Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-04-27

tion that greatly resemble what we
disdainrully used to call Russian con.
ditions,"
Contrast an Amazing One
II is far cry from this melancholy
confession to tho hoastfu arrogance
with which Germans before the war
used to vaunt tho incorruptblc dcvo-
tiou to duty Of the Kaiscr's officials
and succ. at conditions In other ccun-
tries, and particularly i'm America. In
the old days Prussian officials were.
indeed, not easily to he bribcd. They
were, as every Traveller in Germany
can testify, generally arrogant often
brutal, insuffcrably inflated with the
sense Of their own Importance but
they We're not corrupt Their honesty
was their one strong point This un-
SweryinG sense Of duty and loyalty.
which Frederick the Great tyranniCally
inculcatcd on TO all the servants Of his
State, was the foundation on which
the royal philosopher built up the
Prusslan Kingdom Of prey and his sue
ccssors the modern German empire.
Today the whole cdifice Is tottcriug.
The number Of scandals in which Gov
ernmcnt officials Of every rank have
been implicated during the last two
Xears Is quite extraordinary. Most of
these scandals have been hushcd up,
and the censor has been busy keeping
them out Of the papers. This is in
yariably the case when the persons
concerned hold military rank; no mat
ter what crimes an officer or even Z
nonCommissiOncd officer may commit
the censor shields them because the
prestige Of the army might suffer
if details Of the case were allowed
TO be published. And yet, even before
I left Berlin, it was an open secret
that a lieutenant general holding an
important position in the capital was
taking bribes from firms selling sup.
/ plies to the War Department.
The head Of two Of the largest de-
partmcnt stores in Berlin, Herr Jam
dorf. was arrested ana spent several
] weeks in prison for selling "A couple
of hundred thousand pairs oC boots
with paper solcs to tho Austrian army,
but he was liberated without trial, be-
cause some military officials of high
rank were likewise compromised, and
the Government wished to protect
them against a public scandal.
High Officials Become Thieves
Not more than u month ago the
Mayor and all the principal officials Of
Dessau, the capital Of the Duchy Of
.Anhalt, were arrested on a charge of
embeZLlement. The Mayor, Secret
. Counsellor" Doctor Ebclng, had
been selling food purchased with
town funds for the inhabitants to the
managers of several arge Berlin
hotels at an enormous profit. One Of
his assistants committed suicide in
prison. The representative of Dessau
IN the Prussian Diet and president Of
the Town Council, Doctor Cohn, whose
office It had been to collect and buy
gold ornaments and jewelry from
patriotic Dessauers TO fin the empty
Golfers of the Reichsbank, filled his
own pockets with this fascinating
treasure -trove and Is also in Jail await
ing trial. In fact, there is not sin
gle official Of rank left TO administrato
Dessau, and the citizens have had to
form kind of provisional govern
ment" to carry on the administration
OF the dukes capital.
The German newspapers are very
bitter in their comments on this affair
( and publish narrowing accounts OF
crowds of poor women and children
waiting for hours in ths snow and
sleet In front of the City Hall for
provisions that were never forth
coming, while the Mayor and his
friends were merrlIy banqueting with
in on the proceeds. This story also
throws some light on the much
vaunted patriotism and self-sacrifice
OF the German burgher, which is by nc
means so admirable as is generally
supposed.
Stealing Food Of the Poor
Similar scandals have occurred late.
ly in many German cities. The Mayor
Of Krefeld, the well-known manufac-
turing town In the Rhine district, is
at present occupying a prison cell fol
selling foodstuffs given him by the
Government TO supply the inhabitants
az fixed rates 10 dealers at far higher
prices and pocketing the profits. In
Munich there was a dangerous riot
not long ago because II had leaked
out that the Mayor OF that big city, q
y 8RobleTnan 70 boot, had stored up vasi
,qnartities Of eatablea destined 70 b
K 1ibuted 20 the inhabitants N hli