GAY BERLIN.

Hokitika Guardian, 11 December 1920, Page 1

GAY BERLIN.

(By Arthur Mills.) By German law all places of amusement have to be shut at 11.30. In spite of this there are probably more so-called night clubs in Berlin now. than in any other city, in the world. To visit one it is necessary first to obtain an address, which most of the head waiters at the restaurants* will supply. We will say that 44, Potsdamer Strasse is the address given. The next step is to take a cab and drive to Rots darner Strasse.

We arrive at No 41, Only a few street lamps arc alight and we can see no sign of any dancing establishment. No 44 appears to he a large hat shop. We try the door and find it looked. A mistake in the number,- obviously. Abusing the waiter who has given us a useless address, we turn to go, when a figure steps out of the shadows. He touches me oil the arm. “Follow those two men,” he whispers and disappears. I look and see two respectable-look-ing old gentlemen hobbling down thestreet some twenty yards ahead. Obedient tn our instructions, we follow them. We walk for perhaps a hundred yards; the old gentlemen never once look round. Have they, really anything to do with us, we wonder?

One of them stops and lights a cigar. As we pass him he points silently to the door of a house, raps it with his stick, and walks on.

The floor is opened and we find our-, selves being examined by a .pair of., small, .pig like eyes set in a large square face. After a close scrutiny we are admitted and the door is-slanuned and bolted behind us. The house is in darkness-except for the light of a Imll’s-eye lantern car-, ried by our new guide. We follow •him, up four flights of stairs. More doors, are opened and locked and bolted behind us. At last we find ourselves at. our destination. A long low room, lit by shaded lights., Alb round the wails tables, crowded witlf men*and women. In-a cornei a. small orchestra. Two couples are dancing in the space in the centre of the, room. , » .1 c We are led to a table and a bottle of - champagne is put in front of us. n, all the other tables there are champagne bottles—sometimes two or three.. Tim price is 250 mark, a bottle (no.ni-. „allv £l2 10s). We wonder uheio these well-dressed Germans come from, and where they get the money to pay for so much wine. ' The waiter points out two young men, at a table by themselves. They are finelooking young fellows, arrogant ; with an air of better breeding than the rest of the room. . “Graf von u.ul Obcrlcitna ~o n •” the waiter tells us, both of them ex-officers of the' Prussian Guard. A fortnight, perhaps a month, they will lead the life here, and thenGermany meaning ■ bigke, • rupti” ‘ !d o ,,c in '”