BERLIN TO AUSTRALIAN EYES.
An .Australian student who spent Christmas in Berlin writes to his friends in Sydney-.—"Berlin was an eye-opener to me of what a great city should be and what Lomlon is not. I dare say it is not fair to compare the two cities, Berlin being much the moro modern. But 1 can't help it. One is conscious of London's greatness more from knowledge of its vnstness than from actual visual impression. Not so Berlin. Moreover, no dirt, no smoke, air quite clear, and plenty of room. Out in the suburbs, where I am, there is tho same excellent order and cleanliness about everything—shops, houses, and streets. There must l>e a Building Act, for all the houses are of a size, with some pretension to architectural charm. No terraces to speak of. Monotonous, of course, but of a pleasing monotony such as is not conveyed by endless rows of terraces. Although I have little of the world, I feel kui-c. that this is a most wonderful city. I wonder whether Ynss-Canberra will ever bo at all like it. Surely it will in time—especially if tho.Germans take us! ... I hiul a vague idea that people worked very hard in Germany. The idea is no 'longer vague, since, so far, I have- missed breakfast (7 a.m.) four times tut of five. In this institute the work goes on from* 8 a.m. till 7.30 p.m., with about an hour off in tho afternoon. . . . Everybody in Germany, rich or poor, has a Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. Each of us got something. There were four Australians, and we were given some gum leaves and wattle (grown in a hot-house), which were more to us than a complete set of Goethe. Tho explanation is that tho h?ad of the institute was horn in Jlarrickrille! And is very patriotisehe. It was jolly decent of him."
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Bibliographic details
Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1358, 8 February 1912, Page 7
Word Count
312BERLIN TO AUSTRALIAN EYES. Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1358, 8 February 1912, Page 7
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