Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-08-29
MARK STILL BUYS
WELL IN GERMANY
BY WILLIAM A. BIRD
(Leased Wire Service to The Journal.)
(Copyrieht, 1922

FREIBURG, I'm Brisgau, Ger
many, Aug. 26.-Commodity values
today remain untouched by falling
exchange in the Black Forest of
Germany. 1t still is possible to get
food and clothing, as well as travel
ing supplies, at a rate that. when
compared with the American valu.
alton" is pleasing in the extreme.
We arrived here last night for a
walking trip through the noted for
est. The lure of the cheap mark
was the determining incentive, al.
though our party included an econ.
omist who lectured us most Of the
way from Paris on the reason why
we should not expect bargains. Theo
retically it was quite impossible that
things should be much less expen.
sive on this side of the Alsatian
frontier than on the other.
But! Economic theory has ex.
ploded. We had trouble finding a
place to sleep, but eventually were
lodged. Your correspondent and
consort found a splendid corner room
with twin beds for $50 marks-about
40 cents. The bride and the ingenue
discovered another, less sumptuous,
for $50, while for 200 the bridegroom
occupied single bed with the econ
om1st folded up in Morris chair by
the window.
Dollar q Night
Lodging for six for about a dollar
night.
We decided to spread on dinner
We called on our host for the best
We began with excellent wiener sou.
nil-local pride names it Rheiner
Schnitzel as in Paris Vienna coffee
is Yclept cafe Liegois after the gal.
liant Belgian city. Green beans an6
potatoes accompanied. Then came
fat pigeon for each guest. The
meal was moistened with bright gol
den Rhine wine, We had five carafes
to be exact, and we called for the
"rechnung" with the satisfied feeling
OF having atoned for the absurdly
low price Of the rooms.
But alas! We had only furthe,
| indebted ourselves to our host fo1
the entire dinner for six, tip includ
ed, was about $1.15.
Today at the bank $40 brought 6
stack of notes two and one-hal1
inches thick and in the hope of get
ting rid of part Of the bulge it made
IN my pocket 1 went shopping. A
ransack Is a prime necessity for 9
walking tour. Prices run from s.
marks up. Nine cents buys a thor
oughly satisfactory sack, but FL
nally decided to plunge on a. "sehr
elegant" article with genuine Ieathe,
straps. several separate pockets with
buckles, etc. In short 1 paid o.
cents for a sack that I am sure will
be the envy Of the whole Black For
est.
An Alpine hat of beautiful wool
felt came to So cents. For the same
price l purchased a crushed noroc
co Dill fold with silver corners
real 'luxus artikel." A stout cane
with steel pointed tip Is another ne
cesslty. On this I got rather stung
paying 20 marks for it only to fine
tnat the economist got one Just as
good In the meanwhile for Is marks
Also wanted a pocket notebook
an ordinary ten-cent one" I founC
that these, as we know them ir
America, cost about a cent and q
NAN SO for twelve cents I proc,lrec
leather covered one with detach
able leaves.
Shopping Tiresome
Shopping is tireson1e and these
purchases made me glad to drop into
a shady beer dispensary. In Paris
mere are two sizes of glasses, the
DOCK, supposedly one-quarter of q
liter, and the demi, or half. Fo,
the quarter liter the cost was
marks and for the demi ten. The
beer was good but while I was drink
ing 1t the economist came in. He
TOO, had been shopping. Beside the
walking stick he had invested in
various fountain pens, etchings
cigar cases, and the like. Not alone
this but he had been to the "Reise
beoro"-tourist agency-and instead
OF a walking trip we are to see the
Black Forest for couple of days
at least from a motor car. A splen
did seven-passenger conveyance was
waiting for custom and the cost was
IS marks a kilometer so the tempta
| ton was too much for the economist