CONDITIONS IN GERMANY

Otago Witness, Issue 3488, 18 January 1921, Page 17

CONDITIONS IN GERMANY

WORLD-WIDE TRADE SWEEP. LONDON, January 11. Ime present year will witness a most determined effort by Germany to regain her pre-war hold on the world’s markets. Already a flood of imports to England from the Fatherland, including large stocks of toys, machinery, and textiles has seriously affected the economic situation and greatly added to unemployment and the closing of factories. Now the Leipzig Fair, which has hitherto been substantially fostered and subsidised by the German Government, is prepared for a gigantic world-wide trade sweep directed par ticularly against Germany’s late enemies, and a revival of Germany’s overseas trade. The organisers have applied to the Government for 20,000,000 marks to be spent on trade propaganda abroad. This is in marked contrast with 1919, when they asked for and were granted only 1,000,000 marks. The directors of the fair recognise that to be completely successful the scheme will involve another 20,000,000. This thev are endeavouring to raise from private firms. _ -The rehabilitation of Germany’s shipping is slowly but surely proceeding, and necessarily will largely ‘ affect the situation of the Hamburg-Amerika Company. An extraordinary meeting decided to raise the capital by a sum up to 200,000,000 marks. The chairman referred to the danger of foreign interests becoming predominant, and stated that Hamburg was rapidly becoming a prosperous port. NEW VOLUNTEER ARMY. LONDON, January 12. The special correspondent of the Daily Chronicle at Berlin reports that the new volunteer army of 100,000 will consist if 21 infantry, 18 cavalry regiments, and seven independent squadrons with artillery. The estimated cost is 5,000,000 marks yearly. Privates will enlist for 12 years, and officers for 25 years. The men will be educated for civil occupations during their service. The Berlin correspondent of the Daily Chronicle says that there will probanly be fierce opposition in the Reichstag to tiio proposal to create an Army Council, appointed by tile soldiers’ voting, to act as advisers to the Minister. Supporters of Prussian methods regard the scheme as the beginning of Soviet rule. UNREST IN PLEBISCITE AREA. COPENHAGEN, January 12. The Politiken’s Berlin correspondent reports that owing to growing excitement in the Upper Silesian plebiscite district, where robberies and murders are increas-

mg, the German Government sent a Note to the Allied Ambassadors’ Council demanding that the Interallied Commission shall take more stringent action against crimes, and exercise a sharper control in the plebiscite area. REVIVAL OF SHIPBUILDING. LONDON, January 13. The Daily Telegraph Beylin correspond ent says that 28 ocean-going steamers are being constructed at Hamburg, and 14 more are ordered. Of the total, 28 are between 5000 and 10,000 tons. Six of them are for the Hamburg-Amerika Line and nine for the German-Australian Line. The chairman of the Hamburg-Ameruui Company declared that he was looking P the future with great confidence. MAINTENANCE OF MILITARISM. BERLIN, January 13. In the Prussian Assembly Herr Ludwig an Independent member, criticised an item on the Estimates of 1,000,000,000 marks for the upkeep of the military police. He declared that the force was composed ol old army officers, men who retained the old spirit. Huge sums were spent to create billets for reactionary officers. There was actually one officer to every 24 men. Herr Hoffman declared that the defence troops constituted a new army, which could be directed against Germany or a foreign Power. The Estimates were thereupon referred back to a committee. EX-KAISERIN SERIOUSLY ILL. AMSTERDAM, January 13. The condition of the ex-Kaiserin (who has been in ill-health for some time) is critical. The ex-Kaiser never leaves her bedside. The ex-Crown Prince has arrived. SURRENDER OF A STEAMER. BERLIN, January 13. The world's largest steamer, the Tirpitz, will be surrendered to the Allies on January 18. DISORDER IN BERLIN. BERLIN, January 16. Communist demonstrators attempted to traverse the police cordon in order to reach the Reichstag. The police fired, wounding many.