Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-07-06
'SCH|EBER" LEADS
IN GERMAN LIFE
BY HIRAM X. MODERWELL


BERLIN, Germany.-The middle
class of Germany has lost it's wealth
through the devaluation of the
mark. Who has picked it up?
The visitor gets part of the answer
in the first day he spends. with
German people. He asks German
friend to dinner at some clean,
pleasant restaurant.
II really don't enjoy going there"
replies the German friend. 1T is
full Of scieber."
You look up "schieber" in your
German dictionary and discover that
it means zone who shoves." After
further investigation you find that
it means lone who shoves illegal
goods under the hand when the po-
lice are not looking"
The word was adopted during the
war to describe that furtive fratern-
ity who provided the German burgh-
er with milk and butter and eggs
and meat and sugar and coffee
when these things were nominally
rationed and atually almost unob.
tainable. 1t has been retained to de-
scribe all who profited by any ques-
tionable practices during the war,
and especially those who since the
war have profited on the suffering
of others.
Now Work on Wide Scale
The scAieber, who once were
sneaks peddling Jumps of sugar
from back door to back door, are
now those who smuggle German
stocks of food and clothing into
Switzerland those who bring, Geek
crowns in their shoes into Germany;
those who buy up the sugar beet
crop and hold it for higher prices;
those who purchase dollars with
marks and later transform them in
to double the number of marks.
When supplies Of food and clothing
are short there are some who will
know how to accumulate them and
hold them until people are willing
to pay more for them. These are
the schieber. When paper marks
flow from the printing presses by bill
lions every month, there are those
who know how to grab them and
purchase things to resell later to the
people at double prices. These are
the schrieber. When industrial secu-
rites are falling there are those
who know how to buy them from
needy holders and reap stock
bonus at the next semi-annual dis
tribution. These are the schieber.
The schieber go to the best res
taurants. The schieber have the
! best seats at the opera. The
schieber buy those charming silk
Ut oh Il.
wages.
How They Buy Pictures and Books
The schieber buy pictures. 1t is
said that the schieber want the pic
lures which are said to be the best
pictures. So they hire art critics to
select them. Hence it is said that
the taste in art has not yet notice
ably declined. But the schieber also
buy books. and for some reason do
not hire book critics. Hence the
taste in literature has decidedly de-
clined.
the best book shops in Munich and
saw the exquisitely bound volumes
shelved against one wall.
"How much do those books cost"
he asked.
well, which ones would you
like?" replied the proprietor. Can
1 sell you Goethe, or Schiller, orr"
ooh, don't care what they are"
replied the visitor. IT need books in
my house. Make an estimate and
send me the bill tomorrow. And
while you are about it, send me the
bill for those books on the other
wall And you might as we'll send
me an estimate on the bookcases. I
need bookcases, too"
The story has the double advan-
tage of being interesting and abso-
lutely true.
1t is clear to the visitor at the first
glance that the people who now
adays occupy the best places in the
theaters and restaurants are not peo-
pie capable of fine discrimination in
art and music and literature, not
people capable of wise and moderate
political thought, or of devoting them
selves to unselfish public service or
OF adding to the nations stock of
learning and beauty.
Effect on the National Character
Certainly this shift Of economic
power from the middle class to the
schieber must have a profound eff
feet on the life of Germany. It is
too early to estimate it's extent or
character. Exactly a similar change
came over France during the great
revolution, after Napoleon had shot
the popular protest full of grape
shot. France suddenly blossomed
with a class of nouveaux riches, who
had speculated in money, supplied
the army or purchased nationalized
land with deprecated assignats.
And these people became the ances-
tors Of the dominating class in
France today.
When, and If Germany attains
stability, the schieber may become
captains of industry and finance,
leaders Of thought and arbiters of
taste. Their sons and daughters are
already entering the private schools
and universities. After all. the Ger
man pre-war aristocracy were the
descendants Of high-class bandits.
But for the present the public graccs
and amenities of German life are In
the hands Of those who are chiefly