Evening star., 1924-01-06
BY MAMMALIAN HARDEN.

BY Radio to The Star.
BERLIN. January 5.--New Year eve.
Six degrees Fahrenheit.
But the crowds dance in the deep
snow in the main streets and make
music on penny whistles. whole
procession of motor cars is compelled
to stop. Rockets and fireworks
divert the dense masses who, hoping
to warm themselves with more drinks,
knock vainly at the doors Of the wine
rooms and restaurants which are
closed because overfilled."
Dozens of big advertisements in the
newspapers have invited the nights
| merrymakers TO suppers, balls and
ballets. where they are surrounded by
the fumes of wine rum and brandy.
Everywhere is a festal tone and no
where is comfortable place vacant.
In the lobbies of the fashionable
hotels. gold and silver brocades and
diadems and necklaces sparkle.
But alongside the announcement In
the newspapers that closing time had
been extended to 8 o'clock stood the
mayors appeal to succor dlstrsss-
become intolerable as a result OF the
long cold spell by increased dona-
ttonS.
Scores Dissipation.
How much money this night might
have realized for the poor. had they
been given all that was poured out
for amusement. gourmandizing and
dissipation! Must not a sense of de-
cency have demanded that a nation
which is compelled to beg at
strangers doors renounce these
when. as now in Germany, foreign help
Is Indispensable.
But such thoughts disturb neither
those who, in evening dress, drink
champagne. nor the crowds on the
streets.
The peal of the New Year chimes
is drowned out by the singing, shout
ing masses. But in the background
lean figures Of wretchedness collect
confetti, paper snakes and other rub
bish in dirty bags in order to resell
them for the price of plate of soup.
Whoever sees these figures-among
carnival the approach of Ash Wednes-
day. In oft-darned socks he joins the
crowd. and doesn't heed the fact that
the government now permits public
dances four instead of three times
week
Kind-hearted Americans who are COL
lecting money to feed the poorest Ger
mans. especially the children, must not
be led by this dissipation and squan-
dering Of money to believe that the
need is not SO fierce as has been
represented. 1t is appallingly great.
At least a million government en-
ployeS have been discharged, and the
salaries of those left have been re-
duced to a living minimum. A third
of all the men and women normally
employed in industry are entirely un-
employed or on short time.
Patience Is Inexhaustible.
The patience and strength Of the
German people are ine1haustible. Be-
cause they made all the sacrifices Of
/ ffcially demanded of them. they were
| able to survive the maddeSt Of all
wars, with unimpaired national econ
| omy and inwardly undiminished pow
ers. And because they make no sac
| rifices not officially ordered, they are
| still, after five years Of bad govern
ment, upright and Industrious. subtle
and unswerving In discovering new
methods of earning money-but more
willing than their fathers to spend
their earnings for gross pleasure. For
no imitation, market slump or price
increase can rob them OF what has
been spent.
Foreign critics must not forget that
Germany has no money at all In the
proper sense of the word-no stable
yet elastic measure of values. Herr
Helfferich wished to create such a
measure when he recommended
money based on the price OF rye,
Germany's most important cereal
renten mark decided upon. which, un-
even partially secured by gold, but