The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1948-08-26
THROUGH
HAZEL
EYES
BY Haxal Brunnon

from the rest of the world by the
Russian blockade.
First Of all the German people
are always hungry. They never get
enough to eat. Their diet now is
only around 1900 calories daily and
their chief complaint is that they
get no potatoes. Their clothes have
long since worn out and most Of
them are hard-pressed to maintain
a clean and neat appearance, some
thing they all strive for. 1t should
be said here that the German
people, more than any other nation
in Europe, have standards of clean
illness and sanitation that compare
favorably with those Of the United
Safes. The humblest house or dwell
ing is kept immaculate. Literally
thousands of German families are
living in bombed-out homes but
they keep them clean and neat, and
many have planted bright flowers
among the ruins.
There is no laughter among the
German people. You never see them
smile. They 60 about their business
on the streets Of Berlin with grim,
yet detached air +. as though they
are in Dhis world but not Of it
as though their lives and
spirits have long since departed
from their bodies. This same inn
preston, only more so, is gained in
talking to Germans who are work
ing in various capacities for the
American military government.
There seems to be no friendli-
ness amanating from the older Ger
man people toward the occupying
forces. The young German girls are
UNDERSTANDABLE more interested in
and friendly toward American mill
tary personnel. But the widespread
idea that soldier can buy any
thing in Germany for chocolate
bar is not true. There are plenty of
nice girls there just as anywhere.
AS matter Of fact the German
people as whole. are more law
abiding and stickers for formality
than the American people who are
prone to wink at violations of the
law as long as they can get away
with it.
When asked about the friendli-
ness of the German people, one high
American officer replied: II would
not say they are friendly or that
they like us. We could hardly ex-
pect friendship for an army of oc-
cupation. Let us just say that they
like the Russians so much less than
they do us" Another high American
officer said he had walked twice
daily from his home to military
headquarters and returned and that
he had never had one German to
so much as say good morning"
It is easy to understand why the
Germans, especially the Berliners,
appear sullen to the casual observer.
They had a beautiful country, high
ly industrialized, with the highest
standard of living in Europe before
they lost the second World War.
Today they haven't enough food or
clothing, and have inadequate shell
ter. They are living in ghost city.
Fully seventy per cent of Berlin
and Frankfurt are destroyed and
it will take years and wears to re-
move the mountains of rubble all
over these cities. On any street you
might walk. YOU will see the
bombed-out buildings. There is no
single area that appears to have es-
capped in Berlin or Frankfurt There
are MANY other cities that were also
badly hit. Living among the ruins
of these cities it is quite under
standing that the Germans never
laugh. II is the most depressing
sight in the world.
The currency reform was quite
popular with the German people.
Though it wiped out ninety per cent
of their money, it did away with
most Of the black market and
brought goods back out in the stores
and it has given them hope
that their situation will finally be
given degree of stability. Thou
sands of Germans had to stand
many many hours in line to crowd
into the numerous places of ex-
change to trade ten old marks for
one of the new. 4
Transportation is completely in
adequate in Berlin and the only way
most people have to travel is to
walk or 60 by street car. The street
cars cease operations early in the
evenings and are tremendously
overcrowded. They have many
women conductors.
AS matter of fact women are
doing all kinds of work in Berlin.
A woman is acting as mayor of the
city and she is reported to be a
good one. I saw many women dig
ging bitches with spade and shovel
putting in sewerage.
American military personnel and
families fare very we'll in blockaded
Berlin. They have the large PIX,
where they buy their groceries and
supplies. They are rationed on the
amount of cigarettes they can buy.