By 1918 the German economic situation had become so desperate that the government confiscated personal items made of metal. The poster below, designed by Louis Oppenheim, reads: “Home Furnishings made of Aluminum, Copper, Nickel, Tin are Confiscated - Deliver Them Now! The Proclamation No. M./1.18 from K[riegs]R[ohstoff]A[bteilung] [War Materials Department] of March 26, 1918, is to be in view at all collection points.” The metals collected in this way were melted down and used for the war effort.