Evidence that the war has brought a great increase of crime in Germany
is forthcoming in many forms. At a conference held in Berlin early in
1918 to discuss "public insecurity" in all parts of Germany, it was
stated that most of the burglaries and other crimes were committed
during the nights between Friday and Monday. Statistics were given of
the payments made by companies which issue insurance policies against
burglary and theft. Payments on account of burglaries increased from
$400,000 in 1914 to $1,100,000 in 1916, and to about $5,000,000 in
1917. Compensation for stolen goods to the amount of nearly $15,000,000
was paid by the Prussian railways in 1917, as compared with a total of
only $1,050,000 in 1914.
Owing to the constant thefts of food in Berlin an official order has
been issued that no wheat or flour is to be moved through the streets
after dark. The theft of letters is becoming more and more common. One
night nineteen letter-boxes in Charlottenburg were broken open, and
the letters were destroyed after the postage stamps had been torn off.
Owing to frequent thefts of letters at a small town named Mittenwalde,
the Postmaster laid a trap for the thief, with the result that his own
wife has been sent to prison for six months.