Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-08-03
COUNCIL OF NEUKOLlN
BUYS FOOD |LL|C|TLY
comedy OF Berlin Suburb Story OF
Prussian Good Government
in Five Acts.
'ot NCILMEN IN HOT WATER
hiS and Little Officials in Delightful
Squabblc-Womcn Shrek and
'Iamor and Throw Themselves on
Ground
corNcILMEN IN HOT wArEI
~ LIEUTENANT 4. VINCE.
of the British Army.

.""Hrb OF Berlin, and the story Of
NeIkolln VIII become one of the classic
stories OF prussian administration The
i'"r!ia.r Tageblatt. which tells tn.
story, says that the history .! Pr!s-
SIAN administration has seen nothing
like it"
The FIRST act az the comedy was in
NE streets outside the town hall OF
Ne!nolln Il was n scene OF angry
crowds. There were professions
through The streets, there were ''turbg
'ent meetings before the town hall
on is so that the Bcrliner TagcOlatt
describes il. and women clamorcd
an! ah!ieked, threw themselves on The
ground. and demanded bread 70. Them
selves and their children" i party .!
disseminated people actually broke into
mo Mayors private house, and t"c
climax .: the scene was reached when
man attacked the Mayor in the
Council chamber.
The second act shows The mag !stracy
and Council OF Neukolln in debate
anxious debate. They have applied TO
The war food bureau for adequate sup
plies but the war food bureau is hard
.: hearing" The Council can get no
answer from il. Then one Of the bo!der
members suggests that they should
MAKE UP the dchcien; supplies oy
secret purchases o! their own. Others
snake their heads at this. Every one
hco"s. OF course, that Illicit trade IN
food goes on, but Il would never do FOR
them TO Join in IL The bold member
insists that the Council would b. en-
urely justified in doing il. Has not The
ministry" he asks. given strict orders
70 the Greater Berlin communes TO do
every thing to keep the population que.
and TO provide sufficient supplies 90
what better authority could they have;
In the cnd he carries the magistraCE
aud Council with him. II Is decided -
buy food !!licitly.
IL - O. 1fs
Of Neukolln, before the town hall
another scene OF discomfort. Ugly ac-
cusa,!ors are being made against the
council IL buying food !l!c!tiy. i,
has had 10 pay the Illicit trade prices
which are much above the ms Kin am
prices fixed by the government II has
Mad to sell above the maximum prices
The peoule age calling its members
"pToa,-ers. plunterc.s OF the poor. "a
richers %! oi'Icidls." and other hard
names Of the same sort
The rnag!str1cy aud CouncM dec!dea
10 JUSTIFY itself TO the public IN 4
memorial which shall set forth tn-
drawn w it is published II = read.
The &C, closes with wratniul officials
%! the war bureau coming 10 ask TIA"
N-uko!!n Town Ccunci! what u means
~ it.
In the fourth act We are bach inside
the %eGEo!ln Town Hall Il is an act
which Suggests farce. rather 'h--
coraedy /, is very complicated aaG
The Pic, is rather aard :" follow. ar;
everybody is very violent and - cross
purposes with everybody else iHe
president Of the war food hursa. T.
determined 10 prosecute Tho tpunc'.
10! transgrcssiug the food reEu t!eH-.
and orders IT'S oi.c!lls 20 g!v" evidence.
The Mayor refuses i:e appeal. 10 $40
dtsuutas law No cr:ri!ma. procedure
cal, be taken until the sup enc ."
illustrative tribunal has decided i"1.
! punisnabl. act has been coT.'Ai,iei-
The cay governor rejects t'e '.'.'-4'
Tnc Mayor insists mat inc n"s 'E'','
IS an independent body. and tuai ~.
ri-.. governor vas no powc! :" d. MS.
Nevertheless. he oheys ms order n
rnon the NcuEo!ln .naGlsut'N hT!HT"
IN action against its own Mayor ur-
fore I'll. district committee. HHi rae
CITY governor sits on th- dlstri't CON-
mice. and in consequence the Aci:on
me-, ~ refssed The masiy,racy then ap-
peaIs TO the supre ne admIH'S''at Ne
tribunal. and waits, expecting 'Fat
no,hing vii! be done uuul The apps.
has been hcaTd a.,
The war :ood hlreau however, does
not intend 10 wait suddenly me ''!'N-
inal commissioner, the oihcer ~ ui,
n,,blic prosecutor, appears and demands
fused. and goes out again
Thcu the magislracy does ara
ma,ic thing II appeals 20 the -!!' Is
try OF the Interior. IL descrlhes nc
Tis,ress of the town. 1t mentions sew
.r.i Instances OF r!otinS IN consrlHe'!Ce
Of food shortage finaiiy 49,
,,,.ther the municipal authorities arc
NO, morally bound TO transgreSs ~
tnnd orders IL. order TO obey otne'
,ror4 important orders. nancy ~
maintain order among the people
You are to imagine this act Ia"
ing place inside the town nail an"
30 sound Of the hungry. angry peo-
ple coming through 'hs "''"""S
Inc appeal is made
In the silence that follows the Grim
NAL commissioner enters again aS
Unnamed by four cr!m!na! poice ana
Two men in uniform" lie again de-
,,nas the books Again he is refused.
.Theraupon the ponce commhndcc:
HEAVYWEIGHT huge account books
,,d conhscate all books and papers IN
me goods purchasing department..
ali the books and papers are carried
away.
q, once AGAIN the streets before ;he
,own hall The doors are shut crowds
sar,hle outside The soldiers wives
Senoand their allowances. and threaten
"a leave their children there until they
,eceive their money. The maGlStracy
ruts I'D notice that the hnance de-
,srtment is closed in consequence OF
lie confiscation OF books by the crown
ia,yyers The disturbance becomes
more threatening. SO that a councillor
,tlephones to the public prosecutor tor
nolice protection A short time after
yards the books are brought back In a
motto rear The municipal treasury
can again pay out money So the com
.p1s whore beFan.
have set it out as play because
II reads exactly like a play. and rath-
:, an absurd play, too Yet all this
actually happened. The women who
shrieked and clamored and threw
themselves on the ground demanding
o6" were real German women. The
rtncials who squabbled and Tough;
among themselves, while the people
we're left with empty pockets and
empty stomachs and all administration
was brought TO a standstill. were real
German officials, who believed all the
,ime that they were doing the best for
the government of their country.