The Washington herald., 1918-03-18
BY JOHN l.. BALDERsToN.
Copyright, 1913, by the Mcclure Newspaper


Copyright, 1913. by the Mcclure Newspaper
Syndicate)
London. Feb. % (by maiD.-Life In
Berlin is portrayed in dreary color :
in a description of his impress
sions which has been obtained from a
Danish politician who recently re-
turned from a visit to the Kaiser's
capital.
I'VE arrived in Berlin in the even
ing" he added. THE streets were
half lit: scarcely any automobiles were
to be seen. and all the horses in the
cabs seemed underfed. The scarcity
of motors Is due to the shortage OF
india rubber for tires. II a visitor has
pair OF goloshes, he must take good
care of them, and not leave them
about in theater or hotel.
There is scanty illumination. due TO
shortage of fuel Theaters have TO
close at 10 and restaurants at n:3O
o'clock. The heating OF private rooms
is prohibited, owing TO the coal short
age.
Cause Reelection.
THE privations which the Germans
have TO suffer are enough to make
even a Dane reflect. Most households
have 10 be maintained without butter.
fat, white bread, sugar, coffee, tea or
chocolate. The meat rations are
small. and on meatless days all meats
are forbidden. There are still plenty
of cigarettes. but the cigar shops are
shut from Il until 3 o'clock, and only
hve cigars are sold at a time.
Crowds of people are often to be
seen waiting in the streets. l saw a
~ = i
the Friedrichstrasse, and in MoabIt
there were hundreds of people stand
ing patiently outside a Grocer's who
had just received consignment of
white cabbage. Only war beer is sold
in the big beer restaurants in Inter
den Linden. a bitter yellow solution
that brings tears to the eyes when one
thinks of the foaming Munich OF
former years.
AS is well known, the Germans are
! masters in substitutes. Their coffee
substitute is not bad. but the ten
made from German plants tastes like
soap water The waitress places a
little bottle of sweet stun on the cafe
table. a white fluid made from sac
charine and intended to replace lump
sugar. French wines are still to be
had; a bottle of Bordeaux costs $3.50
Sherry can also be obtained, but no
whisky, no Madeira, and no liquors.
No War Enthusiasm.
The first breakfast in my hotel con-
sisted of tea substitute two pieces of
dry war bread. which had a pleasant
/ taste. and a little pot of jam made
without sugar. You can have honey
instead, but there is no butter. Such
a meal costs so cents, and the Spartan
fare looks strange in the magnificent
room, with its Persian carpets, silken
tapestries and glittering candelabra.
1T cannot be said that the Berliners
are satisfied with the uniformed
women who are acting as conductors,
messengers. and porters. They saw
that the women are either too cautious
or too strict, sometimes approaching
hysteria. People miss the calm and
the authority Of men, and the place
of women in the daily traffic Of the
city will be but temporary.
I'm Germany, apart from the ex-
treme 'Fatherland party there SEEM
ed no enthusiasm at all for the war
but everybody is agreed that all will
have to clench their teeth and hold
out. 'Durchhalten' Chold ouo is their
cry; in this respect there is no sign
of wavering. Whilst the other bel
ligerents have procured their loans in
| part from a broad, all the German
loans have been raised at home This
is regarded as a sign of strength, for
when the interest and principal is
paid. the money will remain in the
| country. Nor does any one doubt the