The Washington times., 1918-04-09
a pound as long as the supply held

Of a pound as long as the supply held
out.
There was nothing remarkable
ABOUT this substitution OF fat for butter.
Germany today Is q land of substi-
tutes and limitations. Many a time I
have put imitation AnEar and imita-
tion milk In my imitation coffee or
imitation tea There has long been
no real conee or tea In Germany
mans complain that the substitutes
are not at all stimulating. Chocolate
ana cocoa have vanished For these
they have no substitutes. But con-
Isider the Imitation sauerkraut (made
OF turnips), their initiation SOUP cupes
(made of-well. I heard one victim
guess chicken eyesr), their imi-
tation honey, their imitation pep
per, and-marvel OF marvels-their
imitation eggs! What were these last
named humbugs made OF? They come
IN granulated form, but never knew
their composition. though ] read OF a
man who had been arrested for max
Ing glue out OF horses hoofs and
Transforming II into imitation eggs.
Germans Have Imitation Beer.
Germans now drink imitation beer
In Munich they scold about its quail
W OF Lnty
would not consume SO much. In Ber-
lin 1t Is growled about, and difficult
TO obtain at that. though wine still
seems plentiful
The government has achieved won
ders In keeping down food prices, and
the officials publish tables showing
how much dearer food is in the en-
tente countries than In Germany. But
while prices remain fairly low. either
you have immense difficulty in buying
anything or discover that Il cannot
be bought at all Every Monday morn
ing we used to scan the big notice
posted up on the advertising pillar at
the street corner, as II told what the
government allowed US to purchase
that week.
NThe rich 90 In for luxuries not in
| cluded In the lists OF governmentaliy
supervised food. and the prices of
such luIuries have enormously in
| creased. A goose costs S25. The
head, feet, and liver of a goose cost
S1.25. They are used in making soup.
Sometimes people buy the skin of a
goose. Sometimes they buy a goose
from which the fat has been cut away.
The rich evade the food laws when
ever possible, obtaining supplies from
secret wells" (Geheimquellen). One
day a rich woman sent her maid to
me with q bag containing potatoes,
fish, butter, herring salad. and a bot
tie OF honey-all from q "secret we'll"
In shops where was known the pro-
prietor would now and then say in a
loud voice. Everything sold" and
wink, meaning, "Come back when
there's nobody here and will fish out
the hidden packages from under the
counter" Occasionally the rich pat
ronize the soup houses-send q serv-
ant TO buy soup there. and improve
Its quality when It Is brought home
No one any longer has any conscience
about things to eat or much squeam-
ishness.
A Kapelimeister OF my acquaint-
ance grumbled about going without
meat till finally his wife gave him
horse meat Not knowing what II
was. he smacked his lips. His wife
soon came to do likewise. TRY it!"
she said to me. ITS really wonder:l
full" In Berlin there is a saying. The
Allies called US pigs and tried to
starve us. They forget that pigs can |
eat anything"
All Losing Weight.
However, almost all Germans are
thin now. Ny teacher. a woman, lost |
nifty pounds. Ny girl friends all had |
at nrst people professed TO feel ener- |
gettc and lively on a reduced diet. and !
said they had habitually been eating |
too much and were benefited by the |
change, they now complain OF feeling |
weak and Ill. Whenever anybody /
dies they comment: "weII. you see
what comes OF malnutrItion."
And they are constantly talking
about food, constantly thinking about
NN II
their flight. and when even the hum
blest eatables take theirs you are
crazy for them. One day re-
belled against the atrociouS oil had
been using to make gravy with, and
I was to take q, singing
lesson that afternoon. put In onions.
apologized to my teacher,
saying: "I'm awfully sorry. but /
help It." The reply I got
was: "Onionsl Onions! Where did
you find them7 I've hunted all over
Berlin for an onion. but without sue
cess"
That the German food administra-
ton has accomplished wonders no.
body questions. They say the army is
fed. Behind the lines people are
not starving outright. But behind the
lines they seethe with dIsloyalty.
Isn't It terrible?" they groan. Isn't
Il outrageous the way we suffer-"
And, while they do not believe that
II caused the war, they are
convinced that the mflitarists and the
did. and they hate them
with q bitterness that increases as
heir hunger grows. and that e0-
presses itself in the cry OF the Ger
nan masses: Down with war! Down
With the government"
(dlss Slocum's next article, @The
Clothes Situation" Will appear to-