Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1920-01-22
MORE ENERGY AND
ZIP IN GERMANY
Writer Says There Is Less lazi.
ness Than i, Any Other
European Country.
Low EXCHANGE IS BIG AID
Gives Germany Advantas. in Laying
Her Commercial Lines in Little
Nations About Eer--9.ter
At United States.
ny HARolo e. EecAToL.

Ny HAROLD e. EEcAToL.
eIn Chicago i'ostb
Bfriln,~~i have been tayeIing n
central Europe fer months. ! hay.
visited farlus and factories md store'
and banks and government Offices,
4 mafkfd difference j. noticeable n
soon as The German frontier Is
crossed.
There Is mere energy and zip In
GERMANY here is leS' las.incsS trains
move regularly; clerks in stores are
well stated; wagons and cars and
freight trains tone ri the rarc>t sights
in Ehrole) tnore hriskiy: smoke comes
from Che stacks of at least some OF
tlls Factories.
German factory owners Shr mad"
N Gerl1auy goods cali never again
depend ou eh>,pne>s .or safe abroad.
They point ont that her sources of ma
Ief:nl a." r!t and that the ola long
hoHrS and cheap tabor are gone.
Yet Germany hid far lower than
.ah,b"dy ol.e on = contract for met@}
unift'1a hu'tonS for the '2ceho-Slo.
yak army r"cnatly. could cite sev-
efai other taqes
Germany has Il big advantage in lay
ing her commercial lines in the little
nations about her Sentiment ASIDE Of
rnrrSe} hrrHu>e Of the fact hat her
exchange is very low, like th"rs.
From Germany ahn. among The
htg nations can the new mrons got
valueH apttrnyimatn. what their
money represents 80 them
Gcrrany's Bright Side,
That is. for Germany. the bright side
NJ n hal situation. Her mark Is worth
under nickel. about a sixth If par.
She has got 10 have 4 credit before she
can buy cotton and copper from AMER
len She can't buy with marks.
Government officials urge a credit
for the hop" it would give the Ger
man people as they enter on Il hard
winter.
The same pleas. Of course, are made
by the other nations OF central En-
rope. some Of whom helped the allie;
tn win he war.
American observers here say the
Bauer government II doing tho best
It cnn, but the attitude of the Frus
SLAMS in the business world is:
"Ynu have to give us credit before
we can pay France and Belgium and
England. You're delaying 10 give
France and England further head
start -
They bold Uncle Sam PERSONAL. 70.
sponsible: he's hated for declining tn
rush humbly across with open money
bags
There are several reasons why the
south OF Germany II lcadii /. tbs north
The Prussixn worker had ls,,s fire.
dom in the old days tlisn the south
German worker Now that he holds
the whip hand he haSn'i MS sane an
idea Of what to do with his liberty
frussian capitalists. TOO, are, slower
4hnr hate 70 get to work fer France
and England as they pat it,
British officers in the. occupied area
tell me the big dye works in the
northern rhine district are kept closed
BIZ the Germans. The Germans know
the allies ranno, vet equal their dyes
especially fixed hue-and they d,
moi propose to start these plantS and
let the allies learn the secrets If they
can avoid it.
What She Can Export.
@ Germany can export some glass
china potash, cutlery. optical in>trn
ments surgical and scientific tns,ru.
ments and toys. without importing raw
materials She needs from America
principally cotton and copper,
French and British, chocolate. soap
toilet articles, etc, are on sale in
thu stores everywhere in Germany
The only American goods found zen
orally are prewar stocks
The Trcneh and British occupied,
zones are now commercial fronts Alil
itary officers there and military mis-
SONS in Germany give The French ana
British commercial travellers and bank
ers ctery assistance. All OF the Amer
ioHn commercial men ana bankers I
nsft IN Germany told me they had
fought their way through in ~pita "
the American government, rather than
with it, assistance,
The Germans realize their overseas
frade win he absolutely dependent on
the allies for years ia come, Germany
mo-" oNnS only ~ per cent of her pre-.
war shipping