city council, got up to deny
persistent reports circulating in the city
to the effect that burglars had broken into
his house and baggcd extensive supplies
that he had boarded to the injury of his
fellow townsmen. Report had it that the
thieves had taken II hundredweight of
butter, 10 of -four and so pounds of rice;
but the load proving too heavy for them to
get away with it all, they poured kerosene
over part and burned it up. To all this
Burgomaster DR.. Rive replied: "There is
nothing to be found in the house of man
who has himself lost SO pounds in weight
since the war started, and the thieves
know that very we'll" No councilman de-
INJURED to that view.
The Burgomaster's huge hoard of but
ter was chiefly interesting as illustrating
that mems imaginations are most active
along the lines of their keenest desires.
Butter was much wanted, and it was in
vented-enough for whole cityful. But
real, COW grown butter was the subject of
Il gross case of "war usury" unearthed by
the Berlin police iii Charlottenburg. They
found that the coffin dealer, Gustav Stel-
ter, had regularly been getting large guam
titles of butter from Kiel, whence it was
shipped as colonial goods" and that he
had been making extortionate profits on it.
Another merchant admitted buying from
Stelter at So to $3.50 pound, and selling
then to his own customers at further
big profit Stelter was locked up.
\ Case Where One Footsteps Must
"a Be Carefully Covered
Here is another story, served up to Ber-
lin readers under the caption "Shameless
Usury with Sewing Thread" Frau Caspary
is the wife of merchant who was able to
carry some sewing thread in his stock.
She is also customer Of ready-made
clothing house, where she found a most
pressing need for thread. So the thrifty
saf fau decided that the thread in her hus-
bands department store should be put to
the most profitable use possible; but she
also saw that it was case where she
must carefully cover her footsteps. She
took all the spools Of thread from the
store and hired her cousin, Max Pinkus
to carry it, few spools at time, to the
garment maker and sell it for all the
profit that this narrow market would bear
Here was tho result: 1920 spools OF
thread sold at prices ranging from 81 .6E
to $1.70, making Il total of $1,715. The
notice concludes: "Thc efficient business
woman and her cousin were arrested anc
sent to prison pending all inquiry"
That thread, it was added, could mo-
have cost the woman's husband more thar
IS cents spool; yet she sold it at al
increase of eleven or twelve times the pur
chase price. But still more remarkable
case is recorded. Several spectators il
snisc seed were locked up at Berlin abou
the end Of November. They sold this in
significant product at not less than $500
per hundredweight U10 pounds). Bcfor
tho war the price was less than 81.
Tho article from which this last case i
taken goes on to say that u bogus coffe
was being sold clandestinely at sc to SIS
Il pound, and even higher, and that
bogus tea was bringing $40 to $25.
similar woollen cloth which would hav
cost about Is cents q metre before the wa
is now sold at $12.50; simple shirt tina
could have been bought several years ag
at 81 to $1.25 now costs $5 to Sc; whil
sllk dllu VelVet SoodS coHlilldLu allyWHe
from ten to thirty-fold their peace price
and simple calicoes have risen from
cents to $1.5O metre. The price of frs
grade milk has recently been fixed at II !
cents litre at Berlin. Even the waite
rates have been raised
It Isn't Only the Poor Who
1 Run Into Problems
But faerSnnc hicxhn1. LIN II, Tho ccei.