LAST HOPE

Evening Star, Issue 20972, 10 December 1931, Page 11

LAST HOPE

I NEW GERMAN DECREE Rffort to avert economic collapse Press Association —By Telegraph—Copyright. BERLIN, December 8. Virtually the whole of the social life bf the country is affected by to-night s decree, which reduces the prices of coal and iron by 10 per cent., rents by from 10 to 15 per cent., railway fares, freights, and 1 public utilities by 25 per cent., and'interest on bonds and mortgages from Bto 6 per cent. All wages and salaries will be reduced to the level of January, 1927. The salaries of Civil servants will be reduced by 9 per cent, in February. Tax dodgers who are living abroad will be penalised to the extent of 25 per cent, cf the tax, with liability to arrest and imprisonment, if they do not return to Germany within four months. All this is described as a desperate last hope to avert an economic collapse, in which connection a prominent banker, Dr Melchoir, told the Basle Conference the alarming fact that Germany’s short-term debts on J uly 1 stood at £600,000,000, instead of the previous estimate of £400,000,000. The -Linkers have appointed a committee to examine the conflicting figures. POLITICAL POSSIBILITIES THE CHANCELLOR’S APPEAL. BERLIN, December 8. The chief speculation is whether the Emergency decree will bring Herr Hitler into power. Everything depends on the Social Democrats. If they join the Oppositionists in demanding the summoning of the Reichstag Dr Bruening is expected to resign, when President Hindenburg will have no choice but to call on Herr Hitler. Dr Bruening’s wireless talk to the nation explaining the decree contained a virtual threat of martial law. Ho declared that the Government would employ every means, even the declaration of a state of siege, against anyone attempting to hinder the Government from functioning. Dr Bruening appealed to the people patiently to hear the new burdens. The decree was the final step in the policy of deflation. No further wage cuts .were possible. He concluded: “It will only be' possible to meet our private debts'by other countries accepting our payments in the only possible form—namely, in the form of goods.” BANKERS' AGREEMENT ■ PARIS, December 8.. International bankers, representing / Germany’s short-term creditors. Lave reachedan agreement -to , take■ -united action in an attempt do link private credits with reparations, to which course the French Government is unequivocally hostile. REICHSBANK'S GOLD RESERVE BASLE, December 8. ' Dr Melchoir, the German delegate to the Young Plan Special Advisory - Committee, revealed the fact that, despite a favourable balance of trade of ' 350,000,000 marks for the month, the lieichshank gold cover had declined from 30 to 12 per cent. ,He declared that the Government intended to remain on the gold standard for various reasons, including public opinion, fearing inflation ,more than any country experiencing its disastrous results. THE NAZI LEADER •“ IDEAL SPARTAN STATE ” THE AIM. ‘ GERMANY FOR THE GERMANS. BERLIN, December 9. ’ “ The world must not expect fireworks from me. Germany is sick today, and needs entirely different treat- - ment from that given to her by the Versailles,quacks since 1919,” says HenHitler in an article. ‘‘l am confident that the world will soon feci vastly different about Germany when it is proved th..t her sole aim is to regain business confidence, which is far more beneficial , than 1,000 silly conferences. We shall inform the world of a programme based on an ideal Spartan State, and necessarily the feeding, warming, housing, ' and clothing of the suffering masses will be one of the first problems solved in a more or less summary manner by making the mark go further. I regret that I am unable to reveal the details of our programme. Rumours of a Nazi march to Berlin are absurd. .There is no need to hasten the collapse of the present regime, which is only a question of weeks or months. Wo arc entering on our task with determination to give Germany back to the German*.”-