Louie Arnold, writing from Berlin to_the " Daily Mail," says It is more than two years ago since J last visited this country. At that time Germany was still staggering from the surprise of her recent defeat. Niow she is recon-oiled to the fact and is exerting every effort to turn failure to advantage.
The people are shabby and poorly, though neatly, dressed. Even the best dressed German women are wearing garish clothes of most inferior materials. Handsome furs are rarely seen, except those worn by foreign visitors.
Once it was the boast of Berlin that no beggars were to be seen in the streets (where they were hidden is another story). in Unter den Lindem Friedrich-strasser, Wilhelmstrasse, and all the main thoroughfares one sees many crippled ex-Service men, some of them lying helpless on the pavement, displaying their maimed limbs and exposed wounds, and openly soliciting alms.
Most of the modern buildings of this ugly city are in an advanced stage of dilapidation, All the hotels, homes, shops, and public buildings which I have been in are badly in need (of repair. Even the luxurious hotel wherein I write, which ranked among the finest in Europe in pre-war Gays, is shabby and dirty for want of redecoration Although the hotels and_restaur rants are crowded and there is the usual over-eating, Berlin looks hungry. The delicatessen, or cooked-meat shops, excite a continual crowd of window-gazers.
The hotels are filled with foreigners—Swiss, Spaniards, Hungarian, Italians, Swedes, Danes, Americans, and British—all either travelling on business or living on the exchange., With marks fluctuating round about six a penny, even Berlin is an attractive residence for the foreigner, although the cost of living has increased so enormously.
For the German whose wages, even should he be of the fortunate working class, have not increased anything like a corresponding extent existence is quite another problem. How the middle, the retired, and professional classes, many of whom are still in receipt of their pre-war incomes, contrive to live is a mystery, with tea from 80 marks (normally £4) per Ib., eggs at 6 marks each (6s.), and steak costing 56 to 70 marks (£2 16s, to £3 109.) per Ib.
As the value of the mark drops The cheapest were!) 500 marks (£35).
While the mark is practically educts of Germany, or a very
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.