The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1914-09-24
SEES DOWNFALL
OF GERMAN TRADE
Berlin Writer Says War Breaks
Up All Industry.
BUT THE KERNEL is SOUND.

Unhappy Situation Is Admitted Freely,
and Problems Of Reconstruction Are
iscussed-Foresight and Great Eek.
pendtures Needed to Restore Trade
to Normal Footing. 5 % Exam
Copenhagen.---The Berlin Vossische
Zeitung discusses the extent to which
German industry already has been hit
by the war DR.. Emil Lederer, the
writer. says that the removal Of all
men capable OF bearing arms has
smashed industry to atoms" All
links uniting various trades have been
broken The crisis with regard to
money and credit which occurred in
the first instance was accumulated by
the necessity Of financing the war by
single stroke. The attempts made
to meet the crisis by liquidating assets
only made matters worse. The un-
fortunate thing. he says. is that this
liquidation, which is customary at all
crises. does not in the present instance
affect merely small body Of specu-
lators, but expresses the fact that Ger
man industry and its production are
on fictitious basis
Complete transformation, DR.. Leder
er says. is necessary in order to cope
with the new conditions brought about
by the war At present there is little
sign Of this. We see the apparent par
adox, says DR.. Lederer. that in spite
of increasing absorption for military
purposes of men capable of working
there is an increase of unemployment
among those that remain behind. Even
the much sought after labor Of women
cannot find employment. Day after
day undertakings shut down or their
output is diminished Those. indeed,
which continue at work are working
with aimless overpressure because Of
uncertainty, so the net output is dimin-
ished.
What. asks DR.. Lederer, are the de
cisive economic facts? Does the com
plete breakup Of industry which threat
ems Germany involve disruption also
Of agriculture and the supply Of neces-
saries? The war means for Germany,
first, the prevention Of exports, espe.
cially articles Of luxury; second, pre-
vention of imports Of means of sub
sistence, especially raw materials such
as cotton and copper: third, reduc-
ton of demand Of all at the front and
restriction Of demand of those remain
ing at home There no. longer Is any
demand for articles Of luxury.
Against these facts. which apparent
~ involve the gloomiest possible out
look for the near future. DR.. Lederer
says, must be set others equally de
cisive. Germany has had a remarkably
good harvest, SO on the whole the pur
chasing power of the agricultural in
dustry is relatively big. The same
thing applies to industries which sup
ply the needs Of the army and other
public purposes. The problem is to use
this purchasing power in such a way
as to revive all those branches which
supply the needs Of the above mention
ed industries. The question is how to
build around the sound kernel. 1t will
require foresight and perhaps great ex-
penditures. for forces which could
bring about this reorganization auto
matically do not exist.
It must be remembered, DR.. Lederer
says. first, that the amount Of available
labor is considerably reduced; second.
~. available raw materials probably
will not be sufficient for long time;
thirdly. the needs Of private industry
have during the war undergone con
siderable diminution and change. These
facts must first be recognized. Then
systematic plan of reconstruction
must be drawn up with the help OF
chambers of commerce and similar or.
CARNATIONS. The writer concludes by
recommending the formation OF cen
trail permanent committee representing
all interests under control of the minis.
try Of the interior to see what can be
done
This is the first German article re-
ceived here which admits the unhappy
situation Of German industry. The fu
ture will show whether the time hon
ored expedient Of appointing commit
tee OF inquiry will compensate for the
economic unsoundness Of foundations
Il wherein II rests.