New-York tribune., 1919-07-06
No, Berlin Is
Scarcely
Gay

in Berlin on MS hrst WISH
seven months after the armistice
are told in "The London Morning
Post" by its correspondent at the
German capital. He writes:
"On August 2, 1914, left Berlin for
London. Berlin was then in state OF
ecstasy and Germany was thrilled with
the glorious prospect Of certain victory.
THE Germans were already very
prosperous. They had been successful
beyond their anticipations and there
was apparently no other nation cap
able of Iisputing the commercial and
industrial position that they had
ya,ued. They we're not satisfied. how
ever-at least their leaders were not
satished-and people had for years
previously been informed by hundreds
OF writer's and public speakers that
they were still short Of their goal
. In consequence Of the thoroufh
manner in which they had been trained,
and also in consequence Of their mod
ern philosophical teaching, the German
PEOPLE greeted with wild enthusiasm
the news that they were engaged In .
rrsnt European war. Their training
had been one-sided, however. They had
been encouraged to neglect politics and
lney had given more thought to SEN
slal indulgence, which circumstances
,ermitted after centuries Of penury.
when, therefore, the imperial govern
ment In Berlin eorsidersd that var WAS
necessary. the carefully trained and
;.sorsd nation not only approved en-
husiastically, but was jubilant, be-
use Il was absolutely confident In the
5ility Of its rulers to lead 1t to
rilliant victory. This enthusiasm and
bilatisn could bs read in the faces
nd In the demeaner Of svsry German
q the day Of my departure In August,
IA, and the final impression left on
-, mind was that Of q nation certain
being IN q position to remove every
esstacle placed in It's path.
i'emused
Il have followed the course Of events
nee the outbreak Of war very closely,
It I confess that I am puzzled by the
situation that I find In Germany now.
The German people seem not to realize
that they are . defeated nation. They
appear to mo to have discovered that
there is some great truth which has
escaped them hitherto and to lack the
energy or the ability to ascertain what
that great truth is. They move about
rs If they considered this existence un-
zeal, but there 10 nothing In their
f.ccs to show that they are striving to
s,ive a difficult problem. Nor are
;hcy indolently waiting for something
90 happen. They appear to be going
ssout their daily tasks with q feeling
HAT they are grievously hampered BY
some irresistible power that they can
rcither see nor understand and to be
vaguely wondering II things are al
ways to bs a. they are now.
"To say that Germany has suffered
through the war 10 . mere plstitude.
The German nation ss such has per-
rnitted . dsneerously large proportion
Of its best blood and energies to be
sacrificed in IN effort 10 gain . vic
tory. Not only have German faces lost
their color, not only have the rstundity
Of the men and the plumpness Of the
women disappeared, but their whole
demeanor, their slowness Of move
ment and the obvious impossibility to
make . great effort, combined with
those outward signs. prove that the
vitality Of the race has been sapped.
"Ths German people do not realize
that they are beaten. They do re-
sliss, however, that they are checked.
cannot yet Judge II they ere effect
uslly sobsrsd. but they are certainly
subdusd. I am spsskins Of the people
In general. There are, Of course, many
Germans 10 whom the war has brought
! great material profit whose attitude
and opinions may be different.
: The mon and women in large pro-
vineial to ms and In Berlin are neatly
and tidily dressed. They have obvious
~ been unable 10 obtain new clothes
for . very long time past, but they
have done the best With what they had.
Berlin To-Day
ut Is not the fact that the Berlin
streets are not filed With well-dresssd