BERLIN LIFE.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 October 1919, Page 12

BERLIN LIFE.

THE GREATEST GAMING CITY IN EUttUPE. Berlin, duly 20 (by Mail). 'The nighi-lifc of Berlin has become quite proverbial." The words ari taken from a well-known guide to the capital published in I!)]-!. Ii might have been supposed that the war with all its attendant losses and sobering iniluences would have done something to check the dissipation wh : .:h the expression night life implies. ' Since the catastrophe, however, especially since the armistice and the coming of the revolution, the pursuit of pleasure has gone on, if anything, at an accelerated pace. lierlin, is to-day, indeed unquestionably tiie greatest gaming city in Europe. Gaming clubs shoot up in all parts oi lierlin like mushrooms in a meadowlaud. There are as many as tiO I am assuied in the west alone, in the neighbourhood of the Kurfurstendamm, and the newspapers are constantly publishing advertisements connected with gambling. Croupiers are offered situations, roulette tables are offered for sale, and not the slightest, secrecy is observed with regard to this demoralising pursuitTHE LARGEST CLUB. The largest and most elegant, gaming club is situated in Unter den linden. Some 500 persons gamble there every day and as much as 50,000 marks ( £2300) and more a night is spent on .card mouej- alone. Smaller skita which

arc quite as smart in their way are to be found in many of the streets in this locality as well as in the neighbourhood of'.the Zoo station. At the present moment more than 300,000 marks (£15,000) is said to he spent every night in card money alone in Berlin. Of course this implies enormous expense of others kinds connected with the gambling industry. The cashiers in the clubs earn on an average at least 500 marks ( £25) an evening and the attendants not infrequently get 1000 marks ( £SO) and more when it is a matter of special service as, for example, getting a taxi. Of course, the attendants share with the motor car drivers. You can see at all times of the day crowds of taxis, which you seek for in vain elsewhere, standing, in the neighbourhood of the clubs, but they only consent to ta&a you if you observe the prescribed diplomatic methods and do not engage them directly but through the intervention of a charge d'affaires in the form of a liveried servant of the club. The external appearance of these clubs is very discreet; a small plate on the often not even that, is all there is to indicate the nature of the premises. ■Within the upholstering is sometimesvery elegant, sometimes very modest, according to the locality. There hj, however, always an extremely good restaurant at which: : excellent dishes and wines can be obtained at extraordinarily moderate prices. Very often other comforts are provided. You can get a bath, be massaged, or have the attentions of a barber. The manj} cure is in particular demand by the nouveaux riches, who.form a large proportion of the frequenters of the clubs.

THE "HABITUES." The' habitues consist of the most motley coßipai/- conceivable, both male and female, the shadiest elements of the German capital rubbing shoulders with pe»p!e who pass for the most respectable. Thus there are well-to-do merchants and irreproachable physicians, lawyers, manufacturers, and bank directors, high officials, and it is oven whispered that judges and public prosecutors are to he found among the company. The clubs are supposed to close by midnight, when blinds and curtains are drawn as a concession t» the conventions. Play goes yu all night, however, and I have heard of one club in a suburb of Berlin which keeps open till 8 in the morning. For the rest, what one sees hero is what one can see in any gambling bell anywhere—a crowd of people intent upon gain, utterly regardless of everything but the satisfaction of their desire.

And this is taking place, not only in Berlin, but in Chemnitz, Crcfeld, Essen, Breslau, Hamburg, Dresden—in a word, everywhere in Germany, even if, as might be expected, the principal centre is Berlin.

At the large clubs it is no unusual tiling for a man to lose 80,000 marks ( £4000) in an evening, while a Itws of 30,000 marks ( £ISHO) in quite common. The peo/ile who are able to lose 10,000 marks ( £500) are too numerous to attract attention. It is safe to say that, in the. smaller clubs an average loss of, 3000 marks ( £150) per person takes place every night. The chances of winning are correspondingly great, but in the long run, of course, the bank makes the profits. The heaviest loss hitherto so far as is known amounted to 750,000 marks (£37.500), and the greatest win to 2,000.000 marks ■ £100,000). The lucky man is said to have been a public prosecutor. Doubtless surprise will be felt that, the authorities shr.uld tolerate these clubs, but it is said in explanation of this that the financial experts intend to tax them and expect to get a largo revenue from this source.