Evening star., 1923-02-18
BY FRANK G. CARPENTER.

marx by way Of Germany. I stay
ed a week in Berlin in sea OF
paper marks that rose to my eyes,
with feet on a volcano that bade fair
epery moment to burst into erup-
ton. The sea Of imitation rolled back
and forth in terrible biliows and
huge clouds OF despair covered the
saiex. So, for the time. decided
to leave Germany, with the nope
that the sun of resurrection may rise
and the troubled waters be smooshed
before return, With this view have
climbed to the surface OF the fa.se-
money sea, and swun,. as It were,
across the Baltic to Copenhagen, where
this letter is written.
The difference Is astonishing. Berlin
is a city Of gloom, Copenhagen one OF
bright sunshine. Berlin seems Sick
nigh unto death. Copenhagen is full
o. red blood and the vigor Of youth. The
very atmosphere is different. The people
on the streets go about with smile.
They are we'll dressed and prosperous.
1 have been here for week and have
not yet seen a beggar. There are no
blind men on the corners peddling
matches and notions. and no haggard
Old women selling newspapers.
The stores are different. IN Berlin the
window displays are lean and the
shelves are still leaner. The people are
buying, but the merchants aye afraid
TO taae money that changes in Naiue
each hour, and the clerks look worn out
and disgusted. They are sometimes in
S-.ft ~
team customers. Just before leaving
Berlin l visited the largest and Richest
O.: the department stores Of the city.
II has practically no goods on its
shelves and Il looked like one OF our
tiG este b!ishments when q prosper
Gus Christmas has left Il as bare as
bone. The shops Of Copenhagen
ere full OF fine goods. and their win
COW dressing compares with that OF
car principal cities. Walking through
The chief business centers Is Ike
visiting an exposition. and. moreover,
ell of the goods are marked in plat!
figures. Th.s ts not possible In Ber-
lin. where the prices change every
day.
:: = ::
T SPENT this afternoon in one OF
the big department stores here.
u reminds me OF those In Boston,
Pi.laL eIph!a. Detroit. Cleveland end
o;hcr American towns Of the game
SIZE. II has an abundance OF every
tang, and the finest wares from all
over the word are displayed. IT has
q: book section with books in all Ian
a;Qages and especially English, In
cluding poetry, fiction. economies and
travel. Before leaving Berlin I made
out a list OF several recent volumes
IN English relating to Germany and
Scandinavia. and took it to q shop that
7naI.es speciality OF supplying the
l4nglish ard American trade. It did
not have one Of the up-to-da,e books
wanted, and the bookseller told me
he could get them only upon order
and payment in advance. lie said
The German people could not afford 20
JIy imported books Oh account OF
The low value os the mark, and that
lie could not risk importing them
under present conditions. At the de-
partment store here in Copenhagen
found every book In my list, and
that at little moro than tic prices
OF New York or London.
The wealth Of Copenhagen is I'm
pressive after visiting Paris, Brussels
and Berlin. This city Is larger than
Brussels II is about one-fourth the
size OF Paris and little more than
one-sixth that OF Berlin. NeveTthe-
less, IL seems TO have more business
than any OF the three. Its goods come
from all parts Of the world, and all
the people are buying. Paris is less
we'll supplied with foreign importa-.
t,ons. and the poverty OF many who
1,uv Is especially in evidence ct the
bargain counters outside on the
streets Brussels appears less pros
porous than Paris, and as for Berlin
AS = mercantile entity. 1t is naked.
Owing to the fall Of the mark. the
people surrounding Germany have
rushed in across the frontiers to ex-
change their money for paper marks
and bug goods much cheaper than
they could get them at home. Some
have worn their old clothes into Ber-
lin and returned with new ones. ana
all have carried away as much sS
they possibly could. The Germans
have tried to prevent this b. putting
on an export duty Of several hundred
per cent and confiscating all goods
no. declared They have fined those
who attempted to smuggle and con-
f,scated the wares being taken away.
have heard oe instances 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 barefooted back
TO their homes.
Here everything is business as
usual. The money is almost oscK
70 normal and the prices are just
about the same as In the United
States. The harbor is full of ship.
ming. and the free port, which is
rapidly gaining in size, promises 70
make this the great shipping center
FOR the lands surrounding the Baltic.
People are spending. although not as
rackIessly as the rich proflteers or
Berlin, but everything is on a haTo-
roo,ey basis. and every one seems
sane and prosperous.
Indeed the Danes are among the
few sane peoples in the great mad
rouse of Europe. The Russians are
stark crazy. and the Germans but
little better The Austrians and
rIungar,ans are eating the husks or
despair, the English have new the
cries about the payment OF debts. and
tho French and Belgians. in their
financial Iunacy, are secretly whisper
.re ranudiatiou Here In Denmark