H, B. to Dean*. January 28,1920. 

 continue the war longer, when the scarcity of grain was so tremendous, 

 that the daily bread must get officially adulterated. It consisted of rye, 

 milled out of 96 percent, bran, meal of dry turnips and potato-shells and 

 various other unknown matters, and was so indigestible, that Bicarbonate 

 of Soda must be a constant companion of the meals. When the potatoes were 

 gone, turnips were portioned out for and meat, butter, milk, eggs etc* 

 got almost out of sight, A help in this bitter time was offered by the 

 greediness of same farmers who, instead of delivering all their products 

 to the govsrment offices for public portioning, kept a good deal and sold 

 it secretly at high rates. They earned more by this. Most of the town- 

 people made use of this and the country- trains were filled with/ hamsters 



as they were ludicrously called. In spite of the prohibitive measures 

 by the authority, everyone who could, tried to get a bit of the rare com- 

 fort. Here the social misproportion was right visible as it had developed 

 e*ing to the war. The owners of factories of munition and other war- 

 objects and the well-paid workers there , pushed up the prices of butter 

 etc, by offering and outbidding at any rate. So it got harder to procure 

 anything and 1 had sometimes to ?.<alk eight hours on purpose to acquire 

 half a pound of butter for love or money. I wonder I made it, 

 when the revolution began, we learned thet the Kaiser, the princes and 

 all these interested people who had cried loudest for the continuation 

 of the war, had stored up rich stocks of exquisite provisions, sufficient 

 for many more years. The smart peasants above mentioned, feot wealthy by 

 the war. This shows the whole corruption. We have yet now the compulsion 

 with the ticket- system, except for imported victuals. Members of the 

 government are afraid of a new scarcity in the coming spring? The cu.tas- 

 trophal state of the Marks- valuta is said to be the cause. This in connect 



ion with the tremendous taxes and the improver! shing confiscation of 

 fortune makes everyone nervous. Uobody knows how long the present 



