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6 THE FATHERLAND
“FIELD-GRAY BERLIN”
By Louis Viereck
(In the near future Mr. Louis Vierecle, Berlin representa-
tive of Tm-: FATHERLAND, will travel extensively throughout
Belgium and describe to the readers of Tm: FAT!!!-ZRLAND the
prevailing conditions existing there, after a few months of
German administration. Mr. Louis Vicreck is a specialist on
labor problems and similar topics, and is a sociologist of high
standing. He was formerly a member of the German Reirhs-
tag and is now a lecturer at the Humboldt Institute, Berlin.
He has often lectured at German tnziversitier on American
HE expression “a field-gray Berlin” is entirely justified. It
characterizes a. unique phase of life in the German metropolis,
for the number of men in Berlin wearing our uniforms of “field-
gray,” a color designed on principles of protective mimicry, has
increased to a good quarter of a million. The reason for this is
simple. First of all Berlin has about 100,000 hospital beds for
wounded soldiers. These are constantly in use. Then, too, the
number of garrison and reserve troops including volunteers and
recruits who have not been sent to the front, can be estimated at
150,000 men or more. To this must be added the large number of
soldiers who have obtained leave of absence in order to recuperate
or to attend to private affairs. It is only natural, therefore, that
one finds multitudes of able and convalescent soldiers on every
street and in every public place in Berlin. Really, the boys in
“field-gray" seem to have penetrated every little nook and corner
of the great city. They are very well liked, of course, and all
empty seats in theatres and concert halls are placed at their disposal.
Very amusing incidents frequently result from this. A soldier
belonging to the landsturm had been slightly wounded. He was
given a ticket to “G6tterd51mmerung.” His civil occupation was
that’ of a farmhand, and he had never been to a theatre in his life
before. XVagner’s “music-drama" was almost a form of physical
torture to him. VVhen he returned to his comrades again he swore
that he would rather suffer three days in the trenches than sit
through another such evening at the Opera House. But this opinion
is certainly not voiced by those who attend the performances of
moving pictures. At least half a dozen theatres have several war
plays on their programs, which are changed daily, and these invari-
ably attract large audiences. How the “field-grays" do exult when
they review through the periscope of a German submarine the
torpedoing of an English ship or see a huge Bavarian soldier take
off his coat, cast away his weapon, hammer at a couple of French-
men with his fists and finally take them prisoner!
it II! III III II! it
Despite the influx of a quarter of a million soldiers from the
battlefront, the proportion of women to men is much larger now in
Berlin than in times of peace. This also can be explained. The
administrative district of Gross-Berlin, with a total population of
4,100,000 has already sent about 300,000 men to the colors. Incident-
ally, there is every evidence that this number will be considerably
augmented. It has been estimated that in case of exigency, the
German Empire can produce 10,000,000 men to fight for the Vater-
land. Thus, in ratio to its population Berlin would be liable to a
contingent of about 600,000 men, a sum almost double the amount
already furnished. There is, as a consequence, great lack of work-
ingmen, especially those qualified for expert labor or for the super-
intendence of factories and large industrial plants. But the demand
is equally imperative for men in such occupations as do not neces-
sitate any previous experience. This is well proven by the fact
that there are hardly enough men to run the street-cars. Another
good instance is the scarcity of truckmen. There are so few of
them, that the rates for moving furniture, ctc., have increased to
ten dollars a day for each man.
Still another thing has affected Berlin life quite considerably.
The municipal treasury has given out enormous sums in pensions
for the maintenance of the families of those who have gone to the
front. This has the primal effect of draining the common purse.
It also makes it difficult to obtain women servants, because most
subjects and at American unizwsities on German cultural
topics. .'lIr. Viereclc is an zlnieriean ritiscn, hazing come to
this country during the time that Alaska no: first opened up.
A series of article: he wrote on the gold territory attracted
ninth attention. In the campaigns of McKinley and Roose-
velt, Mr. V iereclr did ninth to organize the Grrman-rlmeri-
runs and did rarlirnlarlt important work in behalf of the
latter. At the request of’ the United State: Gorernntent, Mr.
V iercrk wrote an excellent monograph on German instruction
in American schools.)
of them, being the wives of soldiers receive cash payments from
the municipal treasury and consequently are not obliged to seek
employment. The city of Berlin alone. which is not even oneshalf
of the administrative district of Gross-Berlin, is supporting about
100,000 families. This fact is so well known that only a stranger
could be puzzled by the jocular question-"What do you say to this?
There is a woman here in Berlin. whose husband, son-in-law. and
six sons are all in the field. Nevertheless she receives no help
whatsoever from the city government." The answer is, that this
woman is the German Empress! She. of course, has no need of
money, but as a wife and a mother, she is affected quite as much.
if not more. than many a simple and plain woman of the people.
it It 3! O I! Q
It is really touching to see the whole-hearted fervor with which
the women of the upper and middle classes go about their work of
practical altruism. Many of them have dedicated themselves to
the care of the sick and wounded. Others give meals to the on-
coming Or departing troops. Still others distribute food among
those who need it. Sometimes a nominal fee is asked, but most
often the food is given gratuitously. This is of especial advantage
to such unfortunate artists and literary men as have met with
financial embarrassments through the war.
The war has brought about many desirable changes. Formerly’
the spirit of monied snobbishness was becoming prevalent, and our
ladies lost their heads over every freak style which came from
foreign countries. But these gripping times have acted as an anti-
dote against those evils. Our devotees of "les modes pour femmcs"
have suddenly become industrious and useful women.
They have offered up their time, their pleasures, their fortunes
even, and have fulfilled their duties gladly and resolutely. The)’
seem as firm in their will to persist against the trials of the present
situation, as are the men in the trenches. And these. we know.
could not be shaken from their purpose by a million tons of molten
steel. But the women deserve more than mere praise. The)’
should be and will be remembered in history. Probably there is a
8000 deal for them to learn, but we must not expect too much rizhl
away. Hence, it is cruel to expect an answer of them to that fate-
ful question, so characteristic of our modern civilization-"Shall
we have cake at Easter or not P"
The authorities in Berlin have strictly prohibited the people from
baking cake, since thereby the flour would be used to poor advan-
5189- Yet in P015dam, for instance, it may be baked without in-
Cuffing 11 line. and in Hamburg, the people have even been urgcd
by the authorities to eat cake in order that less bread be consumed-
That reminds me of the anecdote about the unfortunate QUCC“
Marie Antoinette. VVhen she was told that the Parisians were
suffering from a scarcity of bread, she inquired. with incomparable
naivete, why the people did not eat cake. Quite a number of
"super-patriots” urged that the eating of cake be condemned as
immoral and extravagant during these times of war. But they
soon abandoned this foolish notion, for the “hosts in the treriches"
declared that they were fighting in order that the people at homc
might 91150)’ at least a tolerable existence. In their willingness 10
sacrifice for the Vaterland the people were apt to give too mud"
In fact, the authorities were obliged to warn the people 883015‘ ‘he
fanatical agitation-“Gold for Iron"-which had induced 50 mm)’
of them to offer up their wedding-rings, heirlooms, and other pf?
cious trinkets which could never be'replaced.