Road Back by Erich Maria Remarque — Read

Demonstrations in the streets have been called for this afternoon. Prices have been soaring everywhere for months past, and the poverty is greater even than it was during the war. Wages are insufficient to buy the bare necessities of life, and even though one may have the money it is often impossible to buy anything with it. But ever more and more gin-palaces and dance-halls go up, and ever more and more blatant is the profiteering and swindling.

Scattered groups of workers out on strike trail through the streets. Now and again there is a disturbance. A rumour is going about that troops have been concentrated at the barracks. But there is no sign of it as yet.