The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-10-27

harmful than decreased productivity in
the area of the commander i'm chief in
the east
The provision OF raw material was
an important undertaking, for which
we also paid cash. The Jew was. in
this instance, indispensable as middle
man. We supplied the home war de-
partment with skins and hides, copper
and brass, rags and scrap iron Great
Importance was attached to the manu-
facture of barbed wire.
With the provision of raw mater
inls there was "A slight Improvement in
trade, which ives necessarily hampered
by the restrictions personal inter
course which for military reasons we
were compelled to impose ON the ceup-
try.
EXPLOITED GREAT FORESTS
The rich forests particularly invited
exploitation. but indiscriminate feeling
was prohibited. The consumption OF
wood for field works and railway
sleepers was enormous. Saw-mills
arose one after the other, and as we
gradually provided for all the needs OF
our army, we were also able to deliver
wood to the west and Serbia. Suitable
timber was sent to Germany, and also
given to the inhabitants for the re-
building Of their homes.
Cellulose wood, for the manufacture
many in considerable quantities. We
soon allowed Unrestricted trade in this
particular kind of wood. as we and
Germany profited by it. I was glad TO
be able to help the supply of paper to
the German newspapers.
The agricultural possibilities of the
land were very thoroughly developed III
every direction, but we spared the
country and local population as much
as we could. Consideration for the
rate of exchange made it Impossible
always to pay in German money IN
agreement with the Imperial Bank ana
the authorities in Berlin, the army-ln-
dendant Geheimrat Kessel and captain
Konigs issued special local coinage OF
the communicative hief in the east
which was soon gladly accepted. we
| also opened German banks in order to
revitalize economic conditions
1t was no simple matter to finance
| the whole administration
There was an absolute scrnmDis
| among the various departments OF nay
| ministra ton for places ana extra
| pay for the subordfnates.
| The commandants on the lines OF
| communication were always coming
| to me with fresh demands. l had tc
smooth things over, and so gained some
| idea of the trials and anxiet1eS OF ou1
national financial Administrations
| As soon as we had successfully drawn
up our first budget, we forwarded 1t &c
the war minister in Berlin and to the
| quartermaster-g general.
! After careful scrutiny and vfoien'
disagreement it was at last approved.
| Our revenue was derived from Gus
! from custoEs, indirect taxation ane
I monopolies, in view OF the RUSSIA
practice. Import duties were collected
at the frontiers by Prussian financia
/ officials, against an indemnity to the
| Prussian treasury. :.
! Monopolies of spirits, cigarettes, SAT-
| matches and confectionery were IN
troduced. We introduced rough sys
| tenn of graded taxation per head W.
could not have any better basis Tor
| system of personal assessment. a.
regards taxation on property, we la
troduced a tax on land and profits ant
inhabited house duty.
The people on the whole were sat
| isfied with the taxation, which di'
not burden them heavily. The tota
taxes per head, including the loea
rates, did not exceed 1850 marks an
nually, as against 32.75 marks befor'
the war They could not, however
get used to the dog license. OWNS
to hydrophobia, dogs had become
danger to the country, and counte
measures had to be taken. me "a
however, Was dDOiiShCu "iSii 80 -
pose had been accomplished.
have only indicated the princlpa
items of taxation. Further source
of revenue were gradually developeo
The results were favorable, Tor IN
receipts sufficed for the administrator
of the country without asslstahc
from the Imperial treasury,
| DEFENDS GERMAN JUDGES
The legal system was in accoroanc
with the Hague convention. I'M
required in matters of private litlsa
ton that the local population snoul
have the benefit of their own laws
Our first business, however, was !
find out what the law really was I'M
was no easy matter, owing to the con
fusion in the Russian system, con
: fusion which had existed in this regio
before the war. -.
when we found out what the lay
was II had to be translated into Ger
man to enable the German Judges I
give Judgment accordingly. I firml
believe that only the Germans Woui
! take so much trouble in conquere
. country. In spite of that, 'enem
propaganda denounced us as Huns !
the world at large so successluli
that we were helpless against IT.
The German judge administered TOT
, eign laws to the poor, vermln-inieste
villages of Lithuania in the same SPIT
of Justice and impartiality that
!, would have shown in Berlin. VINO ca
I emulate this!
/. Major Altman inspector of schools l
: the Prussian ministry OF educatioi
:. drew UP a scheme for the guidance
! schools, to the further benefit OF IN
population 1t was conceived In
lofty spirit, and respected the righ'
. |, of each denomination and race Her
as elsewhere, anything of a provocativ
nature was studiously excluded
There was dearth of teachers &c
the schools so we supplied numpei
Of the teaching profession from tf
! Iandstrum Later on the complain
was made that they only spoke We,
man with the children, WHO. alter az
attended voluntarily. The teachei
E unfortunately knew no other languag
ana we had very few Lithuanian 9
polish speaking teachers at our dis
pasal. rcr,
NEUTRAL ON RACE AND CREE
No reconstructions were imp Sc
ar,one in the practice OF his rehgio,
W.. went so far in our desire Cor to
grafton as to give the Jews wneate
-four for unleavened bread
The evangelical clergy IN CouriAl
were quite on our sloe. anu W.
soon on satisfactory terms with u
| catholic priesthood OF Litf uania q
p,l.sh catholics, however, were hosti
to US ~. ;,,ar
1he Polish clergy wer- the pillar
! Po,.sn national propa ganuaa Inc! M
preserved that character even uih4'
tae Russian knout.
A long as I controllet 0he aohih.
traticr we maintained q ne lt':.i X.
.uda toward the various races. ~
rcles regarded us as ant -Pelish. o.
| -, - oave the Lithuera rs eru.