have great reception and
dining-rooms called "representation rooms," but very little
comfort or space in the sleeping quarters.

It is impossible to think of dropping in suddenly on a Berliner
for a meal. The dinners are always for as many people as the
rooms will hold and are served by a caterer.

Only two very distinguished guests may be invited. The host and
hostess sit opposite each other at the sides of the table, with
the guests tapering off in rank to right and left of them, the
ends of the tables being filled up with aides and secretaries.
When a great man is invited his aide or secretary must be asked
also. These come usually without their wives.

After dinner men and women leave the table together and smoke in
the other rooms of the house, going from group to group. And,
although perhaps ten kinds of wine are served during dinner, as
soon as the guests leave the dining-room, servants make their
appearance with trays of glasses of light and dark beer and
continue to offer beer during the remainder of the evening.

The Germans talk much of food and spend a greater part of their
income on food than any other nation. They take much interest in
table furnishings, china, etc., and invariably turn over the
plates to see the marks on the under side.

Whipped cream is an essential to many German dishes, and in the
season a Berliner will commit any crime to obtain some plover's
eggs.

The weiss bier of Berlin, served in wide goblets, is rather going
out of fashion. It often is drunk mixed with raspberry juice.

The restaurants of Berlin are not gay, like those of Paris. There
is, however, a rather rough night life created for foreign
consumption. I did not take in any of these night restaurants and
dancing cabarets, warned by the case of an Ambassador from ----
who was reproved by von Jagow for visiting the "Palais de Danse."

In peace time few automobiles are to be seen on the Berlin
streets. There are many millionaires in the city, but the old
habits of German thrift persist.

The modern architecture of Germany is repulsive. The man who
builds a new house seems to want to get something resembling as
nearly as possible a family vault. Ihne, court architect and
Imperial favourite, has produced, however, some beautiful
buildings, notably the new library in Berlin.

Munich pretends to be more of a centre of art and music than
Berlin. Artists have their headquarters there, but the disciples
of the awful "ar