The Washington herald., 1920-07-19
Throw Interesting Light on
Present Outstanding Needs of Europe

raw materials and has great finan-
cial problems to solve but definite
plans can be made to meet these
problems as soon as the German in
demnity is fixed and there seems no
doubt that France will work out it's
future successfully
Belgium has elready moved well
toward the normal. Conditions there
have been fully described and il
seems pretty generally Understood
that Belgium perhaps least of all of
the nations OF Europe presents a
problem
experimenting his visit to the Of
fices of the company in tho three
countries mentioned. Mr. Stetson
travelled through Germany, Austria
and Czecho- -Slovakia studying con-
ditions in Middle Europe. AS a result
| of his Investigations there he states
An atmosphere OF uncertainty and
. hesitation prevails throughout Ger
many and Middle Europe and it is
very difficult to forecast even the
Immediate future for these nations
old or new. Germany has at las
come 10 realize that she lost the war
and is making desperate efforts 70
! put upon her. ] did not meet any
optimists in Germany, but I am con-
fident that a good deal of the SOM
the Germans paint can be attributed
TO their effort to temper the allied
terms Of settlement.
Underneath this dark surface
there were many indications that the
7 - -. Ill
iity to come back and do not realize
; themselves what a long journey that
must be. Her greatest economic diff
| ficulties are currency initiation and
lack of raw materials. How these
problems are to be met ii is difficult
10 see clearly. There are these re-
assuring sides to the picture, how
ever. Germany's agricultural output
is being stimulated in every possible
way and large crops are assured
Her industries were not destroyed
by the war and are productive and
efficient. needing only raw materials
to supply them. Her people are In
dustrious and thrifty and glad fol
the opportunity to work. UndoIot-
edly there will be numerous change:
, before any definite political status
> is fixed but through il all German
thrift and commercial instinct will
endure and accomplish important re-
suits. learned that radical steps
toward decreasing their present in
fation and meeting their fiscal prob
lem are contemplated and that Will
go far toward the work OF restora-
1 ton.
Throughout Middle Europe there
| is much confusion, and II is dimcul'
20 make definite statements aoou'
conditions. Austria is, for the pres
| ent at least. crushed. and there 1:
| little semblance of industrial or pro-
! ductive activity. The food lines are
formed daily in Nienra q to care fol
| the starving. and thousands of lives
are maintained only through char
ity. The bitter racial hatreds which
exist throughout Middle Europe hav'
not died down and, in fact. seem Il
have been inflamed by the war anC
the readjustments following it.
There seems to be no new prob
lem presented in the Italian situa
tion. which is still difficult. as thu
lack of coal, due primarily to un
/ der-production in England and th'
difficulty OF financing shipment
from the United States, is a very sc
rious handicap. Italy has a surpluI
of nothing but labor, and that is I
problematical economic asset unde
existing conditions there"