The Washington times., 1918-04-10

Hhlle L saw pOSIeTS N ScIuiahg
Help the Fatherland by Collecting
Thistles'-with pictures of children
SO employed, / never chanced to see
the cloth German ingenuity has con-
trived to make from thistles. nor did
1 see the cloth it has contrived' to
make from paper, though / remember
hearing an official say TO a woman
who had demanded cloth for curtains:
'.No. you must use paper cloth; it's ex-
cellent." AAd yet was sufficiently
aware OF a clothes crists even in 1914.
Early in the war Amost all cloth
that could be used for uniforms was
lccmmandeered and we learned. that we
could purchase clothing only by per
init (BezucheinD and. must appeal to
the police for that. This was fairly
easy at first. As time went on, for
malities. red tape. and Q kind Of third
degree cross-Questionina came to. at
tend all our applications for the Be
zugschein. As the well-known French
wit would have said: Getting leave
to. buy anything to wear was less ad-
venture than a career
Difficulty In Buying Clothes.
Before my departure from Munich
in January, 1918, wanted to buy q
skirt. so went to the police station,
where an official and had talk that
ran like this:
WANT a skirt. do you:" How
many have you now?v
"None decent TO wear but what I've
got on"
You'd better ten the truth. because
the police Will come and see"
"All right. the whole truth Is. I
haven't a skirt to my name, except
just, this"
what did you do with the old
ones?' 81.
Gave them away"
He had his doubts as to that, and
had my troubles before the affair
was settled, but finally got my
Another time wanted linen, as the
laundress had either stolen or lost
mine
rBring your worn-out things" said
the official. $50 that cap be sure you
need new ones"
"But they're missing" I explained:
the laundress says she can't ind
them
He replied: Then the Iaundress
must come and swear"
Only One Pair Stockings.
In Germany today they allow you
to buy only one pair OF stockings at
time, and only one garment of
underwear at a time. and only one
dress or suit at a time, and you must
show that you are in desperate need
by exhibiting your rags and tatters,
or in some way proving your re-
quirements. II Is no good to fib. All
your purchasesshave been listed by
the police.
Queer dialogues 1 used to overhear
at the police station. / often won
dered how the officers kept their tenn
pers, women cried and wrangled and
fought so, and the demand for a
''schein" WIS so often calculated to
enrage the official mind. A house
maid said: My lady wants a new
nightgown." How many has she got
now, more than two?" "T can't tell"
GO home and count them and have
her come and tend to il herself" 4
hsusfrau said: 81 want a fancy vest
in wartime. Go on home"
This was not because OF any mere
love for red tape on the officials
part. Textiles were scarce and grow
ing scarcer. In Munich inquired the
price OF ordinary cotton aprons at
the largest department store and
heard, I'VE haven't got an ordinary
cotton apron in the house-no, nor a
cotton sheet" II was just as well, I
suppose, for prices have risen TO a
point unprecedented. One can pay
800 for a dreadful looking suit.
Stockings are excessively dear and
to be had only by card. Gloves that
used to cost 80 cents a pair in Ger
many now cost 81. And while the
government strives in every way 10
keep down the price OF food, It seems
to make no effort Of all to keep down
the price of things to wear. 1t likes
high prices, as they make people go
extremely slow about buying.
The Germans were never well
dressed according to our standards. |
but today they are out and out seedy. |
Audiences at the opera look poverty
stricken. DsrninE and patching have
gone lengths neve' before dreamed of. 1
and among the poor you frequently |
see garments patched with several |
different kinds of cloth. All sorts OF |
charities throve at first. but
now It is hard for them to get things I
10 give away.
The trade In secondhand clothing
has more than doubled its activity, (
snd the old clothes man continually (:
storms your door. You. can sell him .
the worst old rags.
Few Wear Mourning.
Early in the war mourning black
was everywhere. II Is still allowed.
out a great many families go without.
partly from economy. partly because
L was said that the Kaiser disap- /
proved, and partly because OF the red l
ape TO be gone through with before
1ne> can secure a "schein." Not e.
mention more elaborate forrnaIities
applicants must submit the death Ger
ificate.
II is not only the scarcity OF cloth
hat torments warning Germany. II Is
Ilso the quality OF what cloth exists
alnost every one wears shoddy; al