THE DAILY BRITISH WHIG, FRIDAY, MAY 3, 1918. | BERLIN IN WAR TIME NEUTRAL WOMAN HER EXFERIENCES WRITES OF iRURE. The City That Was Once Bathed In ©» Lake of Light Is Now Quiet and Gloomy, sud the Citizens Are Engaged In Meeting Many ser. fous Problems. HAVE often been obliged to ask myself with surprise, when walk- ing of an evening in the western part of Berlin, whether 1 was really in the great capital, which I réeollected as & city bathed in a Inke of ligt, and in which the life of labor and of enjoyment appeared never to cease day or night, How quiet and, above all, how dark the city bas become! It is not advisable to walk through the quieter streets without an electric pocket lamp, but even the streets once so busy in the centre of the city, in which, especial- Iy at Christmas time, much anima- tion and traffic prevailed till the late as hours of the evening, become quiet n the noon, "Save light and coal," runs-the watchword both for publie and for private life. The shops close, some at five and some at six o'clock, and few find it amusing to promenade in the twilight of the street illumination to 'admire the displays in the shop windows. What is mainly lacking in the street traffic is the motor cars which followed each other so swiftly and gave the sfreets such animation. Every provincial can now, without the friendly help of the policemen, cross the Potsdam Platz, where the traffig reaches its utmost comcentra- tion, and without receiving the fm. pression of running great risk to Wis lite, These circumstances bave con- tributed to teach the Berliner to value bis own fireside wore, even if, ih order to eke things out with the rationed coal, he is obliged to restrict himself to gone or two rooms of his oftgd very Rirge residence. Sduntering wis once the Siefliasr's restest pleasure, aud what he enjoy ¢d Rbove all was sctlug as bedr "ead: er ou ihe occhslon of vigils. nr bis friénds from the province: Now, however, the fréims ave drawh very ued by orders 'from headquarters." hat should he do in the restaur RAE How, when He can no longer fot bis favoritéd dishes and selected dain- ties? - The sevare police look sharply after it that mo one receives more thap he ought, apd find out all the secret cellars in which the great res. taurants have concealed their smug- gled supplies In order to be in a posl- tion (to sdpply their regular dus- tothérs with a frequent but feeble re- minder of the former' luxurions abundance. I guce caw in a very frequented restaurant how an elderly gentleman was tréxted with striking ohsequiong- ne¢s by every one from. the manager to the boy in buttons. We learned that it was the ehier of police hhn- Self, who waw inspecting without hav- ns 'previously anbonnved bic visit, Sulphur, rien your 'hair with g hur, nd one can ing | this mixtare, homie, is mussy and trou- Httle cost you cab buy , the ready-to-use ® caliea a a sponge it and draw this oa. Saking ste all a h morning a 'disappears, and, after an- : two, your hair darkened, 'glossy, Gry. Tan. ai ; though no dis- Ys 'of old age, and as we i desire. a © routhtur and attrac. tive get busy "at once with * Toth's and Sulphur Com pound look: years younger, Raday-lo-tns ration is a delight- a e and not a medi- a tis er vonind: for the cure, ion or prevention of disease. Externally, also, the make a different m Hinen. The tables are for the most part covered with a glage plate, but one also des paper tablecloths Tos cafes in which good crckestian pla AY and where for sce time pst jab artists also appear, ard (Loss in whic most animation prevails. The atiras tions of the cafes are pot (o be sought in thé gastronomic delighis afforded by food substitutes (Fraalsz Prapar- ate). Redl enjoyment is still to bé found in the theatres and concerts, and af though the prices have béent greatly increased ' one bas to exert oneself betimeg in order to re Although the late from the front and the prospects of peace are subféct to a thorough dis- cussion on all sides, the question of bodily well-being ogcuples the front place in every one's thoughts. - The question which is uppermost in all minds is whether the various tards «1 believe there are twelve differen: kinds----will be sufficient ToF the needs of the people, and whether kphirabi, the national winter dish, ¢ould net be prepared for table again in a somewhat different way for the iftt day of the week, Ive a Seat. slender owing to 'the scgoly dist of the war, and (he Question "How much do you weigh now?" "How much have vou lost since | 1% you fast?" is aw often asked ag the goite ordinary 'How do you do?" People whe still look yotusd and well nourished 'are frequently to 5e pitied, for they are easily looked at somewhdt askance, with the arriere pensee, Their larder must be well filled," and the street urchins piake fan of them, exgdaiming, "Look, there goes another ""Hamstertante," ~-- uo- translatable expression meaning "Auntie who gets food on the sly" «or. similar smiabilities. Péople are not always content with the uvaivérsal distribution, and' rhe Zeptral Einkaufs Gedellsehalt (Cen: fral Purebasing Company) and the municipal authorities are frequently | roundly abused. In regent years the { people: have gradually accustomed | themselves to privation, so tH&t the |eomipluinty of thé &maller quantities | of hrovisiong Are not excessive. "We shan't starve Any cage." {With this' conifbrting assurance the | people efidéavar to overcome every- | hig What they mast regret i not able, when their dear ones come i © on leave from the front, fo cod- dle and pet them as much as they could wish, and us much feod as pos- sible Is slways sel aside for these visite. I have glways beard that South Cermany bas. more provisions, .epe- cially dairy products, ihdn North Germany, particularly Berlin and tne wesi industrial region The 'prohibition of exporl by the individual states, and, indeed, by the provinces, is maintained very strictly, and every traveller must reconcile hlwself, to, having his luggage 0%- amined, i Naturally secauree bad te every evice for smu Bg. Once durige a vidit, When ih surprise (hdr the tare delicacy of & piece of ham was presented to me, my bosiess told md that she had received it in & very secret way. One day. she received from a friend of hers living abroad a fat parcel of newspapers. She ex- pected to find' some specially, 'inter- esting articles, but to hér amazement "discovered, fixed in the news: peri hey 'a small, fiat paoket Blled with butter and another containing baw. "I'his mgnoeuyre sticcerded 4 cous ple, of times with cocoa and sugar, sol Bat ut last an ingenious post. office, officldl must have suspectéd the gecret, The newspapers still arrive, 'but the most important new bas al- Wa been cuf out of 'hem. et with money you are able to opén many a back door, and occasion ally to buy a pound of butter, for 20 marks ($6); oF get 4 bit more sugar; rice or simi} lieaciés. Any price. asked is . In order to get exira food without & eard. "Most housewives have to do. théir own work, since they are not able to pay the wages, which have increased threefold, for "domestic help. © More: over, not every 'housewife' cin com- ply with the demands of her gervant, for betore the latter accepts service she asks the question, supplies, ma'am, or do you. liye from what you get on the edrds?" If the latter is the case she rejécts fle place with great indignation. Anyone who bas a girl seeks fo keep her by all possible means. Thus I heard of an old lady who promised her, servant no' small of what she had to I<ave in her will on cou- dition that she ould | not forsake her. ~~Tmpressions in London Times from letter of neutral woman who bad, UI recently, lved all her te 1 Berlin. ~ ; Soy Ave Pigs Cause of the War? d E hta Sh tainly A it has tor yours ed for its economic Ot t B fy SEES tis little people could send its pl sitice there Is mo longer "any ov} despatehes 2 The Berlin wemeén hive grown *Have you |. ' RBAARAAARRRARAASASARANAAAS ARR SASHES MARS SAAS"ARSSS252t800 SASS SARAH ARSASARABASRARRRBRR, PAGE ELEVEN mean life itself! Here'i is an officer's picture of the "need: "I wish you and the people supplying free hot drinks could see the men coming in after a big action. They would look like grotesque scare- crows if you couldnt see the pathos of it. Their shoulders and heads * sag forward and they slouch slowly along with never a glance to left oc right. The strangest thing about _ them is their faces. 'If the tension is + not broken the brain may snap. I » certainly believe that in thousands of 'cases hs was that first hot coffee = dragged the man back to life. an Te sanity." i o a THE CRISIS! JY UST an ordinary cup of coffee! 'be more commonplace to you. To wounded, broken and exhausted Canadian men stag-- gering out of a furnace of shells, at Vimy Ridge, with nerves torn to pieces, that little refreshment in the moment of crisis--who can measure its significance? For it may. Surely nothing could But-- i - Is there a man, woman or boy in all Canada to whom these heroes would appeal in vain? Will you help the YYM.CA. supply the coffee and the thousand and one other, needs of body, mind and spirit "over; - » there?" Ain Can proud Canadians send a 'more' & heartening, more practical m to Canadian heroes now amid 1h perils of the greatest battle in history than this: "that the Canadian peop responded to the Call of the YMCA. with magnificent, abundant whole-, hearted Génerosity!" Will You Help? Many Give their Lives --All Can Give shel Money - x rt CRRA CREA RCH CC RCAC CR A XR ROR XR RNR RO