The Washington herald., 1920-11-21
GERMANY LAND
OF WASTRELS
Populace Determined to
Spend Money Rather
Than Pay Taxes.
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BERLIN, Nov. 2o.-Germany is the
pleasure "highspot" OF Europe to-
day. Every other German is n mill
honaire. and every third German f.
bent on making himself a paUper in
the briefest. merriest. most shame
less way. That is the strangers
first impression after reaching Ber-
lin. Germany IL today the most eE-
travagant country in Europe: and
Germany today has money for ey-
erything except her debts.
business does not boom in Ger
many. Pleasure booms il boomy
as IL never did before Victorious
and prosperous Germany OF 1875
1915 was a frugal. quiet-fiving land
Riot of Exeesse.-
Defeated, beggared Germany OF
1920 lives in a riot Of eHcesses: eKt
cesses OF the eye. the palate, the
ear. Foreigners who knew Berlin
before the war do not recognize II
today. They imagine they are in
the capital Of q country which has
won half a dozen great wars an1
carried home the spoils Of half \
dozen opulent states.
Let me give one instance: In Av-
gust. 1914. the big thoroughfsrs.
caalled the KUrfuerstendamqg
which intersects the western pail
Of the city. was entirely composed
Of private residences. II was a
quiet street. Today. as a luxury
center, it rivals Bond street or Fifth
avenue. The lower floors Of the
once quiet houses are transformed
into luxury shops, art shops. restau-
rants. dance halls and cabarets.
Money Thrown Away.
Well-dressed people are every
where. Only last week a citizen.
who in 1915 was cleaning the door
handles of a Deutsche Banks sub
urban Office, paid coo. 900 marks A-
an auction for a suite of Louis
XVI furniture.
The stories current OF bad Ger
man feeding are a myth. True.
many are Underfed: but the others
are so extravagantly overfed that
il food was honestly rationed all
would have enough over four
thousand new restaurants. mostly
luxury restaurants. were founded IN
Berlin last year.
In the west and southwest every
third private house has one Of its
| fats converted into a "gold-bug
HlNeAa dhAs NOuoAeAAA6s lNlAdfes VI
only three or four small rooms. but
with prices inversely big.
Single Dinner 100 Marks
These restaurants bear exotic
names, suggesting luxury. eItrava-
gance or vice. All are danced in.
All are full Yet a single mans
dinner with an ordinary native wine
costs between 200 and 400 marks.
and a good dinner with French
champagne (Which the German
splendid pauper drinks copiouslyD
lcosts 900 or zoo marks-35 POUNDS.
according to pre-war standards. And
the diners are not control commits
sion officers or foreign business
d men. They are Germans.
Nearly every German. though =
pauper, is a splendid pauper. The
explanations are two-currency in
fiation and taxes. The Reichsbank
ipours out new banknotes at an aN-
erage rate of 5oo.OO0.oo0 marks .
week. In the last week reported b.
beat its best record with 1890, ,oOo.-
600 marks, and Herewith the total
paper circulation for the first time
exceeded 10000. 600, 900 marks. Be
fore the war il was s.lO6. .Ooo, 600
marks And as Erzberger's famous
taxes in any case will turn ell the
new rich into paupers - to reach
otous path.
Ccopyrifht, 1870. Crots-AtlAnre Newspaper
4 Service. Inc.)