The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-02-18
DENMARK REMAINS.
SANE IN EUROPE's
SETTLING TURMOIL
Country Once Leaner Than
Austria Now Fat With
Prosperity - Copen-
hagen Active I
Copyright. 1928, Frank G. carpen-
teri
CnpE,NII AGEN nant,,orlr

Copyright, 1928, Frank @. Carpen-
teri
COPENHAGEN. Denmark.
COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Feb is.
1 have come from Holland to Den
week in Berlin in sea. of paper
marks that rose to my eyes. with
feet on volcano that babe fair ev-
cry moment to burst into eruption.
The sea of initiation rolled back and
forth In terrible pillows and huge
clouds of despair covered the skies.
So, for the time l decided to leave
Germany with the hope that the
climbed to the surface of the false
across the Baltic to Copenhagen,
where this letter is written.
Berlin Versus Copenhagen
The difference Is astounding. Ber-
lin is city of gloom. Copenhagen
one of bright sunshine. Berlin
seems sick nigh unto death. Copen-
hagen is full of red blood and the
vigor of youth. The very atmos-
phere is different. The people on the
streets go. about with a smile. They
are well dressed and prosperous
I have been here for a week and
have not yet seen beggar. There
are no blind men on the corners
peddling matches and notions, and no
haggard old women selling news
papers.
The stores are different. In Berlin
the window displays are lean and the
shelves are still leaner. The people
are buying, but the merchants are
afraid to take money that changes
in value each hour, and the clerks
look worn out and disguised. They
are sometimes insulting to English,
French, and American customers.
Just before leaving Berlin 1 visited
Wertheims, the largest and richest
of the department stores of the city.
1t has practically no goods on its
shelves and 1t looked like one of our
big establishments when a prosper
Gus Christmas has left it as bare as
a bone. The shops of Copenhagen
are full of fine goods, and their win
dow dressing compares with that of
our principal cities. Walking
through the chief business centers is
like visiting an exposition, and,
moreover, all of the goods are
marked in plain figures. This is not
possible in Berlin, where the prices
change every day.
/ spent the afternoon in one of the
big department stores here. 1t re-
minds me of those of Boston, Phfla-
delphia, Detroit, Cleveland, and other
American towns of the same size. 1t
has an abundance of everything and
the finest wares from all over the
world are displayed. 1t has a book
section with books in all languages
and especially English, including
poetry, fiction, economics and travel.
Before leaving Berlin made out a
CT nf T.
English relating to Germany and
Scandinavia, and took 1t to q shop
that makes a speciality Of supplying
the English and American trade. 1t
did not have one of the up-to date
books wanted, and the book seller
told me he could get them only upon
order and payment in advance. He
said the German people could not
afford to buy imported books on ac-
count of the low value of the mark,
and that he could not risk importing
them under present conditions. At
the department store here in Copen-
hagen I found every book on my list
and that at little more than the
prices of New York or London.
Rich City
The wealth of Copenhagen is i'm
pressing after visiting Paris, Brus-
sells, and Berlin. This city Is larger
than Brussels. 1t Is about one-fourth
the size of Paris and little more
than one-sixth that of Berlin. Never
theless. 1t seems to have more bust
ness than any of the three. It's goods
come from all parts of the world,
and all the people are buying. Paris
is less well supplied with foreign
importations, and the poverty of
many who buy is especially in
evidence at the bargain counters
outside on the streets. Brussels ap-
pears less prosperous than Paris
and as for Berlin, as a merchantile
entity, 1t is naked. Owing to the fall
of the mark, the people surrounding
Germany have rushed in across the
frontiers to exchange their money for
paper marks and buy goods much
cheaper than they could get them at
home. Some have worn their old
clothes into Berlin and returned with
new ones, and all have carried away
as much as they possibly could.
The Germans have tried to prevent
this by putting on an export duty f
several, hundred per cent, and confis-
eating all goods not declared. They
have fined those who have attempted
to smuggle and confiscated the wares
being taken away 1 have heard of
men having their shoes taken from
their feet and their hats from their
heads on the frontier SO that they
had to go bareheaded and bare
footed back to their homes.
Here everything is business as
usual. The money is almost back to
normal and the prices are just about
the same as in the United States The
harbor is full of shipping. and the
free port which is fast gaining in size
promises to make this lie seat
shipping center for the lands sur
rounding the Baltic. People are
spending. although not as recklessly
as the rich profite.-'s CT Berlin, but
everything Is on 4 hard money basis
and every one seems sane and pros
porous.
A Country of Sanity
Indeed, the Danes are one of the
few sane peoples in the great Mad
House of Euro Pc The Russians are
stark crazy, and the Germans but
little better. The Austrians and
Hungarians are eating tho husks Of
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