The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-03-14
CLOTHING SHORTAGE
EMBARRASSES PEOPLE
OF: CENTRAL EUROPE

How>to live without clothes has be-
come vital problem with thousands
of men, women and children in Central
Europe, according to information re-
ceiyed by the American Friends ser
vice committee. Shortagelof clothing
caused great suffering during the win
ter in Poland Germany, Austria and
Russia. Largelnumbers of Men, Won
en- and children in those countries
have not had new garment since The
war began in 1914, and owing to low
wages, unemployment, and prohibitive
prices there is little prospect that they
will be able to replenish their ward
robes for some time to come. .
In cities throughout central Europe,
it is commonplace for two, three or
more, women OF a. family to share one
dress or one pair of shoes, and thous-
sands. of wase-earners are compelled
to remain in their homes because they
have not sufficient clothing to appear
in public.
American Friends in Berlin tell of
visiting one woman who sold her last
skirt to obtain food for her children
She did her homework with an old
shawl pinned, about her waist.
s- -.s< All Are, Embarrassed.
A report received by the Friends SER
vice committee entitled 1.-The Present
Lack of Clothes and Linen in Ger
many" states that not only the work
ing classes but wide circles of the
middle class" ARE embarrassed by the
clothing shortage. 1t says:
what they had was used up during
the war. This consumption was has
tened by the lack of soap and the bad
substitute washing powders which
swiftly destroy the linen. Among the
middle classes, too, who were formerly
better provided, supplies have melted
away in these years in which ever In
creasing prices have prevented pur-
chases of new material. Particularly
acute, of course, is the lack of clothing
in families having many children.
In the city of GlatZ, where there
are 1912 children in the public schools
we found 446 children with only one
shirt, and 129 with no shirt at all
Two hundred and ninety-seven, child
ren had no stockings and 81 had
neither shoes nor stockings.
49,. Children Naked.
Tn Sonneberg, the toy manufact-
uring town of Germany, 40 per cent or
the children were. practically without
clothing. In Passau, 500 coulo not dl-
tend school owing to lack of warm
clothing - -
"In schools for the upper classes
,children often refuse to undress for
examinations because their under
clothing. is. so worn and ragged. and
for the same reason sick persons Will
not submit to a physicians eXamina-
ton. In every part of Germany there
is great need for clothes and linen. In
Pforzheim, children wear the same
shirt for months because they have no
other. In summer nearly four-ffths of
the children are barefoot, and in
winteramay wear soft slippers. Very
few children possess oVercoats.
II .Ans.iny sstigations of children prelim-
9inary TO ending them to the country
that many big boys and girls
Wera wearing clothing meant for small
children Some wore rags and many
had nothing under their outside gar
ments. Thousands of women lack the
simplest materials for mend1ng, 1nclud-
ing thread or pieces for patching. The
absence of clothing is so marked that
tfsick people are often brought into city
hospitals practically naked. Only pa
per diapers are available for babies" y