Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1918-06-11

have since wished they had never paid
any attention to them.
According to the promises Of the
Hohenzollern, victory was 10 have been
achieved in December, 1918, and the
promises made TO myself and other
commercial men in Germany when our
| money for the kniser's war chest was
wanted were to have been then redeemed
CHARGES IMPERIAL BLACKMAIL.
But this is what happened in reality !:
In December of 1916 the chancellor
Bethmnnn-Hollwcg, began TO have inter
views once moro with business men.
The purpose of these interviews was 10
get moro money from them. Guarantees
were asked from scventy-fivc business
men in Germany, including myself, that
they would undertake to subscribe
goo, 100000 to the next war loan. |
was personally asked to guarantee n
subscription OF 100000 | declined to
give this guarantee; so did some others.
| was then favored withapriva te inter,
view with Bcthmann-T Iollwcg's private
secretary who told me that if declined
10 give the guarantee and subsequently
the money | would lose on a contract ]
had with the War Office But not only
that u was threatened with the practical
ruin of my business if | did not give the
guarantee.
/ described this demand as blackmail
Of the worst sort and refused 10 guarantee
a mark TO the war loan. Two months
later ! lost my contract, and the greater
part of my business has been taken over
at a figure that means confiscation.
Moreover, am not TO get paid until after
the war, but am To receive per cent on
the purchase price. Every man who
declined to promise a subscription 20 the
amount he was asked has been treated In
the same manner.
The majority of men, however. pre-
ferred to pay rather than to be ruined, and
so the Hohenzollerns in the main got their
way. But, apart from the matchmaking
of men who refused to pay any more
money into the Hohenzolern war chest,
let us see how the Hohenzollerns' promises
are working out A circular was sent ont
last March TO a large number Of business
men by the Foreign Trade Department
which contained the following suggestions:
PREPARING FOR THE RECKoNIEG.
at will be wise for employers who have
foreign trade interests to employ agents
in foreign countries who can pass them
selves off as being of French or English
birth. German agents and travellers
will probably for some time after the war
have difficulty in doing business pot only
in enemy countries, but in neutral
countries There will undoubtedly he
a personal prejudice against Germans
that would probably make il difficult for
representatives of German firms TO do
business. Although this prejudice will
not interfere with German trade, as il VIII
he merely of personal character, il will
facilitate trading transactions il employers
will employ agents who pass as French or
English, preferably, or ms Dutch, Amer
can or Spanish,
So this is the prospect we are faced
with after the war The meaning Of this
circular in plain language is this: SO
loathed and hated have Germans become
outside their own country that no one
will want 10 have any personal dealing
with them after the war
4 large number Of businesses arc,
moreover, being secretly bolstered up
with State aid A condition of this aid
is that the owners of the business receiving
it shall agree to accept n considerable
degree of State control over their business
after the war. This is part and parcel
OF plan on the part Of the Hohenzollerns
to get the commercial classes thoroughly
into their grip before the end OF the war
and so MINIMIZE the chances OF revolu-
ton.
These men who have agreed to accept
aid now for their business, and State
control after the war, have received a
notification from the Foreign Trade
Department to the effect that, with proper
organization. Germany ought to recover
her pre-war trade three years after peace
is declared Here is the Hohenzollern
- rola1Y,,nrr W.
TO get back our pre-war trade three years
after peace IS declared, and to do this
we must submit TO have our trading
transactions controlled and supervised
by the State
Can any German to whom such pros
poets are held out by the emperor fail TO
see that he has been bamboozled and
humbugged and fooled into supporting
a war from which the utmost he can hope
to gam is 10 come out of 1t without
national bankruptcy?