The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-11-14
PAINTS GLOOMY
PICTURE OF LIFE
In AUSTRIAN and
GERMAN EMPIRES.
Escaped American Tells
Associated Press Crisis
Approaches
MAY REPUDIATE
THEIR WAR DEBTS
Series of Laws Forbidding
Emigration Expected
After the War

Berne, October S0.-(Correspon-
dence of the Associated Press.)-
There has just arrived here from
Germany a naturalized American
who has lived in Germany through
out the war, worked in German sea-
port cities, passing for or being con-
sidered a German subject, mingling
not only with the common people,
but having occasional access to the
councils Of the high. -..
In his opinion Germany is suf-
fering acutely now and dissatisfac-
ton and worse reign in certain
strata Of her army and navy. Recent
mutinous uprisings have had to be
sternly depressed and the mutineers
shot. Thoughtful Germany, he
thinks, comprising men Of the Balm
type, is desperately anxious for
peace and secretly anxious to end
the war before America has been
utterly alienated.
This man left Germany early in
October, because he had reason to
fear that he was going to be i'm
German government had refused to
recognize the validity of his Ameri-
can naturalization since he failed to
comply with the law existing in, 1913
and did not seek the consent of the
German government to his step. To
get out he had to induce the Spanish
embassy to bring pressure to bear
on the German government. On
reaching Switzerland one of his first
steps was to seek the Associated
Press correspondent, to whom he
first proved satisfactorily his Ameri-
can citizenship. then volunteered
such information as he possessed
about Germany as the duty OF a
ly enough, at the very moment he
was telling his story with details
about mutinies in the German navy,
the German minister Of marine, Ad-
miral Won Capelle, was announcing
the naval mutinies to the reichstag.
Situation Critical.
'The economic situation in Ger
many" he says, "is far worse than
anyone on the outside realizes, is so
critical that / for one look for
break, a collapse. next spring or late
in the winter. Nor are the good
crops that one hears boasts about
every once in so often going to
change the situation materially.
Throughout the German people
there is what amounts to hatred
of America. and this hatred has been
concentrated on President
Wilson because it is easier to hate
a man than nation, especially |
nation that is the home of pretty |
nearly everyone's relative.
But the big men Of Germany, the |
men who have to look ahead and |
guide the empire after the war, do /
not hate America. They feel too /
keenly that they need America, and |
they would like to stem the tide of |
hate before it becomes mutual and /
the United States Is alienated, per-
naps for all time.
"They know that after the war
there is only one country in the
world where they can get the money
they shall need, America, and they
are worrying a plenty nowadays.
They, and all Germany, want in
a peace that shall specify,
among other things. the right to
purchase raw as we'll as finished
anywhere in the world on
he same terms as any other nation.
May Repudiate Loans.
Every indication points to prob
able confiscation of property and
population of perhaps half the war
oan totals after the war. Even the
of property to be con-
iscated is being talked of, and it
seems probable that the government
will take twenty per cent of every
hing.
"On the other hand it seems
probable from all I hear that an
9ven half of all outstanding war
oans will be nullified. The seventh
will suffer exactly as the first and
he first as the seventh. Fifty per
,ent will be repaid. and the other
fifty per cent will either be cancell-
ID or will merely continue to pay
be sort of perpetual
Investment the capital for which
cannot be realized.
AS surely as anything can be
predicted there will be in the CEN
raj powers a series of laws = for
bidding emigration. And in antici-
patton Of them countless Germans
.oday are talking about ways and
means of getting away after the
var. South and North America, and
peculiarly enough New Zealand and
Australia, are the Ravens to which
hey speak of fleeing. The first
German ship that lands in America
after hostilities will leave fifty per
,ent Of its crew behind.
1T Is becoming clearer and clearer
% Germans every day that all the
ak that has gone the rounds about
/ Central Europe" after the model
II Professor Naumann and others
will be out of the question.
Contrary to the belief that seems
% be almost universal outside of
Germany, really believe that pam
Sermanism is on the decrease Tath-
n than the increase among the
masses of the people, and this de-
ipite the increased noise about 1t
Everywhere in Germany and the In
ensive way in which 1t Is being en-
,ouraged The reason for this Is
hat more and more the German
oeople are Coming to realize what a
catastrophe it will be for them after
he war is over IL they are hated in
III the world. Pam Germanism, they
ire coming to feel, is likely to in
ensify the feeling against them,
md thereby make their economic
struggle In the future more dificult."
He then touched briefly on AUS
ro- German relations and cautioned
.gainst any hope that Austria win
all away from her big ally, for, he
she Is too dependent fin-
.ncialIy and militarily to be able
D shake loose, much as she might
Ike to do SO. The German military
see to 1t that German
oldiers are intermingled with Aus
rian troops not only to spur them
N in lighting but also to prevent
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