Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-11-23
GERMANY IS SUFFERING
LACK OF RAW MATERIAL
NC" York Ifnancicr Says Need o.
KcSun,ing Ordinary Trade Is
Urgent.
WASTED HER HUMAN CAPITAL
writer Declares No Reason Exists for
rear of German AmbitiOns--NOt
ADic TO Aspire Again to Dominate
In War or Trade.
BY FRAECIS II. SiSSON,
'icr-fresidcnt Guaranty Trust Com

~ EhRN tIS IL. StSSoNs
'Fc-fresidcnt Guaranty Trust Conn
puny OF New York.
IN considering the European sltua-
ion We have usually confined our in
tcrcst't TO the principal allied countries,
England. France, Belgium and italy.
we have given but scant attention TO
perfectly natural result. wholly log
zeal one. But. year after the ccssa-
ton OF hostilities-if not peace thanks
beginning TO realize as are the British
ic!gians and Italians, that the Euro
pcan situation cannot right Itself with
out the former enemy nations Fighting
themselves.
Ia other words. an economic league
OF nations Ia already in existence. ana
The members. comprising all civilized
peoples. are awaRing to the fact That
they are all dependent upon each other
and that not ono OF the w9r-torn bel
| ligerents can truly rchabilitate itself
unless all the others also are permitted
and assisted TO rehabilitatc them
i selves.
France. for instance, soreIy needs
her Indemnity from Germany, and ye,
she appreciates fully that Germany
cannot pay that indemnity unless Ger
many is allowed TO work and is pro-
| yided with the means for work
do not advocate forgetting Ger.
i rnany's unforgivablc crimes against
civilization. do not suggest or imply
that we should mitigate our feeling
au inst Germany. But. purely as
matter of common sense. / believe that
i we must face the economic facts in the
case. and be guided by them:
Need Not Fear German Ambitions.
There have been fears entcrta!nco
in various quarters that Germany II
permitted to resume Industry ana com
merce on an adequate scale. would soon
be In position 70 threaten allied su
prcmacy and world peace in trade, II
not again in war. \ careful study OF
the facts. however. does not support
o;ermany viii ever again be able seri-
ous!y 10 aspire to world domination
either in trade or war. But She NUS
be allowed to take her rightint piaSs
in international commercc--not for he.
sake bu, for the future prosperity ana
welfare of the world. That' inuccu. -
hui II Is. or should be, sufficient one.
Let US look At the conditions wh'sn
= prevail in Germany and deteF'nine
accurately as possible her nreSen s
Statna az the basis for forecasting her
Waste of Human Capital.
First of all, Il has corr~~siH peeu
observed that Germany. NOR" thtn az;
other OF the belligcrcnt powers, fough.
the war b. using up her ,c crp unon
he altar OF insane ambition her ma
tcriaI capital. but also that sli, mytt
precious asset. human soo S aha kn,ed is
.hn ...s,,re Of Gcrmany'e human CAPT
al 10 he reckoned The untoid MAJ Hrs.
of disease which resuIten aine cui,,,Iv
indircctly from the war is an ea "a ~
grim and impressive testimonii1a' ~
Tat coloseal was,age. which Wi! re-
nuirc generations to rep!a'e'
The Food Problem.
X.<i in importance is unqncsl!on-
aaiy t;.rtnany's food situation: In n0ITy
,nxi ,I,n.s ,nc Germans pfodIc.a on !.
aeou, tHree-f;a5 m si ' In 1873. NV
Aver. ,2cy' were forced TO depeni I'M m
tireiy on their o% 81. H Fsrmer harves;
SWtre coa,pletcIy exhausted; there " As
no possibility. OF s.itinS ru i;ria cSuI,
10, help and Hungary wSu,a mo'' n eve.
signmemJs from ne ne. rem,rsl
large. had scaseht ana a s .hn hue t.
Every effort Was made TO .nC ,.,,aI
agricui;urai production IN GetMi n;I; /;
All arab. land was culi!NA'.n. , On.
.he soil was impoyerish.n m V ~. .,h h'I IF
p.hor and horses. The result was mat.
while the harvest WAS posstn!I 80
con; larger ,han ina Nat. o Hcr tnS ,n nhri in
The lack Of meats and fats; how ~
yer. was the ro Morn. for q' the shor,age
,t t 9l,dd.r III t.ecsssi,ated the wholesale
Slaughter OF cattle.
Low Prices on Paper Only.
SINCE no one could exist on the RI :
t!ons allowed by me HoSe rmmeh, ;, Tny
ing the latter part OF the war, Nnner :
ground trading reached aiarn;nE pr.
gg o,iil"adS nv profitcers Farmers un-
iawfuily hoa rded their produce, por r
ton OF which they secret'! sol" AZ CA
brilliant prices.
quantities of food were smn i,s e. !,
The numerous regulations ioTniaa IN & &
een r29nrsd" as The officials secured their
own supplies from promteers ana oitsIs
shared IN the graft T ,nIs n Ister'o ri,.,
lion Of the. food supply went on. the
prolonged undernourishmcnt ot me PEG %
bic has greatly reduced their produe'! I'VE
rfficicncv decreased their power CT re-
sistancc to disease, and lowerei their
Today. Germany urgently needs food;
.tuffs ior the. next four months. and
fertilizer and forage for the next '"el'e
months.
Grcnt Shortage Of Leather.
Leather shoes were almost unob-
tAinable by ciNiiians; during the last
stage OF the wn Hin 'h Ieste @ofn ns w as
tanning tan in materiais SHOES wer@ made
lose, rags. and heels and soles ri wood
or cardboard. supply vouchers were
issued for the purchase ~ Shoes, and
even then, il was almost impc ssiblo
10 obtain even a second hanl ra;r.
work ,nsk has n; % prseG Erf fedi
wear and farmers even resort TO tying
sacks about their feet in lea - better
monty worn. in cities n; we'll as in
the country. and the authorities tried
70 prdsYa upon ths people .oo Eo 9 fro
Berlin indicate that Germany has
enough light upper. feathers to eGuin
population Of 10000. 900 persons.
state Of Textile md Other Industries
Four-fftns of the textile industries
of Germany have been paralyzed. This
is due, mainly, to shortage OF raw MA
tcrials.. Dependent on her home sup
plies OF WOOL and cotton, Germany is
practically destitute of those materials
and has reso"tcd to substitutes fol-
them.
The production Of steel in Germany
has greatly decreased Last December
for instance, 1t was only 5oO.0G0 tons
which is ABOUT 20 per cent OF normal
There is great paper shortage ii
Germany. and the demand for mos
kinds oil paper has increased yastl,