Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1918-04-04
WAR BRINGS MONEY
IN PLENTY TO BERLIN

Rerlin.-"Alles besetzt' Gall full)
said a GorgeouslY uniformed individual
standing before the street door of the
big FriedrichstYassc cafe. The man to
whom he spoke had no intention OF go
ing in, but he happened to look toward
the door as he passed and this uni
formed one had parroted forth his one
phrase so many times that the simple
glance in his direction sufficed to evoke
it again. The passcrby, however, grew
curious, n made Il trip through the
better parts of the city. This is what
he found:
Three better class cafes with from
10 to so persons standing outside or in
the entrance way, waiting for Il table to
become vacant.
All other vino or beer restaurants
visited so full that only in one could Il
table fer two persons be found. Two
others where the d~oorkeeper announced
in advance: allies Besetzt."
The observer q for months en-
countered difficulty in finding a table
in a leading restaurant having more
than 500 tables. In one of the Inter
den Linden places the head waiter had
been graclously pleased to let him dine
on his promise not to retain the table
longer than an hour. In another Unter
de Linden restaurant he had found that
1t was all but impossible to eat without
reserving. d table in advance. And these
two places are. the most expensive ones
In all Berlin. The condition is symp-
tomato. War which brings poverty and
misery to so many, brings wealth to
others. Many persons who had strug-
Cling along with barely more than the
necessaries Of life for years have
grown wealthy almost over night. And
they are spending lavishly and care
lessly. Berlin has become the City of
the Spenders.
The crowds that fill HI better class
places go there in spite of the fact
that everything costs more than be-
fore the war. Beer is dearer. Even
coffee has increased in price. The still
considerable stocks of the highest grade
French champagnes are finding a big
ger sale than even before, in the face of
a price Increase of four to five marks
a bottle.
Dealers in fine porcelains, Oriental
rugs. bronzes and antiques generally
are doing n flourishing business.
The most fashionable jeweler in Ber-
lin said to the Associated Press repre-
sentative:
we are having great difficulty in
keeping abreast of orders. This is. of
course, due in part to a lack Of work.
men. but it is due also to an amount
of business which-apart from the
tourist trade, which is naturally alto
gether l~acking--is probably higher
than 1t was before the war. People of
a class who never came here before
are now buying, and buying GOOD and
expensive articles"
The leading German diamond mining
company will pay for 1915 a 81 per cent
dividend against rs for 1914, although
cut off from its mines in German South
Africa. The sale at increased prices OF
Its stock on hand in Germany justifies
this, company officials said.
The spenders also buy pianos and
clothes as never before. Fashionable
tailors are making evening clothes for
men who never before felt the need OF
them or who could not afford them If
they did.
The Associated Press representative
asked the head OF the largest theater
ticket agency in Berlin about condi-
tons in the theatrical world. y
Absolutely at the top NOTCH" he
said. Our business is every bit as
good as at any previous time, il no,
better. Indeed. I am disposed to think
that it4is better All theaters are doing
well"