The New York herald., 1922-02-12
A Day With the Quakers in Berlin
The American Organization Which Has Fed 100000
German Mothers and Children Daily.
By WILLIAM H. DEWART.


bollze and visualize the Good Samari-
tan and Abou Ben Adhem rolled into
one; they surrounded her. they fol-
lowed her about in groups. hang
ing on her words. Soon each hoy
having washed out his particular mug
and having placed It again in his
knapsack. the line was reformed and
back they marched to their respective
rooms. leaving the knapsacks on their
accustomed hooks.
We followed them and visited sew
eral different rooms. with maybe sew
enty or eighty pupils in each. Any
German teacher will drop everything at
any time to entertainl the American
Quakers. "Those who receive the Quaker
food. please stand up" 1t was the little
Quaker speaking. In response about
twenty-five stood up. How old are
you?" The answer came back, "Fwelve." /"
One would have said nine. "And how
old are you?" ELEVEN" You would
have said eight. "And what does your
father do?" Hes a teacher" "And
yours?" He's pastor" "And yours p"
Hes an Office clerk"
Then turning to a fat, we'll fed little
German who was sitting down-that
is, he was not one of those getting
Quaker food-"And how old are your"
Eleven You would have guessed
more. Still following him up. "And
what does your father do?" Hes a
Eachinist." The composite TIA. -sr-
ried away from this and similar rooms
tya ttat pP HOY
behind in physical development, Gener-
ally with an oldish look on the pinched
little face, the child of one in a pro-
fessionai or a clerical walk of life.
This latter impression was afterward
made clearer to me by an expert, who
assured me that while the cost OF liv-
ing had gone up perhaps twenty times
and while wages on the average had
gone up twelve times. yet, the pay of
teachers, pastors, clerks and State en-
ployees had gone up only three times
Although we visited other quite similar
schools I'll not stop to describe them.
From one. learn ALL"
The feeding of expectant and nursing
mothers in one of the so-called open
feeding centers was worthy of remark.
Two or three hundred of them from the
poor neighborhood round about were
admitted through a gate about which
clustered swarms OF older children, who
were all barred from the earthly para
disc within. I recall. of in one corner.
the mother who under sher shawl had
smuggled in three-year-old child as a
nursing baby. The crafty Ulysses pass
ing by Cyclops didn't begin to rejoice
as did this mother.
l shall not weary the reader with
further descriptions, except finally to
picture our visit to the great kitchen
where was cooked the greater portion
of the food for Berlin. I will pause
just where the little Quaker did when
she said Now this is very interesting"
and pointed to a large space within
which upward of hundred women
were seated at work
you know" she went on, "our pota-
toes are of course peeled by machine.
but the eyes have to be cut out by hand
and SO for few hours on certain days
we gather these women from off the
street and give them the chance to earn
a little money and to share in the
Quaker food" I looked at the workers !;
they interested me; they seemed famil-
lar and yet one does not often see the
type in America, at least in large num-
bers. Women. mostly oldish women,
dressed in odds and ends OF things.
nothing feminine about them, hard
faces, whether their bodies were fat or
whether thin. oftentimes suggesting
strength. And as I gazed 1 suddenly
remembered why they seemed so famil-
lar. A few nights before at the theater
Revolution and in the eliminating
scene these were the very women-the
type. mean-who by the vehemence OF
their fury brought death to many OF the
old nobility.
Again / studied The nearby group
of potato cutters; probably every foot
there had leaped and danced when news
of the Lusitania reached Berlin proba-
bly, every tongue there had Joined again
and again in THE Hymn of Hate"
The little Quaker beckoned to me and
I began following her up the aisle that
separated these workers; here and there
she paused for an instant. leaned over
and exchanged words, with one Of the
women. AT first was disappointed
that she did not interpret for my ben
eft. But thrown thus upon my own
resources and understanding not word
of German ] made discovery.
1 discovered anew that 'one foreigner
could read and understand the mind
aDd soul Of another foreigner through
what Bunyan calls Eyegate-through
the glances OF the eye. And 1 pledge
the reader my word that a. walked
up that narrow aisle just behind my
little guide saw from this side of the
aisle and from that side of the aisle
from washed out blue eyes and from
swapping black eyes. and from all other
kinds OF eyes-I saw beomlng forth
glances, kindly glances. gentle glances,
trustful glances. glances packed with af-
fection; coming from either side they
semed to wreathe themselves above her
head. making her progress as that of a
uuppp under N rc1, q .~i,,s~.s.t.