BLOTTING OUT WAR STAINS

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16507, 7 August 1919, Page 3

BLOTTING OUT WAR STAINS

. GERMANY'S BID FOR POPULARITY “I sa-w precious littlo sign of stari ration,” said Sir Homy Brittain, M.P., who returned to London tarly in June from an unofficial mission to Germany, through which eouutry he travelled by road some 1-100 miles. “On the contrary, the impression ono got in the occupied zone was ono of prosperity.” Ho continued: Tho country looked fruitful—every inch of it cultivated—and tho towns weio busy. 1 travelled by road from Paris and struck across the Mosello at AVittlich. Tho contrast between the poor dead towns in Eastern France and this first German town, with almost every business “as usual,” was ! peifectly amazing, ! We. have been told that German women aud children are reduced to living skeletons. Yet everywhere I found healthy, well-nourished boys and girls—- , tho. streets teemed with them—and an American connected with tho food distribution, who was with mo, agreed in praising their appearance. And -t what multitudes of them there were! There aro evidently plenty of young Germans growing up! I did not go into tho German houses, but outwardly there was no suggestion of want. Tho restaurants seemed well equipped. The means in tho hotels were cheaper'” than in Paris. I remember at Wiesbaden we had as good a dinner as one could desire, excellently cooked and served, aud tho bill was about cuethird of the price it would have been , in Paris. Wiesbaden, I was told, had had very 1 good seasons during tho war. Not : only German officers and their families, but many visitors from neutral countries—especially Holland—had spent money freely there. SWEETS PLENTIFUL. Luxury chops hero were particularly noticeable. Sweets and flowers to suit the tastes of the well-to-do were in abundance, and tho shops that cator for women’s dross were lavishly stocked, j Tho way in which the war was put on i one side everywhere was extraordinary, i Of that a large bookshop was a good ! example. 1 saw no sign of a hook on i the war. On its shelves there were ' novels, books on science, economics, ' poetry, music, and how to rear poultry 1 —the war was not mentioned, j The low prices of many classes of ! good struck mo too. I refer to ahiI minium articles, cutlery, and optical j glasses—tilings tho Germans always i make very well. And as a franc goe-s I as far as two marks that makes things seem cheaper still. ; English goods aro not altogether ! taboo I gathered. At one town a. largo j sign outside a shop advertised razors i made in Germany from Sheffield steel. I Cameras weio at absurdly low prices i compared with those prevailing Here. ! All sorts of glassiVaro were to bo had i for trifling suras. . There is no sugar shortage in Gev--1 many. At only one sweetshop in the : whole of my tour did I see tho notice, “Ausvcrkauft,” which moans | out.” The delicatessen shops wore in ful' swing. Gorman beer is thinner, and is a subject of complaint like our own. As for the wines, you must take hock or Moselle of 1915 or younger. And it is very vinegary stuff. INQUIRIES AFTER LONDON. Tho Germans do not seem to realise ■ that they are anathema to the world. At ono hotel a fat, prosperous-looking : Roche came up to mo and said, “And how is dear old London? I shall not be happy until I have seen dear old London again.” There mas no doubt been a shortage of boots. Those one sees in the shops seem roughly made and poor in quality. Amusements arg booming. I tried to got into the opera at Coblcnce one night, but there was not a seat to be had. _ j I saw windows full of cavalry hcl- J mots, personal decorations, iron crosses, ■ and other souvenirs. That shows how j little pride the German has left. I cannot imagine Englishmen parting with their decorations in this fashion. Tho American military salute has j caught on with tho children. Boys and girls imitate it everywhere, and give it you as your car passes, . j I do not see many civilian motor cars , £ "bn the roads, and ono realised that i rubber was scarce. The cuter rims of j 2 bicycles were occasionally of metal. j AVhcn 1 was last at Treves the swag- 1 r goring German officer was everywhere. : , This time he had disappeared from the ; l; streets. Tho only German in uniform was the policeman with his soft cap instead of a piokolhaubo. c ] Many Gormans do not realise that. they were beaten by force of arms, but : attribute the present position to an | 1 internal break-up. ;