BERLINERS BECOMING BRUTES

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 8, Issue 122, 24 May 1916, Page 3

BERLINERS BECOMING BRUTES

The " Berlin Tageblatt” voices a grievance that, owing to the influence of trench manners, the "Berliners are becoming - brutes”—"There was a time when, if a man spilt some cigar ash on the clothing of a fellow passenger, he would ask his pardon. Nowadays such an assailant, when confronted by the reproachful glances of his victim,

simply remarks: 'Well, well, in the trenches they burn somewhat bigger holes in your clothes." Every impropriety, every act of carelessness, every stupidity, every gratutious insult even, is excused in a phrase beginning with the words: 'Puh! In the trenches ' Shop assistants excuse the worthlessnesa of their highly priced wares with the declaration that 'the men in the trenches would be glad to got such good things. Noisy children a7'gue when they are ordered to be silent that in the trenches there is a much greater din going on, A corpulent lady, at least two hundred pounds in weight who pushes her way into an overcrowded electric trams, shonts to the protesting passengers, whom she threatens to crush flat: 'ln the trendies you would even get less room to sit down." Unless a timely stop he put to this outrageous public attitude, the trench war threatens to convert Berlincrs into brutes beside whom the black, brown, and yellow helpers of the English and French are the embodiment- of -.11 that is gracious and sweet."