The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-04-01

this man boards himself and pays his own house rent. This being so. l submit to you the equity of chang ing your bill.
 47 900 Meals for Poor Inte1Iectunis.
 You will do, of course, as your conscience dictates and must sub init. If you see fit to make out new bill at $5 per visit, l shall not feel that your charges are excessive. If you make it S10 l shall regard 1t as high but I will remit. and if you still insist you must have, like Shy lock- your whole pound of flesh--1 mean $20, or more than one cent clock tick making S4T0, the total amount your bill calls for--I will pay even that. however unjust it may seem.
 "But if. on the other hand. you should grow angry at this letter and on the spur of the moment write you will take nothing at all. I will send the full amount of your bin to the German Red Cross to be devoted to their restaurant in the Red Cross building. where students, professors and other intellectuals of our class are now being fed at a cost of less than one cent per meal In that case we shall have the satisfaction of Knowing that my money and your labor are giving dinner to more than 47,ooo unfortunate and half starving souls.
 A Biblical Comparison.
 "In closing l would say that this experience is one of the most inter esting I have had during my 300. 900 miles of travel over the world. In- deed. I know of nothing to compare with it excepting that of Jacob, the great patriarch of your nation. who. after he had served Laban. the son of Manor, seven years for his beloved Rachel, was put off with her plain. old maid sister, Leah, and forced to serve seven years longer before he got the wife of his choice. And, in deed. it seems to me that Jacob did better than l am able or willing to do, for he tricked his father-in law. Laban, out of more than half of his flocks by making the lambs come ring g-streaked. speckled and spotted, whereas I must pay to the uttermost what my Laban asks.
 NO. my dear Professor Dr. will you please reply to this letter at once. It shall be just as you say, but would like your answer in writing. as want record of this, one of the most interesting of many newspaper experiences.
 With much respect, I am, etc"
 The answer came the next day. and with 1t some printed extracts from a German medical journal, stating that 1t has been agreed that Berlin doe tors shall charge their patients from countries of high valuta the same honoraria they would have to pay at home. and asserting that the usual charges in the United States are from S5 to Sl0 a visit for the general pub lie and from s10 to s25 for the we'll to-do. The Professor Or. --- wrote he did not regard me as being among the billionaires. but that l am well-to-do American and for like treatment at home l would have to pay more than s20 visit. He added that he would reduce my bill one- half on the understanding that when return home and look into the ques- tion of fees, if find the above half Is too little, l shall send him the bal ance-
 Upon the receipt of thIs letter I sent Professor Dr. my check for s235. saying Nwould be interesting to our American tourists to know that the physicians of Berlin had combined to exploit them. This. it seems, made him angry and he replied that If I did not apologize to him In writing he would ask the board of German phy- sicians to submit my letter to his government and also to the state de- partment at Washington to see whether highly respected profess sion In foreign country might be in- suited without Justification. To this have not replied and am awaiting his action.
 All Accounts in Marks.
 It is now several weeks since the receipt of his letter He may be de- tered on the grounds that if such a fee becomes known 1t will add to his income tax, and also by the law. re- gently passed. establishing a penalty for any German who renders a bill in dollars, or in any other currency than that of the mark. He is subject to a fine and l am told the whole might be confiscated
 In the meantime I think there is some Justification for his extra charge in that he probably has to treat many of his former patients for nothing. or for what, at the pres ent exchange. is very low rate He is a good doctor and can say of him. as our Lord said of the prophet Ma thaniel, Here is an Israelite, indeed" But can I add justly, Tn whom there is no guile"g
 And by the way. speaking of the overcharges of doctors. I have just heard of a Gentle physician at Ham burg who makes every patient tell the kind of food he eats every day. This is so whether the ailment is dys- pepsia. sore throat.a broken arm, or bunions or corns. Upon being asked why he always had to have such full details as to the diet. he replie: Tt is only by knowing what my patients
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