New Britain herald., 1920-03-11
CHANCE FOR TRADE
 WITH GERMANS BAD
Difference in Foreign Exchange
 Injurious to Business

The Saturday Night Political club met last evening and q letter was read from one of their members now traV- cling in Germany. The letter was but two weeks old, and it was the con sensus of opinion amonG the m lem bers that the information given would prove valuable, especially to the busi- ness man and the manufacturer who require a knowledge of conditions in Germany at the present time. The letter is special to The Herald, con- structed along the lines of news and advice based upon facts. The letter is as follows:
 General Conditions.
 First of all conditions seem to be- very chaotic in Germany, and reallytl have not met d German who has any use for the now ruling soclalistic gov ernment. From what 1 have heard and seen, there is not any doubt but a large majority of the German people wants a monarchy back, perhaps not exactly like the old regime, but like the one in England. Everywhere in hotels cafes, and in all public build ings, you see still the pictures of the kaiser and his family intact, and it is plain to the outsider that the revolu- ton has not changed the Germans mind and attitude bit. They know only too well that the old kaiser is an outcast in 'lc eyes of the rest of the world. otherwise I would not be so sure that they would not give the old fellow another chance. A gentlemtn who has been in the field for five years said to me. by way of example, that the only thing he really had against the kaiser was. that this man had not started the fight long before 1914. when the chances for the Germans had been SO much better. In the lar ger cities you naturally find a large contingent of Bolshevists. but it seems to me that the average German work man shows too much willingness to start working again for the outside world to be afraid of another upris- ing. I believe without any doubt. aft CT all l have seen and heard in the last nine days. that this country will save itself. if it is given only the smallest part of a chance.
 Living Conditions.
 For the Americans, Hollanders and Swiss and a few others, this is simply a paradise at pres ent on account of the exchange. The only thing you cannot get is white bread, but besides that I have never n my life lived better in any part of the globe for the money. You pay 100 marks for a room and bath n the finest hotel in Berlin and Hamburg, which means an eXorbi- ant price for a German, but is only one dollar in good old American money. A very good dinner in the l pest place in town costs about the l anne, so you see living here at pres 1 mt is exceptionally cheap for the l -bove mentioned nationalities. For German families who live on a fixed | ncome life is very hard, however. l They all are spending part of their 1 ,apital, and their case, especially 1 or old people is very desperate.
 German Industry.
 Tn regard to the German industry t seems that the German manufac- | urer is making any amount of l money at present People have told 1 ne that they can get any price for ! heir stuff and that their only draw l 'ack is the lack of coal. From what l
 saw. however. in the newspa pers l ust before I left this trouble will l lso be eliminated as the coal miners 1 nave declared to be willing to work l overtime, and the government eX- 1 lects in this way to get more than 40 1 million tons of coal more out of the l miners in one year. Export From America to Germany.
 "Gentlemcn this is most serious 1 and l believe I can give |, -ou two good reasons why the export 1 If finished articles from America to ! ,tddle Europe will not only be an ! nproba bility for two years to come 1 put an impossibility.
 1.-The Am erican- finished product l $ and will be for years to come much ] co expensive for this market.
 '2.-The German has been used , turing the past five years to all kinds , ,f -'crazy" articles CT mean cheap 1 mitations), and it will take years and 1 years of prosperity. to change this ] situation. |
 Since I have been here and have l seen the impossibility to export to ] his enormous field the American made articles, I have been asking l myself if it would not be the right ! i1ne for the American manufacturers o come over here and buy for little ! good American money t$10,000 equals 1; ,00o.0oO marksl German factory md start working here at one-hun- lredth of his American production 1 cost. At such rates. ] really cannot zee why he could not manufa cture 1 many of the articles much cheaper in i Europe than in America and so keep tt least his European customers in I his difficult period of rec6nstructior.
 'I can assure you that England, Trance and Belgium would not object o buying this American -G erman ar iclc, as undoubtedly the exchange will force them also Ihave already : old you about Belgium) to look for mother market Furthermore. gen