BERLIN REVELRY.

Gisborne Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6078, 13 May 1921, Page 2

BERLIN REVELRY.

£IO,OOO SQUANDERED ON A BALL. GOLD BAG FAVOURS FOR WOMEN The citizen of every country is fond of declaring that his own land is the most afflicted by the plague of the new rich. But I really believe that Germany can claim the first place so far as war millionaires are concerned. She calls them "Schieber,” and they belong to a different category from their corresponding, types in England and Prance. The "Schieber” looks upon those who during the war made money enough to keep a motor-car and live in comfort as a kind of intermediate between the "fools who were ruined by the war” and the "geniuses” who amassed fortunes far greater than is realised outside of Germany. And these fortunes are not in marks. The wise "Schieber,” as soon as he saw how the wind was blowing, invested his war fortune in South American money, in Spanish pesetas, in Dutch guilders, in Swiss francs—in snort, in anything but Central European securities. The result is that, his fortune incroased threefold or more solely through the rise in the rare of exchange. An old friend of mine, whom I met at the Hotel Adlan here, tne centre of the social activities of tlio "Schieber.” laughed at nv amazement at the display of jewellery and furs. "This is nothing,” he said. "In a few days’ time a ‘super-Schieber’ is giving a big ball. I will get yon an invitation and then you will see something!” LACKEYS AND JEWELLED GIRLS,. The invitation, plastered with huge coat-of-arms, duly arrived, and at 10 o'clock oil tlie evening appointed I entered the hall of a splendid palace not far from the Tiergarten, formerly the abode ot a woman who for a long time enjoyed the friendship of n member of, tin- late Royal Family. The balustrade of the great marble staircase was lost to sight in masses ■of fresh roses. The magnificent rooms, full of antiques, were lighted with nothing but wax candles, while dozens of lackeys in powdered wigs, purple plush, and white stockings, lent a musical comedy air to the scene. But even more surprising than the surroundings were the people;, Heavily bejewelled girls, stout Germans with short thick necks bulging at the hack with rolls of fat. Poles and Russians, in large numbers, Turks and Armenians, Scandinavians and Spaniards—each of them in his way a representative type of the national profiteer—mingled with members of tlie German aristocracy, whose presence is explained by the simple fact that the only people who can afford to give a big ball in Germany to-day are the newrich. ORCHIDS AT £l2 10a. Needless to say, oh the supper table* were to be found dishes unobtainable at any price by any ordinary mortal in modern Berlin, while the floral decorations 'consisted of French orchids priced in the Berlin florists’ at 250 marks (£l2 10s nominal) a bloom. At the cotillion, which is included in the programme of every big dance in Germany. presents were distributed in the shape of silver cigarette cases for the men and gold vanity hags for the women. The standard of dancing and manners and the loud-voiced conversation were scarcely in keeping with the setting. but all seemed to be enjoying themselves in the Teuton way. As my friend and I walked back to the hotel after the ball, lie said: "This function cost not a penny less than 200.000 marks (£IO,OOO nominal).”