San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-02-11
Returned Soldiers Look at
Their Pay and Think
They Are Eligible.
By MALCOLM ELLIS.

savannah, Ia, en-. lO.-lt requires
only ten days to fall from the high es-
tate of a millionaire on the Rhine to
eligibility for a poorhOuse on the muddy
Savannah.
-Four hundred soldiers and 81 wives,
now at Fort SCreven, but lately of the
American Army of Occupation, are COM
ing at last to sober realization of the
cold, hard facts after three days ashore
from the good ship st. Mihiel. They
are going through the experience that
others Of their "buddies" suffered be-
fore them. Still there is a difference.
When most of the dOughboys came home
from the Rhine the American dollar
was buying but 300 German marks.
When this last contingent left Coblenz
the American Iron man" was good for
$4,000 marks. The dollar that was
mighty short fortnight ago, seems
more than paltrg here today as the
man in khaki vainly tried to adjust
themselves to the new economic condi-
tons that surrounded them.
Want to 60 Back.
81 always called a taxi when l had
more than four blocks to walk in Cob
lenz.' said Pirate Oliver p. WaShburn,
of Des Moines. Iowa, today. Now |
can hardly afford to ride on a street
car if I've got TO so mile"
Most of the soldiers are vOwing that
they want TO go back to Germany.
There is a big provise in the wish, how
ever. They would like to go back if
they could still draw pay in American
dollars and live on German marks. The
idea of working for marks has no ap-
peal whatever. The drop from the
high waves of swollen finance to the
hard pan of living in the United States
on $50 a month has left most of the
returning soldiers in a daze.
The dOughbOys are having their first
experience with the latter day Ameri-
can bootlegger and they are ready to
lynch him. Whisky prices are COM
paratively cheap in Sayannah-eight
dollars a quart-but the doughboys
think it murder.
Wild Time on a Quarter.
I'VE could get champagne on the
Rhine for 80 cents a quart" lamented
Private Washburn, and all the beer
you wanted for half cent a glass.
Why, man, | used TO take two bits out
for an evening and have a wild time.
As for cigars, l quit smoking them when
they went up to three quarters of a
cent"
Private Washburn was interrupted
by sergeant who complained that he
had paid 81 for a table de'hote dinner
at a Savannah hotel. "TLe last meal
the frau and l had before we left Cob
lenz was a soup, an eutree, a meat
course, and a bottle of wine" he said,
land 20 cents each was the damage, in
GLIDING the tip to the waiter" The
sergeant and his wife had an apart
ment nicely furnished; they kept a
servant girl; he had a motorcycle; they
went to the opera once a week; went up
to Weisbaden on the week-ends, and
saved money. His army pay was equiva-
lent in the Rhineland to 400 good
American dollars ut home.
Houses Were Cheap.
Ford automobiles, according 10 the
soldiers. were selling around 500 or
S125 when they left Coblenz. 4 house
I and lot could be had for between 5000
| and $500. Sergeant Delaney, regi-
mental supply sergeant, is reported TO
be among the big property owners at
Coblenz. Commissioner Kingston Of the
Rhineland commission, purchased a cas-
| tie on the Rhine, though no two reports
Of the consideration have agreed. IT
was several hundred dollars, however,
and not, as the soldiers scornfully de
MED, S165.
One soldier brought five suits across
| with him. The highest was n tuxedo
which cost SO. The others averaged
SO. John Marcclle Of Brockton, Mass.
ventured that you could buy out q
barber shop for a dine"
Marks were still going down when
| the troops left Cobleuz. One Of them
showed a handful to a newspaper man
All. go on and take some Of them" he
urged. They're probably 10000 to the
dollar now."