Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-04-04
PRESENT GE RMAN
COVE RNMENT To
>>.E.SH0RT-L!vEO,
NOW PRE- D|CTED
Correspondent Who Has Made
Close Study Believes That
Entire Empire Is Threatened
With BOISheviSm,
FOOD SITUATION WILL
FORCE PEACE TREATY
Desire for Food Said to Be
Stronger Than Opposition
Against CeCeSSiOn Of Purely
German Territory,

German lefrlt0ry,
tsv SoPH'so JOURNAL SPECIAL -sAssn ~iREl
Paris, Apr.l (hy the Associated
Press The latest adv!ces concern
| ing the fighting at Frankfort and the
renewal of the strike in Berlin con-
| firm the impression prevailing in
Germany when the former Berlin cor
respondent of the Associated Press
left there a week ago that the then
comparative lull in the manifesto
tons of Industrial disorder and rev.
olutionary violence and pillage by the
rabble was only temporary,
Germany was at that time fairly
quiet, the only important exception
| being a strike in the surrounding re-
| gion. The March insurrectlon in
Berlin and the disturbances IN central
| Germany and in east Prussia had
been suppressed the flame of dis
order was only Pickering in the
Silesia coal fields. while order was be-
! ing maintained in Bremen Essen and
/ other cities formerly scenes of Spar
tacan uprisngs, and the socialist pro-
/ letariat of Bavaria although running
! affairs in that state without regard
| to the central government. were not
seeking any occasion of conflict with
the central authorities.
| Beneath the surface there were
abundant possibilities of trouble. The
majority of the German working men,
| particularly to married men, wish to
work, although higher wages are be-
ing constantly demanded to meet the
rising cost of food. An energetic
Spartacan minority and the younger
irrepressibles, however are constant
ly causing trouble and preaching
Bolshevist doctrines Of reiterated
political strikes to dispossess factory
owners and overthrow the present
| government.
| On earlier occasions !s ut Berlin
| and in the Ruhr region these minori-
ties had been able to in eigle or per-
suade Others into Joining the strike
movement producing higher wages
| In case OF success. und holding out
| the bait of abundant {nod shipments
from Russia if the government were
overthrown and an alliance concluded
with Boshevist Russia
Manufacturers Fear g,adicals.
The factory owners feared that the
radical minority might again dom-
nate their fellows If a new strike was
called under propitious rcumstances,
particularly as there wee number
/ of big establishment. known coll
/
the workmen were largely Spartacan
who could be counted on TO give 4
most satisfactory impetus to a gen-
eral strike by going out IN a body at
given signal
| Factory owners and others in close
touch with industrial conditions re-
gard the distribution of American
| food supplies at reasonable prices as
the only possibility of mastering the
strike movement establishing in
dustrial order and stimulating pro-
! lduction. With the workmen able 10
buy with their wages the necessary
| food, they NAV he able to shake off
the influence of the radicals. With
out this possibility all must inevitably
drift completely into the domination
of the extremists.
! The industrial situation IS Compli-
Gated Nv shortage of coal and raw
materials. Factories are running only
| five days a week on a short schedule
of hours. Should the coal production
be Increased and transportation inn
proved there would be far better
outlook for industry.
| Leading German manufacturers,
| particularly in the electrical and ma
chinery lines, assured the correspond
ent that they would have no diff
|
even under the present wage scale. If
the food and fuel difficulty was solv-
ed. The food situation was rapidly
/ becoming critical when the food and
shipping agreement was signed. But
the speedy arrival of American food
ships with food on board had already
had an imposing effect on general
sentiment, though distribution had not
begun a week ago.
Potato Stock Low.
The exhaustion of the potato stocks
was in sight, the food administrators
hoping only to continue the reduced
ration until into May, Some stocks
of grain could last at best only into
the third week Of May The enact
ated herds of Germany are not longer
able to sHpply even the reduced meat
ration of from four to seven ounces
per week. The governmental distri-
button of bread was slightly over five
pounds a week. but was still func-
tioning efficiently.
otherwise the rationing machinery
had largely broken down. either on
account of exhaustion of supplies or
inability of weak government to
enforce the purchasing regulations.
which had been beyond the power of
IA strong war government. The ra-
lIoll' even ol Ddbtt, was iilttuCpuehtc
to maintain the working ability of
people weakened by four years of food
privations Every one, rich and poor,
bought what supplies could be OBJ
tanned outside the rations at enormous
prices.
The workman. earning his impos-
ing thirty or forty marks per day, had
been spending a days wages for
pound of lard, pork or beef The
more unfortunate middle class man,
on a fixed salary, was unable to fl
nance such luxury eXcent on the
rarest occasions. Both of these classes
at the end of March found that. even
at such exorbtant prices, nothing was
to he obtained. Restaurants. which
, earlier had catered to customers with
money and had furnished them with
food, without the presentation of a
card, were being forced to obey the
law.
Peace Dela" nisCouraging.
The long wait for he decision of
the peace confere1 md the press
Continued on Isge Two.)