Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-02-22
FOR AMERICA
DR.. RATHENAU DECLARES
SUCH is FUTURE GERMANY
9Inn who Controlled Civilian Germans
During War Tells OF His
CountrY's New Role.

In the current number OF Answers
Is published IN interview with DR..
Walter Rathcnau. obtained by Hayden
Talbot, who is featured as special
commissioner" OF that London period!-
cal. 1t reads, in part, as follows:
UNLESS Americans themselves fail
to realize their opportunity" said DR..
Rathenau. Il am sure that within ten
years there will be over the entrance
OF every business house on Inter Den
Linden. Berlin. the name of an Ameri,
and American genius for organization
that will bring about tho rehabilita-
ton of Germany's economic CONDITION.
IL must be. Germany herself is power
less, and will be pennilesS.
1T does not seem so now to the casual
observer, who sees only sn super nna
crowded Tho demand for luNuries of
all kinds-from taNis TO fnrs-is ia T
+. bigger than the supply; Our. Our people fuf
seem to have endless purposes. bul
this is not ut all the truth.
In First bankruptcy Period.
we are very much IN the position
Of the banker whose bank has ia.led;;
We are still in the first fortnight OF
barker. we come home to our fine mouse
for dinner and everything is as II was
We are bankrupt OF course .h we sory huTW
all the fine linen and plate on me lanie
The food is still of the same good quar-
.Perhaps we even so to the theatcr
10 try to escape from our mental selves.
our consciousness OF failure Is Win us
yes: but its is S ns q. . "
Let year go by and then look
/. up tG>at bankrupt banker. lie Is o III
longer in his us h IN n nc snms cheap little
fiat with barely anything left OF ms
fine furnishings. And nc is a clerk OF
H@p -
"a iiure' topped by consequences OF fail,
ure. is what the German peopie ,naNe
yettto experience. ., nd
theArest Of the world which believes
great victory has been won-oh'S pom
tical matters count now.
uu.t BECOME 1EPlanctnry.'
-America especially must Gn" NIX
her yiewpoint as result or TINS Vie
t ner She NAV no longer live con
finental life and content herseh WIN -
continental viewpoint. Sne &C. mus, ,nd cmfiin
. now a nianetary point of view. Ii VIII
not be easy for America TO 40 tui Ia;
First OF alifit is too young many a Eu out
a.lu strauitions. Fifty years from now
Americn may be prepared 10 Surii,o n
the very great difficulties IN lcr pnnnI
hut those difficulties must DC i"c'o
!The first thing America mus nF ioo Ho
is to learn the European WY Oh OIL ro tho
ing at eh'n nf the American way. III, In
America there is plenty or room NO no
evarybody-room In every S% rnsib in
america boosts There is no room Don,
Tor Knockers in America me sur
cess of one man is eTery ma IL compnpli-
UNA In America 1t is indeed true
that nothing succeeds like SuGS ,.sr,
There is no room there for envy oy;p hs sue,
Ila.. !" And in America the success OIL
one very often proves the neeueat her
nine-stonc TO the success oil aNolno uch
.In T,uropc there is not nearly onouS :.
o,n Success here can he gained only
at the cost OF others rs dhf i o N What
new in Enrone Ther ret Is o disypropor-
tnere is' mount of this constant total
il means he has got IL only bE .nN T..
i away f from o' hiaek msics and envy
Naturally. under these cond!rt,iph ss;, his
is some OF that CHEEKY; ne America me lea
ahovc ali, in Europe. suspicion is
basic characteristic.
;'rnkrs :0o Years HcsldsnSe' ,t.i-
tude, one must have lived IN lturonn , .oa
at least five generations; 70 Er. !, | as
Oriental way , OF dorns in nI Europe. For
Americans Of the present gencra ,;,,
this is an impossihiiity. IneS art o Th"y
think along simple direct obvious llnes'
They say what they mean IKE chi.ur.m
OF more importancc-tncy can no. mi, M,
Inc any business men tnihkins o[ pds Of
ing any less directly. In the hanuS VI
The willy Oriental they would ne nc ~,
loss They have no conception oi M
mplicatcd way the Europeah 6rionioi
Il far greater extent, inc ~, -, 49,,
,"r into tn. most triiinE decisIon--ih
the Orient2rs mind. thousam1 pcSe'-
vations Turk beneath his given wora,
wet america now must cntcr. NC INC
war she has come the one great power
great in money and productive en-
Dacity,aa well as in natural resources.
To no. Other ouartcr can the oricnl i0e>
There remdius the pressing need OF
Amcrica's sowing now the seeds on a =,
future alliance with Russia. II Japan IL
not TO get there first.
know the Oriental Way.
I'VE Germans have been doing bust
ness with Russia and the Orient Tor
many generations. al time when
Americans had never heard OF the MS
sissippi River. We know N" oriental
ways We can deal with them; And
manys great opportunity. Let Amer
can capital and native organizing
ability take advantage Of this phase Of
German intellectual power, ] am very
sure America will do Just this
81 forcscc in the -ery near future
Berlin the frontier post OF America!
hcaduuartcrs Of vast number al
American business houses dealing with
-, s1s,,r'..e Win Ne Germans. Under
these conditions the commercial. linked
l,, --f;p u''N " tn the political, power
Of GERMANY will become quite hmcri'
caniZad. Few Germans will relish the
thought 1t is not altogether palatahlC
10 me. Yet there is no ohcr way. w,
shall become in n business sense. tn,
clerks OF American cmployers"