The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-12-25
BY WEBB MILLER
United Press stan Correspondent

by WEBB MILLER
United Press stan Correspondent
Copyright. 1881. By United Press)
BERLIN, Dec. 25.-Germany is a
country of paradoxes.
Inc nations trade balance is good.
and on figures it should be in a
favorable economic position.
HeC Germany encountered without
cheer the gloomiest Christmas since
tne war, when she was ringed in
by the blockade of her enemies
NOW Germany is ringed in by an
invisible blockade of frozen cred
us international debts and the
world economic crisis.
Although Berlin's streets for the
last few days have been thronped
win shoppers and the boulevards
sprouted little forests of Christmas
trees, and rows Of street booths SELL
ang cheap toys and trinkets. and
slChough the big department stores
largest IN Europe, have been crowd
co. there was little of the light
hearted preparation for the tradi-
uonal German Christmas.
Meets Beggars
lowering skies and sloppy streets
with piles of dirty snow, added to
Jhe impression Of lack Of cheer.
In walk through the Kufuer-
Stendamm section, I was ap-
preached by a dozen match sellers
ana beggars. The beggars in the
de luxe, glittering Kufuerstendamm
epitomized the paradoxes the oh
server meets at every turn in Ger
many.
With the most efficient industrial
organization of Europe, and per-
maps OF the world, and its great
modern factories, there are 100000
unemployed, of which the most
fortunate are the married men who
receive an average of 60 marks
(about $14.25) month by the dole.
With the years favorable trade
balance Of nearly 3,0O0,O00,O 900 marks
more than double that of the
United States-Germany's indus
trial machine is half paralyzed.
The country is unable to meet
the $1,000, 100000 in short term
credits owed abroad, yet unesti-
mated fortunes fled abroad for
safety.
Railways Fail
Germany has built hundreds of
the worlds most modern workmen's
apartment buildings, with bath
rooms, sun balconies, hot water,
central heating and other comforts,
astonishing in their modernity and
containing from 1000 to 1000
apartments each. Yet there are a
million living in Berlin in two
room flats and 100000 in three
room flats.
Germany's great railway system
has been unable TO make expenses
this year although an important
part of reparations are charged to
the profits of the railways yet her
network of airways, the best in
Europe, charges even less than first
class railway fare.
Although the Reichsbank's gold
reserves cover only IL per cent of
her currency, if foreign credits were
removed, the German mark is as
stable as the dollar in the world
money markets, even though Ger
many's international credit facil1-
ties are now paralyzed.
Despite the trade crisis which
shut down a large per cent Of her
industries, Germany has repaid
nearly five billion marks since last
autumn, which is fairly astonish-
ing performance, considering eco
nomic conditions.
Wash Day Shows Poverty
Millions of households in Ger
many are afflicted with poverty
living on the barest necessities.
Yet there is little evidence of it
in the streets of the cities and even
in the workmens quarters of Ber-
lin. They retain the clothes from
more prosperous days and the
Germans have a characteristic of
neatness and carefulness of ap-
pearance.
However, In Munich and the Ruhr
district on washing day. I saw sew
eral hundreds of clotheslines which
revealed the ravages on more init
mate parts of the wardrobe, impos-
sible to conceal on washing day.
Although Christmas shopping has
been considerably below previous
years, it has been bigger than might
have been expected under the cir
cumstances. People who have money
to spend for tangible, useful OBJ
iects have been impelled to buy
through fear that the mark might
decline. They have not forgotten
the imitation period when millions
of marks would buy only a single
meal.
Face Wage Cuts
Millions of Germans are facing
cut of 10 per cent in their wages
which is highly unlikely to be off,
set by reduction in prices and rents
prescribed by the latest decree.
For hundreds of thousands Of gov
eminent employees, this second cut
of the year makes a total Of 20 per
cent in wages, bringing the higher
middle-nlass employees down to be-
tween SO and 81 per cent of pre-
war wages, despite the cost of liv-
ing index of 1881.
The marriage and birth rates have
been falling because of economic
conditions. In the first half of
1881, there were $4,000 fewer births
than in the same period of 1880.
Stamp Record Set
By Times Special