Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1918-12-13
Countries) which found that it was
snAnrfnr;nn with tha cir Graft.

ooo>>>o>~-~~ ~-~~~~~~-~~~e~~<s~
Countries) which found that it was
interfering with their graft.
This society was formed by a COM
pany of clever Jewish business men TO
buy food from foreign countries ana
sell it to the people, a small percent
age of the profits going 10 the govern
ment. 1t not only developed into
most successful enterprise from the
standpoint of profit, its prosperity be-
ing augmented by graft, but it provided
q haven for the Stacker sons OF the
proprietors and stockholders. Just be-
fore I left Berlin, this company, TO
hide their war profits, bought a Duisd-
ing for three million marks, which they
claimed was needed for the business.
One of the subterfuges resorted to
by some of the war profiteers to con-
ceal the extent of their gains and eS-
cape taxation was to invest their sur
plus earnings in works of art and other
expensive luxuries. AS the tax assess
ments were based principally upon the
individuals bank deposits and the tax
collecting machinery was very MUCH
out of gear it was comparatively easy
to evade the Ia; by careful manipula-
ton of ones bank account, and by dis
bursting profits received without haV-
ing them SC through the bank. A Ger
man whorl knew told me that he had
disposed CT an oil painting which had
cost him $500 for no less than $S5,Oo0
the price of works of art and antiques
having increased to a remarkable eH-
tent because of the demand for them
from tax dodgers. 49,.
Under the stress Of the changed
food conditions the hungry German
soon replaced the honest German. Ger
mans had always had a reputation for
honesty, but their claims to such dis
tfnction disappeared with the food sup
ply. Necessity soon brought out all
that was worst in the German char
acter.
Although the government decreed a
high fire and imprisonment as pun
iehment for buying or selling anything
which had been Communicated, specu-
lators sprang up on every side ana
people Dragged openly of what they
had stored away.
The worst deprivation was in the
lack of fats. The people showed 1t
very plainly. One seldom saw a fat
man or fat woman, although before
the war fairness was almost character
istic of the German physique. Indeed,
I saw q rather stout woman being fol-
lowed by at least twenty boys who
were ieering at her and making SUR
ring remarks about the manner IN
which she had retained her avofrdu-
pois. A fat person in Germany today
is regarded with suspicion.
Naturally the weakened condition OF
the people makes them all easily sus-
ceptibls to disease. Epidemics spread
rapidly and | am inclined to believe
that little care was taken by the au-
thorities to protect the older people
from infection. l know that my sec
retary's mother fell and broke both
her legs last summer Q91O and was
taken to the accident ward Of a hos
pital where her fellow-patients were
all crippled. Ten Of the inmates of
that ward died in single day from
dysentery, and the following day the
death list was increased by twelve,
the old lady with the broken legs be-
ing one Of them. Twenty-Five more
bread cards saved at the expense OF
twenty-five useless women in one hos
pital alone--a fair record for two
DAYS. I have no proof that these I'M
fortunate victims OF disease were de-
liberatnly infected by the hospital au.
thorities but the mere fact that TWEEN.
ty-two patients in an accident ward
died from dysentery in two days is
certainly evidence of gross careless.
ness ii nothing worse.
To buy new clothes it is necessary
to secure q certificate from the gov
ernmant to the effect that you are alb
soutcly in need of clothing, and, even
then. you are compelled to give up the
SUIT YOU are ulSCdIullS.
Branch Offices for investigating the
necessity of replenishing ones ward
robe have been established all oVe1
the cities and they are always crowd
ed. Women are in charge and they
seemed thoroughly to enjoy their an
thority and their power to deny ar
application for new clothing.
When I left Berlin the law permit
ted man just two shirts, Two collars
two pairs of socks, ETC., year. Since
soap had disappeared from the mar
ket so many inadequate substitute!
had been tried that ones laundry in
variably came home full Of holes.
In November, 1917, paid 500 for 6
suit of clothes which if it had beer
made out of cloth Of good quality
would have been worth about $50. As
it was, the tailor frankly admitted
that the goods was made of revoked
yarn, and because of the lack Of cottor
thread, the seams were worked with
material which looked like paper
string.
This paper string was in general use
at that time, the department stores all
displaying notices warning customers
not to carry their parcels by the string.
Many purchases were no longer
wrapped, to save paper, and no pur-
chase amounting to less than S. was
delivered.
Before I left Berlin, artificial silk
was the principal fabric obtainable for