The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1919-02-07

coAl the extent Oh lnelI gains ana eS
i cape taxation was to invest their sur
| plus earnings in works of art and othe
J expensive luxuries. AS the tax assess
i ments were based principally upon tn,
individuals bank deposits and the tax
: Icollecting machinery was very much
out of gear 1t was comparatively easy
to evade the law by careful manipula
ton of ones bank account, and by dis
bursting profits received without hav
ing them go through the bank. A Ger
man whom knew told me that he had
disposed of an oil painting which had
cost him $500 for no less than 5000
the price of works of art and antiques
having increased to a remarkable ex-
tent because of the demand for them
from tax dodgers.
Under the stress of the changed
food conditions the hungry German
soon replaced the honest German. Ger
mans had always had reputation for
honesty, but their claims to such dis
tinction 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 fine and imprisonment as pun
ishment for buying or selling anything
which had been Communicated, specu-
lators sprang up on every side and
people Dragged openly of what they
had stored away.
The worst deprivation was In the
lack of fats. The people showed it
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 rather stout woman being fol-
lowed by at least twenty boys who
were jeering at her and making slur
ring remarks about the manner In
which she had retained her avoirdu-
pois. A fat person in Germany today
is regarded with suspicion.
Naturally the weakened condition of
the people makes them all easily sus-
ceptible to disease. Epidemics spread
RAPIDLY and 1 am inclined to believe
that little care was taken by the au-
thorities to protect the older people
from infection. / know that my sec
retary's mother fell and broke both |
her legs last summer (191D 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 a 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
oital alone-a fair record for two
lays! / have no proof that these I'M
fortunate victims of disease were de-
iberately infected by the hospital au-
horities, but the mere fact that twen-
y-two patients in an accident ward
lied from dysentery In two days is
evidence of gross careless
less If nothing worse.
To buy new clothes it is necessary
O secure a certificate from the gov
to the effect that you are abb
olutely In need of clothing, and, even
hen, you are compelled to give up the
nit you are discarding.
Branch offices for investigating the
ecessity of replenishing ones ward
ODE have been established all over
he cities and they are always crowd
d. Women are in charge and they
eemed thoroughly to enjoy their au- !
lority and their power to deny an
pplication for new clothing.
When / left Berlin the law permit ,
ID man just two shirts, two collars,
vo pairs Of socks, ETC., year. Since
pap had disappeared from the mar
ct so many inadequate substitutes
ad been tried that ones laundry In
ariably came home full of holes.
In November, 1917, paid 500 for a
lit of clothes which IL it had been
ade out of cloth Of good quality
ould have been worth about $35. AS :
was, the tailor frankly admitted
at the goods was made Of re-worked
i'm. and because Of the lack of cotton
read, the seams were worked with a
aterial which looked like paper
ring.
This paper string was in general use y
that time, the department stores all v
splaying notices warning customers L
It to carry their parcels by the string. r
any purchases were no longer
raped, to save paper, and no pur- u
ase amounting to less than IS was g
livered. IL
Before I left Berlin, artificial silk p
Is the principal fabric obtainable for a.
lies wearing apparel. Almost every d
,man In the land, princess or maid,
is attfred in art taffeta. 1t sold for pl
0 a yard. In normal times 1t would h'
We been worth from rs cents to 81. al
the fall of 1917, cloth suit was I'M pl
for less than $500. 1t would al
We been worth $25 in'normal times. tn
| fur skins were needed for sol m
,rs' wear and the few that were still pr
for home use in the form or
fur sets sold for 81 900 up. W,
SPECTATORS, we obtained fs
ne imitation soft soap at "a per
und. People said 1t was made from he
b. <vrywy