The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-01-20

rare abroad. It's restaurants
real coffee.
The neon-lighted movie marques
still advertise the latest American
films, and best of all, the streets
and store windows, are brilliantly
lit until 10 P. r., when the black
out starts. However, Switzerland's
normality Is comparative, and the
average Swiss is beginning to tight
en- his belt and search bit hard
err and farther for the comforts he
used to know.
The war virtually has cut Off one
great source of Switzerland's rich
ness-the tourist. Famous hotels are
closed for want of guests, or have
been turned over to the army for
barracks. The hordes of Englishmen
who used to spend their vacations
here cannot reach their haunts any
longer. The German tourists are
busy elsewhere.
For the third successive wartime
winter, the Swiss are able to ski
at st. Moritz or Davos without hav-
ing to elbow five foreigners out OF
the way each time they do a
Christie" But the Swiss do not
like 1t because the runs are as
empty as the Siberian steppes and
about as profitable as the public
library.
RatiOned Wisely
The Swiss are making an effort
TO cOunteract this situation them
selves by advertising, go Look
Your Homeland Over" and Come
With Us on Your Winter Holidays"
but even If the whole nation fol-
lowed this advice, there would still
be many an empty room. The seem
cry is still here, but there Is no
one to look at it.
At the beginning Of the war
Switzerland had huge food reserves
which she wisely rationed from the
very start, so that even yet most
essentials and many luxuries are
obtainable. However, on Dec. l, 1941,
third meatless day was instituted
weekly, and such things rs coffee
and eggs are becoming more diff
cult to find Cream is a thing OF
the past, and although milk is not
rationed, consumption has been
reduced considerably.
In restaurants you can have
nearly everything you wish, in more
sufficient quantities. 1t Is the
"hausfrau" who feels the pinch of
rationing most, when she buys sup
plies for her family. In November,
for example, the food ration for
one person includes $50 grams of
sugar and 500 grams Of flour and
corn flour. Pastes, such as macaroni
and noodles. were limited to $50
grams for the month. A person
could obtain only 700 grams of
butter, fats and oils together, and
his ration Of cheese was 400 grams,
Of coffee, tea Or cocoa 200 grams.
One pound equals 453 grams, thus
the butter ration for a whole month
is about q pound and a half-an
amount most Americans could prob
ably do away with In one week.
Cigarettes Cheap
Food prices have risen In inverse
ratio to the shrinkage in quantity
Of food you are allowed to buy.
Potato prices, for instance, have
risen about 100 per cent since 1898,
and potatoes are the food on which
a large part of the population de-
ponds for it's principal nourishment.
Average prices for agricultural pro-
ducts have gone up 81 per cent since
before the war began.
Switzerland has always been an
expensive country in which to live,
but nowadays 1t Is comparatively
reasonable for some luxuries. Am
erican cigarettes, which In most
European lands are now either I'M
obtairable or, as in France, cost the
equivalent Of $1.50 per package, here
cost only about 80 cents a pack.
Coffee. though expensive and rat
Toned, Is still far cheaper than real
coffee on the black markets OF
neighboring nations. But here, too,
there are many substitute "coffees"
sold and drunk without relish.
The traffic situation In Switzer-
land is becoming easier for the
police but more dangerous for the
pedestrian. There are fewer cars,
but the number of bicycles which
bear down on you silently and
speedily In the blackout Is increas-
ing proportionately. Automobile and
bicycle tires are difficult TO get and
there are even cork tires for bicycles