CONDITIONS IN GERMANY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17693, 2 August 1919, Page 13

CONDITIONS IN GERMANY

NO EVIDENCES OF PRIVATION. BLOTTING OUT WAR'.STAINS. "I saw precious little sign of starvation," said Sir Henry Brittain, M.P., who returned to_ London early in Juno from an unofficial mission to Germany, through which country ho travelled by road some 1400 miles. ■ " On the contrary, the impression one got in the occupied zone was one of prosperity." He continued:

The country looked fruitful—every inch of it cultivated—and the towns were busy. I travelled: by road from Paris and struck across the Moselle at Wittlich. The contrast between the poor dead towns in Eastern France and this first Gorman town, with almost every business " as usual," was perfectly amazing. Wo have been told that German women and children are reduced to livino- skeletors. Yet everywhere" I found healthy, wellnourished boys and girl&—the streets teemed with them —and an American connected with the food distribution, who was with me, agreed in praising their appearance. And what multitudes of them there were ! Thero are evidently plenty of young Germans growing up ! I did not go into tho German bouses, but outwardlv there was no suggestion of want. The restaurants seemed well s implied. The meals in the hotels were cheaper than in Pairis. I remember at Wiesbaden we had as good a dinner as one could desire, excellently cooked and served, and the bill was about one-third of the price it would have been in Paris.

Wiesbaden, I was told, had had very good seasons during the war. Not only German officers and their families, but many visitors from neutral countries—especially Holland— had spent money freelv there. SWEETS PLENTIFUL. Luxury shops hero were particularly noticcable:, Sweets and flowers to suit the tastes of tho well-to-do were in abundance, and the shops that cater i'or women's dress were lavishly stocked. The way in which the war was put on one side everywhere was extraordinary. Of that a large bookshop was a good example. I saw no sign of a book on tho war. On its shelves there wero novels, books on science, economics, poetry, music, and how to rear poultry—the war was not mentioned.

TJio low prices of many classes of goods struck me too. I refer to aluminium articles, cutlery, and optical glasses—things the Germans always make very well. And as a franc goes as far as two marks that makes things seem cheaper still. English goods aro not altogether taboo, I gathered. At one town a large sign' outside a shop advertised razors made in Germany of Sheffield steel. Cameras were at absurdly low prices compared with thoso prevailing here. All sorts of glassware was to be had for trifling sums. There was no sugar shortage in Germany. At only one sweetshop in the whole of my tour did I see the notice, " Ausverkauft." which means " Sold out." Tho delicatessen shops were in full swing. German beer is thinner, and is a subject of complaint like our own. ' As for the wines, you must tako hock or Moselle of 1915 or younger. And it is very vinegary stuff. INQUIRIES AFTER LONDON.

The Germans do not seem to realise that they are anathema to the world. At one hotel a fat, prosperous-looking Boclie came up to me and said, " And how is dear old London? I shall not be happy until I have seen dear old London again."

There has no doubt been a shortage of boots. Thoso one sees in the shops seem roughly made and poor in quality. Amusements are booming. I tried to get. into the opera at Coblenz one night, but there was not a»seat to be had.

I saw windows full of cavalry helmets, personal decorations, iron crosscs, and other souvenirs. That shows how little pride the German has left. I cannot imagine Englishmen parting with tho decorations in this fashion.

The American military salute has caught on with the children. Boys and girls imitate it everywhere, and give it you as your car passes.

I did not see many civilian motor cars on thy roads, and one realised that rubber was scarco. The outer rims of bicycles were occasionally of metal. When I was last in Treves the swaggering German officer flyas everywhere. This time he liad disappeairod from the streets. Tho only German in uniform- was the policeman, with his soft hat instead of a pickelhaubc.

Many Germans do not realiso thnt they wero beaton by force of arms, but attribute tho present position to an internal breakup