The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-07-25
By LYLE C. WILSON

By LYLE C. WILSON
 Berlin-tUP)-In violation of all law except supply and demand, I strolled into Berlin street crowd and sold for SIS a package of ciga- rettes which cost me l5 cents at Schultes store, 14th and F Streets in Washington, D. c.
 That was a black market sale at black market price. With a little haggling I could have had Sl5 to SIT for my package Of Philip Nor ris l could have disposed of a carton for upwards of sl3o.
 What received for my cigarettes was not dollars. It was marks-130 of them. But the mark is worth 10 cents because the four powers occupying Germany have agreed to that rate of exchange.
 Isn't Worth Much
 For the marks I spent in Ger many I had to pay 10 cents each But facts are that the mark actual ly isn't worth much of anything ex- cept for the purchase of rationed goods with fixed prices.
 Barter, therefore, has become a big business in Berlin and generally throughout Germany. Tobacco is both luxury and a medium of ex- change
 The average German has become pack rat hoarding all kinds of food and goods for which he will pay fantastic prices The average German would prefer length of cloth, shoe brush, a pewter goblet or what have you to money.
 His hunger for tobacco is pathe- tic. His ration of 12 cigarettes monthly was abolished some time ago.
 Girl Bought for Two
 The German who pays the equiv alent of sI0 to s15 for a package of American cigarettes probably in- tends to smoke couple and trade the rest. Two packs of cigarettes would get him bottle of wine in Berlins shabby but most luxurious night club, the Femina.
 Two or three cigarettes would bring grateful girl to his bed With cigarettes he might even get shoes
 Cigarettes, soap and chocolate which can be had by our soldiers in substantial quantities at Army post exchanges are basic items ir Germanys Alice in Wonderland barter economy.
 But the good old days are gone forever
 .-.. CT Made Profits
 Until recently it was possible fol a GI to buy almost unlimited quan- titles of such scare articles from the post exchanges in exchange fol German marks
 He could sell them instantly fol a hundred times their cost, receiV- ing marks with which to make fur ther purchases.
 Col. Frank HoWley of the four power Berlin Kommandatura citec last August as an example Amer ican soldiers in this area then sent home by money order approximate. ly $3,000,000
 The remarkable thing was that the total American payroll here last August was only S1,000o 900. Int difference represented the profit from black market operations.
 Spree Ends
 T Through a complicated sys tenn of money control books ant new issue of marks the Army nov is bringing the GI black marke spree to an end. But the tempta' tion remains enormous.
 A colonel made it clear to mt when he remarked that the foul or five cartons of post exchange cigarets he is permitted to bu! monthly could be sold on the blacE market for considerably more thar his monthly salary
 He was correct in that A col onels base pay is s375 a month anc he is paid in marks. Four carton! of American cigarets at S100 pe' carton would bring in the equiva lent of S400-and at s100 a cartor a Germany buyer would consider them cheap indeed
 Even Clgafet DQttS nave VaIue- either to be smoked by the findeI or to be sold for few marks tt some tobacco starved German.
 Butts Bring Out Many
 Germans loiter where American are likely to discard cigarets as il the front of any American movi theater here.
 Pat Conger, head of the United Press Berlin Bureau, Tipped butt high in the air the othe night in front of Frankfur movie Germans collided like tn Dodger infleld going after pol fly.
 I saw a runty child drive unde the wheels of slow moving auto mobile after butt I had tosset away.
 The child was unhurt but there after l took more care where m cigarettes landed
 Dollar Loses Regard
 American r.oney-the old faith ful Sl bill-wss the passport t everything, including pleasure