WHAT GERMANY IS THINKING.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3135, 18 September 1922, Page 2

WHAT GERMANY IS THINKING.

In the New York Times for Sunday, July 9; a foreign correspondent gives what purports to be a conversation between two Germans, both veterans of the World War. The one stubbornly declares that he will never fight again, though it be to prevent the conquest of his country by some nation of an alien continent and color. The other, basing bis hatred for Prance on her policy since the World War, asserts that he lives only in the hope of sharing yet another campaign beyond the Rhine, in which no provision need bo made for prisoners, since no quarter will be given. Neither makes any progress in converting the other, and the general impression left is that Germans generally, bewildered and discordant, have no united or general convictions, much less any far-reaching plans.

The last batch of leading German periodicals to reach this country' confirms this conclusion. The most notable example of such mutual recrimination is the Suddeutsche JMonatsheft for May. Here might be expected a united acclaim of the Wittclsbach dynasty as the one hope of future unity, prosperity, and greatness of Germany; but the entire space, eighty pages of the finest and closest print, is taken up, under the title I'The Origin of the War," with an account of the recent legal proceedings as to a wholesale forgery of official documents.

A more dramatic confirmation of the dialogue alluded to above opens the leading political article in the Juno number of the Neue Rundschau, which smiles upon the weary midsummer reader in fair, open pages and beautiful Latin type:—"The Great War and its results, despite all the immense losses, failed to shatter the structure of the German Empire. But there is peril indeed—really serious danger, that the bond which unites all those who dwell in imperial German lands is to he sundered from within." This is from a rather brief paper, by Herr M. J. Bonn, entitled "The Crisis of the German State." Its grievance appears to bo that "the interests" have very largely usurped the governmental functions, and dictate the foreign policy of Germany;— "Especially, at Spa in the summer of 1920, at the Government's own request. Herr Stinnes came forward as spokesman, and though he could and did offer nothing new. his utterances constituted a political pronunciation of his own. as to which the Government had itself no previous knowledge.' . . . Herr Stiunes is not to he blamed for seizing the opportunity to push Jus own foreign policy. The Government had divested itself of that function." This throws a ray of light on the situation at this moment in Merlin, where the present regime does appear to be falling of its own dead weight. The paper was, of course, published before the murder of Walter Rathenau, which has indeed stained the cause of the reactionists and imperialists, hut limv nevertheless assure their success. Of more vital interest and signiiicance, this side the sea, is the leading political article in the Deutsche Rundschau for June, by Merren Henry Behnsen and Werner Genzmer. entitled "A Balance-sheet of World Trade Since the War's End." Tins hears all the marks of old-fashioned] German thoroughness in research. If there be any covert special pleading of the Fatherland's own cause, it is well hidden behind elaborate statistical tables and a general treatment by classes, of countries far and near. In particular there is a division into (1) producers of raw materials, ('2) lands with high rate of exchange, and (li) lands of low exchange. Our own happy country falls into the first category, but also supplies the dividing-line between the other two, viz., whether their currency is at present at a discount of "only" 50 per cent, or less when converted into American dollars. Switzerland leads the second column with the pround figure 103 (the premium of 3 per cent, being presumably easier to Collect in Zurich than in Xenia or Ypsilanti). Mexico surprises us at 95, along with Sweden. Holland, Japan and even Egvpt; England herself training the leaders at 90. while the other European allies, France, Belgium. Italv. Portugal, Boumania, fall farther and'farther below 50 per cent., though all far above Germany at 1.08, while German Austria holds the "cellar" position with 0.09.

The opening sentence is unflinching: "The hope of the peoples of the world. Hint with peace healthy economic conditions would also return, has been utterly frustrated."

Thi' essential difficulties arc arrayed with no less 1 frankness. It is lonefully stated and demonstrated that foreign commerce is a« vital to our continued prosperity here in the I idled States as it is to tin- lands most completely dependent on our coal. Iron, ■irain. cotton, etc. The utmost possible retrenchment hy governments and peoples, heavier taxation, or even forcible confiscation of surplus wealth ■ in (lermany espccia 1.1 y —high tariff walls to keep out the cheap goods' of semihankrupt States, are all frankly analysed and shown to he at best palliatives of temporary value, often real aggravations of the world-wide disease. The final words strike one as full of “‘Yankee 101111111111 sense”;— “Only when the balance:-, pf trade among all nations are approximately equalised. can economic relations between them he restored to normal equilibrium. Such a balance will assert itself (oentually hy force, if it is not voluntarily and intelligently brought about. that the downfall of world commerce will firing yet further disillusionment, unless adequate compulsory measures are put in operation ought, after the events of the last three years, to he clear to all ecuecruecl.” The exhaustive tables, showing the iliietiialioiis 111 prices of all the chief staples since the date of the truce 111 I;)IS. should make this paper especially valuable to far-sighted, business men as well as to professional economists. There is not a. historical or hitter word in it. Tn general, the Deutsche Rundschau appears to he honorably maintaining its leadership as a sane, dignified' organ of the best (format! thought in polities, economics, and literal 11 ng