New-York tribune., 1920-01-18


may also be condscated. and upon
top Of all this fines running to . maxi
mum Of 100000 marks may be i'm
posed.
The grievance Of the hotel and
not able to conduct their business
with the allotments Of food allowed
them by the public authorities, and
they also feared that they would fall
under the severe sentences of the new
courts If they continued buying food
in "sneak-trade." AS soon as the new
ordinance was published they took
alarm and began to hold meetings to
consider what should be done They
tried to induce the government to
ment was firm. It stood by its guns.
Then the public providers decided
that the time had come for them also
to adopt heroic measurs. So their strike
was decided upon and a close shut
down for two days ordered. The sue
cess Of the strike, 80 far as the ex-
tent and completeness Of the shut
down are concerned, must have ex-
ceeded the expectations Of the strik-
ers themselves.
Not Meal in Berlin
Nowhere in Berlin was it possible
to 60 into a restaurant and get meal.
This was a great hardship for the
10000 persons who eat every day in
Berlin restaurants and hotels. But
they lived through it, each in his own
way.
There was q great rush for the gro
ceries and delicatessen shops and bak-
cries by hotel guests and frequenters
of restaurants and two days supplies
were laid in. Sardines, smoked cells
and smoked goose-breast, picked fish,
like kippered herrings; jams and Christ
mas cakes. fruit fresh and dried, wines
and berry juices were bought in large
quantities, and on these picnic sup
plies people lived comfortably. Some
persons carried home from their regu-
a few of the more fortunate ones we're
invited out to dinner by their house
keeping friends. So, altogether, the
strike was only trifiing diversion to
all persons except the most fastidious.
Hotel guests, Of course, who arrived
in Berlin on the first morning of the
strike to learn that no food would be
served them were greatly put out; but
they too had to take their place
in line at the delicatessen shops, and
their suffering was really more Of the
After two days every hotel and res
taurant was open again for business
as usual, and on the surface it looked
as if the landlords had accomplished
nothing whatever. But they are not
convinced yet that nothing has been
accompanied, and they are ready to
do 1t again" They got kilograms of
hearty support from landlords all over
the country, offering to join in q ma
tional strike If this should become nee
essary.
Moreover, It is by no means certain
that such national strike will not
come. The threat Of It has already
been put forward as q weapon against
the government. At present, however,
there is a hubbub Of negotiations be-
hind the scenes. The restaurant and
hotel men are trying to get the gov
ernment to come to reason in the direc-
tion of more liberal allotments Of food.
They assert, and undoubtedly with
truth, that they cannot run their bust
ness with the amount Of food delivered
them upon tho government permit
Many Conferences Held
A conference, for example. was held
yesterday between deputation Of the
landlords and the Mayor and his staff,
at which ways and means were dis
municipals officials recognized the DIFF
fculties Of the landlords position.
recognized the necessity of making
them moro liberal allotments, but they
could do nothing, they said, unless the
government treated the city Of Berlin
itself moro generously.
They promised to make urgent repre-
sentations to the government in be-
half Of the landlords to tho end that
the travelling public be amply provided
for. 1t is also said among the land
lords that the government has prom
ised to make more liberal deliveries;
also-what is also a most important
point for the landlords-the govern
ment says that It's harsh punishments
arc not intended to strike tho land
lords, but the profteering "sneak
traders"
Crisis In Not Over
Ths situation still has dangers In it.
There Is still much talk ~ to the
possibility Of the strike being resumed
In few weeks. II so it Will assume,
as is expected, national dimensions and
will be kept up till the government
yields.
Meanwhile, the general food situation
is manifestly growing moro and more
serious. Persons who have informed
LnEWB6tFE1 ACCUI0LChy 80 w Suo 8SifSA "a
situation are very pessimistic. Just
now the distressing conditions at
Vienna, for example. are being reported
in ali tho newspapers Of the world, but
a man informed me yesterday, who has
recently had direct information from
Chemnitz, that conditions In that Saxon
industrial center were even worse than
In Vienna. HousekceDers here say that
food conditions are steadily growing
worse; my barber to-day gave ms q
most dismal view Of his difficulties.
We'll Informed observers say that by
March there will be frightful stats
OF things here, and behind tho food
scarcity thsy sse labor troubles again
looming up In ominous shape. Already
tha rising prices and scarcity Of food
have begun TO rsopsn wage adjust
msnts c1 past months. In some I'm.
portAnt lines ox production agreements
msds this yssr ers being denounced