Notes on the News Dr. Schacht’s Dismissal

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 26 January 1939, Page 3

Notes on the News Dr. Schacht’s Dismissal

i’lie uieinissal of Dr. Hjulniai* j £cliacbt from Die presidency of I u*r Keicbsbonk is Marshal Goering's >ec- j ond victory over this wizard of Gc» ! man tiuanee. The flr*t was the residua liou of Dr. Sehacht from the post of i Economic Miubter of the German j Reich some 11} months ago. lie "as I the last obstacle tc Marsl a r j Four Year Plan. I Four years ago Dr. Sehuchi told j Herr flitter that he could not siVlsfactorily fulfil Ills functions as presi* j dent of the Keichsbank unless lie could at the same time take charge of f he Ministry of Economy, because, as he said then, economic life, in the long run, rules curremw J l*» w were granted. Within three years he succeeded iu settiug up a coherent system of endless internal circulation of goods aud services which still allowed for maintenance of a margin of profit for the producers aud for relative stability of currency as a medium of exchange. He wanted to improve the system by .x----teuding trade with the rest of the world, and he. argued that German imports pf raw materials and food products as they stood then were insufficient to make possible a vigorous enough development of the Reich'* economy. He was. in a word, opposed to a policy of isolation. From the start lie was opposed by Marshal Goering. whose reasoning is: Germany cannot expect to increase her purchases abroad because the requis ire financial credits would have been given her in Great Britain and the United States only on political conditions which she cannot accept unless she abandons her forcible policy, which she is not willing to do. Besides, in wartime, foreign supplies would fail her anyhow, as her foes would coutrol all maritime traffic. Therefore, he argued, there was no other course oj»eu to her but to produce synthetically, within her own limits, oil. rubber, wool, cotton, and numerous other essentials. As early as May. 1937, Dr. Sehacht

objected to the whole undertaking. 1 which he denounced as utterly destructive of nil he himself had achieved. He i argued that Goering’s plan would do ! away with the comparatively stable i prices he had been fortunate enough to j preserve, and, moreover, that it would strike a last blow at the capitalist structure. The New Diplomacy The dictators. IK-u Hitler (Germany) and Signor Mussolini (Italy), are reported to be muting new claims. The claims are giving the Premier of France, M. Daladier, anxious concern. Meanwhile, in London, Mr. Neville Chamberlain said: “You know I have done all 1 can to preserve peace for ourselves and others.” The meeting of .Mr. Chamberlain. M Daladier, Herr Hitler and Signor Mus* solidi in Munich during the Czechoslovakia crisis led one commentator to say that “an ora of one-man diplomacy has come to the international relations of Europe. . . In essence relations between nations depend nowadays upon direct communications between the heads of governments. “The public is accustomed to the personal intervention of dictators in diplomatic affairs. But a British Prime Minister lias firmly gathered into his own hands the threads of control of the Foreign Office, ond now’ Edouard Daladier. Premier of France, claims to have taken a most important initiative in suggesting a meeting between Mr. Chamberlain and Chancellor Adolf Hitler. Foreign Ministers seem to have l*>en reduced to the position of aides-de-camp to the heads of Governments, whether totalitarian or democratic. . .. “Today it is usual deliberately to direct the attention of the public toward showy dummy activities while vital talks proceed in tlio shadows. . . . It, would be inaccurate to say that Europe is ruled by a four-Power pact:, but it is right to declare that the affairs of the Continent are in large measure decided by agreement or dissension among actors like Mr. Chamberlain. M Daladier. Herr Hitler ond Signor Mussolini. “At Bercbtesgaden Mr. Chamberlain confronts Herr Hitler alone. Whnf passes between the two beads of Governments is a profound secret to bo given out later in strictly measured doses. . .

The German Navy A photograph iu “The Dominion” | yesterday showed Germany's big- j gest battleship, the 20,000-ton Scharni Jiorst, which was put into commission ' on January 7 last. ] According to the German Naval An- ! nual for 1038, when the new vessels ; now building are delivered the Ger- j man fleer, excluding older units, will I consist of: two 35,000-ton battleships 1 with 15-iueli guns: two 20,000-ton bat- | tier-hips with 13-inch guns; three 10.j 000-1 ou “pocket battleships” with 11j inch guns j three 10,000-ton armoured cruisers with 8-inch guns; two 10.- ' 000-ton cruisers with 0-inch guns: eight 0000-7000-ton cruisers with flinch guns; two aircraft carriers *>f j 10,250 tons: 22 super-destroyers, 16251800 tons; 30 smaller destroyers: fll ocean and sea-going submarines. The establishment, it is pointed out, is based on the Anglo-German tonnage rate of 100:35 fixed by the Anglo-Ger-man naval treaty of 3035. In submarine tonnage the treaty entitles Germany to 45 per cent, of the British total, and reserves to her the right to go up to 100 per cent., provided that she first consults with the British Government. A feature of the two 30,000-ton battleships, says Hector l’.ywater, a noted British naval authority, is their en- ! urinous beam—llß feet. This com- I pares with the 100 feet of the Nelson i and Rodney, the broadest ships in the I 1 British Navy, and 105 j feet of the Hood. It is evident, he adds, that the under- I water protection of the German ships J is exceptionally strong. They will j mount eight 15-inch guns. 12 fl-inch. and 32 4.1 inch auti aircraft guns. The two 2G,000-ton battleships. Scbnrnhorst and Oneisenau. mount nine 31-inch guns. It is explained that this comparatively small calibre was chosen to save weight for armour protection. The personnel of the German navy is said to be nearly 50.000. j Fatness can be banished the harmless, j ealthtul way by taking Bonkora Call ; o-day. Obtainable trom G. E. VVhar- , ton, Chemist, Nelson. I