This year's Leipzig Fair has proved the biggest error in propaganda yet perpetrated in the Third Reich. The aim was to show that conditions were as nearly normal as possible in wartime Germany, states the Zurich correspondent of the "Daily Telegraph."
An effort was even made to il-Iluminate the town hall as in former years. This time blue lamps were used. The effort was a hopeless failure, and is described by the ce respondent of "La Suisse" as "a blacked-out illumination."
I learn from business men who visited the Fair that attempts to book orders were in nearly all cases met With excuses, as there was no hope of delivery. The samples shown demonstrated to what extent "Ersatz" had become a staple "raw material." There was "leather" made of cardboard and other substances, "cloth" made of chalk, and synthetic rubber made of coal.
The fur section, the former pride of the Leipzig Fair, is practically nonexistent, Leipzig ceased to become a world centre of the fur trade when the Nazis seized power, for this trade was mainly in the hands of Jews. But since the war what little remained has almost disappeared.
Luxuries that are Denied It is now impossible to buy in Germany a fur-coat or a coat trimmed or lined with imported fur, The little marred by the fact that outraged citi-business done consists in preparing zens, denied the privilege of buying imported fur for re-export, these goods "intended only for foreign Leaflets. and hoardings everywhei re visitors," looted the shops. 4 proclaimed Germany's certainty of: When the police-and the S.S. Corps Victory and Germany's adequate reintervened, street rioting was the re. sources. Shops, especially in the prinsult, In the railway dining cars and cipal streets and near the fair ground, in hotel restaurants foreigners were displayed a profusion of foodstuffs and served with almost unlimited portions luxuries which no German has even of meat, butter and so forth. But the seen since long before the war began. disgruntled, jealous German guests But the propaganda effect was left them with no illusions.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.