The Star. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1923. GERMANY REAPS THE WHIRLWIND.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17180, 25 October 1923, Page 6

The Star. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1923. GERMANY REAPS THE WHIRLWIND.

Hie cables are full of reports about the desperate political and economic ppsition of Germany. How much of the information is true, and how much is propaganda, we are unable to say, but we regard the whole disturbance as another debt-dodging device. Every day brings news of armed risings or Communist risings, but they appear to make very little impression on the situation. A few of the more ardent spirits get clubbed or shot by the police, and a few shops are raided for food and clothes. There is no well-defined" revolutionary organisation. The. Government allows the disturbers of the peace to make their demonstration, and then silences them. The whole thing has the appearance of a carefully devised plan, which is intended to show that Germany is too hard-up to pay anything to anybody. It is apparent that Germany's poverty has been caused by her own acts. She found money to carry on the war and to batter Europe into a hopeless cripple. She escaped the material damage, which she inflicted on France, and to a lesser extent on Britain and Italy. Defeated in the end, she signed the. peace Treaty and at once embarked on schemes to avoid the payment of compensation. The German population was encouraged to resist the invaders who came to collect the debt, and money was found to finance the passive resisters and saboteurs. It is only when money has to be found for the Allies that the German howl of agony is raised. All the present distresses of Germany are the inevitable results of the policy which has been pursued by her leaders.

The policy may result in rioting of the most serious description if any considerable section of the people are in danger of starvation. Starving people are desperate people, who cannot be held in leash by convention. There seems to be plenty of food but no systematic distribution of it in Germany. The riots could be quelled more effectively by a Food Controller than by a Minister of War. The separation movement on the Rhine will not gel far if the Central Government shows any resolution. The German Empire is solidly bound together, and if a separation .is effected it will only be a temporary one. Though the condition of Germany is undoubtedly bad the very alarmist reports which are being sent out should be considerably discounted.