The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-01-11
BY M. ViGGO CAVllNG
Editor in Chief The "poiiuk"u.
Copenhacen.

Our train arrived IN Berlin al night
and fairly well up 20 time. The
streets were shrouded in darkness.
You could scarcely see any taxi$ or
motors. and the horses OF the cabs
; looked terribly underfed. The lack
. Of motor cars Is occasioned by the
scarcity OF rubber (If YOU carry a
pair Of ColoShes with you. take good
care Of them. and do not. for exam
pie. hand them in 10 The attendant OF
: the theatre ante room. or YOU will
. never see them again.
The darkness Of the streets is to be
ascribed 70 the lack Of lighting ma
terial. Indeed. theaters must close at
, 10 O'Clock and the restaurants ar half
, past eleven. The heating Of private
houses was forbidden UP TO the 18th Of
October.
Small Meat Rations.
You can understand how hard 1t Is
. to live in Berlin at present when YOU
hear that most households have to be
carried on without supplies OF butter.
fat, white bread. sugar. coffee. tea or
chocolate. The meat rations are small
and on meatleSS days the slightest
portion of meat is forbidden. Cigar
: cites are fairly plentiful. but there Is
great scarcity OF cigars. Cigar
). shops shut four hours 4 day. and no
:. more than FIVE cigars may be sold to
=. one customer.
A common sight in Berlin is the
long queues Of waiting people: in the
FriedrichstraSS We saw Ions. row
before 4 bakers shop. and little FUR.
Their on several hundreds OF people
were patiently standing in front OF
green srocer's. who was said TO have
received a supply. Of cabbages. that
morning.
In the large beer halls OF Inter den
Linden nothing bur war beer is served.
It is bitter yellow drink. and tastes
like ships beer. and almost moves one;
to tears when one remembers the
foaming Munich beer OF former years.
Masters in Substitution.
II is we'll known that the GermanS
are masters in the art OF proFlolnS
Substitutes" Their coffee IS NOT
bad, while the German tea. made oil
different plants. tastes rather IKE
China tea.
Tie waitress places on the cottee
table a small bottle OF "sweet stutr.
which is Il white fluid prepared rom
saccharine. anu supposed 10 take the
place of, sugar French wines are SUI
obtainable. and bottle OF Bordeaux.
costs ten marks. Sherry is also still
to be had. but no whisky. Madeira
or liquer.
Since soap and starch are out VI
the question. W" only receive paper
servietteS. Even in the most wealthy
private houses no table linen is used
dimes off waXcloth. Our
first breakfast in the dining room or
the hotel was composed OF 4 cup OF
tea substitute. two pieces Of dry war
bread, literally. drop of marmalaoe.
!" which had been prepared without
sugar. There was no butter. yet FOR
such a meal YOU are asked TO pay TWO
marks.
This Spartan.like fare has rather
strange effect when served in TINS
magnificent hall. with It's Persian
carpets. its silk tapestry and gIeaE.-
ing chandeliers.
Women Workers Not lfkeo.
You SEQ nothing but women as mes.
sengers. car drivers. railway guards.
etc, and one cannot say that the Ber-
liners are satisfied with this new or
der of things. The feminine officials
are said TO be either too strict or
too lenient. ami very much given TO
The quiet authority % the men Is
greatly missed. and il IL 20 be hoped
that the lady substitute vii! only have
short term Of office.
At all street corners there arc large
ptacards and posters strictly admoniSh-
ing Germans tia; silence is their arst
duty to their ratherland. yet In spite OF
that some people speak more than they
did in peace times.
They don't pay so much attention TO
this government order as they do TO the
latest restrictions in the food ratiorS
The proverbial talkativsnsss "t the Ser
liners has not disappeared. On tn" coa-
trary inside tho huge grey buildings
where hundreds ut otficialS and commie-
sions sit II thriveS particularly. They
talk there trorl morning ,iil evening.
Germans who :oru"rl? were proud OF
their genius for organization. now COM
plain Of organization mania: iununer-
able orders are sent out. OFTEN contra