The New York herald., 1922-04-24

specia, Ccbre to THE NEW York HERALD
C,on,oio,,t. 1899. by THE Nrw York HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau.
Berlin. April 23.
Notwithstanding the advance of Ger
manys internal prices TO reach the lever
OF the worlds markets. and at the same
time to offset the depreciation OF the
mark. Germany continues to be the
cheapest land for tourists in Europe.
Austria is no longer to be so classined
because most of the things foreign visi-
tors need are imported from countries
Of higher currency and sold at foreign
prices. The Austrians are even buying
works of art in Italy to resell TO foreign
ers in Vienna, who think any price there
Is bargain.
But gradually Germany is nearing
Austrian conditions, for goods are I'M
proving In quality and nearly every
thing is imported. Most foreigners pa
tronize tailors who carry the best I'M
ported materials, while the natives go
to more modest establishments.
English and Scandinavian are most
frequently heard In first class German
hotels, 1t Is estimated that Germans
are onlv 25 per cent. of the guests IN
these places.
The shops of Inter den Linden. which
cater largely to the foreign clientele.
have introduced London, II not New
York. prices on most articles. But
there are many things which foreigners
need in Germany where the dinerence
| in price makes the cost OF living but
fraction Of what it is in France and
| England.
The German Government kept rentals
! down after the war, and to-day 1t does
| not permit property owners to make
| proft on their houses. Hence visitors
can get rooms in any German city for
! SO month.
The mark has deprecated seventy
| times over when compared with the
dollar. But railway tickets cost only
| twenty or thirty times more than before
the war. so the American travels for a
| third the old rate
Rolls at the bakers cost a mark
apiece. Before the war the American
could get 16S rolls for a dollar, while
now he can get 5000. The Government
| still exerts pressure to keep bread prices
| down. but the card rationing system has
passed.
Linen and cheap cotton goods manu-
featured in Germany cost but half the
prices charged in America. but the quail
! ity Is inferior to that of the stuff Amer
| leans usually wear. Owing to the Ger
mans paying for their raw cotton with
| dollars the better grade of cotton goods
here are sold at American prices.
Works OF art where large amount
| OF home labor governs the price, are sold
at a mere fraction--sometimes less than
a tenth--of their value in other markets.
This difference, however. is largely neu-
| traiized when the foreigner pays the tax
for expectation and the duties which the
manufacturer and the Government add.
Hotel prices are fairly uniform be-
cause the proprietors' association meets
frequently to fix new rates Late in
March they decided to double prices.
Some reserved the right to raise them
200 per cent. In addition most of these
hotels ask guests from countries where
the exchange Is highest against Ger
many to pay double. That makes four
times the prices OF last year and sounds
formidable, yet the average at first class
hotels still remains somewhat below So
a day and at less conspicuous places
around rs cents and 81.
According to the latest reports the
pension or boarding house rates at sum-
mer resorts are Swinemuende, 81 a
day: Baden-Baden, $3.50 to SO: Fried
rjchshafen. 81. In the Riesen noun
tains one may get full pension for 81
day. The resorts are making maxi
mum efforts to accommodate tourists.
some of whom already are arriving. The
large sightseeing cars are again IA
miliar spectacle In the streets of Ger
man cities.