CHRISTMAS IN GERMANY

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27225, 17 December 1953, Page 8

CHRISTMAS IN GERMANY

Problems For East Zone Shoppers (Special Correspondent N.Z.P.A.) LONDON, December 14. The extreme difficulties of Christmas shopping in Eastern Germany have been wittily described in a statement just published by the American authorities in Berlin, says the Bonn correspondent of the “Manchester Guardian.” The statement draws attention to the shoddy quality of many goods offered to Christmas shoppers, and to the obvipus dissatisfaction of Socialist Unity Party officials and other members of the Communist hierarchy as well as the general population. It says: “Among the goods offered by the regime for a place under Christmas trees are coats which lose their shape, shoes which split up the sides, watches and clocks which refuse to run, radios for which no tubes can be obtained, shirts in gorilla or pigmy sizes, electrical heating pads which catch fire, and toys which fall apart the first time they are used. “All these goods are taking the front places in the shop windows of the East German people’s paradise. It seems to be the general opinion that most of them should remain there.

“The ‘Berliner Zeitung’ reports that nearly one full factory shipment of 122 overcoats, 157 suits, and 600 pairs of trousers showed the following faults —pockets unevenly sewn on, sleeves the wrong shape, seams unintentionally detachable, and unsatisfactory cut. “The only all-wool material advertised in the Soviet zone is imported Dutch or Swedish, selling at about half the monthly income of the average East German worker. Shirts also

are in short supply. As for socks, 4800 pairs produced by a State socialised factory were found to be totally unelastic, and the socks on sale in one Berlin shop were found unsuitable because after a few days the whole sole simply fell out. “Worst of all is the shortage of good inexpensive toys for children. Visitors to the East German Christmas market speak of the wretched display of toys, although the East German province of Thuringia used to be the centre of the world toy-making industry. “All in all. Christmas in the Soviet zone may not be quite as happy as in some of the bad capitalistic countries.”