South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-06-03
GERMANY ABLE TO
PAY Big WAR DEBT
ASKED BY ALLIES
Government Stable and Teu-
tons Employing Sound
Methods, Says London
Merchant.

LONDON. June Germany is
capable Of paying the indemnity 20
the last penny" said a prominent
London merchant who recently re-
turned from the land Of the Teuton.
where he spent several months.
In an interview given TO a Lon
don newspaper. in which ne spoke
anonymously. the merchant in
question stated that he convinced
himself from observations while Ia
Germany that the country is re-
operating with wonderful rapidly
and that the government is stable.
He stated also that reports Of "un-
rest" in Germany have undoubted-
j. kept away many business men
who might have otherwise made Sc
cure some OF the remnants OF their
business in that country ere now.
Visits Large Towns.
'T visited practically all the
large towns" he said, land in none
of them were conditions anything
like what ! had been led 20 believe.
The present government in Ger
many Is. in my opinion. perfectly
stable.
Il speak OF things as I saw them
and as I found them. I believe this
government OF Germany has the
confidence OF the people and il was
lack Of confidence which made the
Kapp government a failure
Food in Germany is not scarce.
as we have been led TO believe, and
in SINE instances the prices an
prOximate those in England. Fur
ther, there is this TO remember:
The Germans are very industrious.
and they have been putting their
backs into the work OF regenerating
their country.
Work At High Pitch.
Agriculture has been worked TO
q high pitch, and the forthcoming
harvest is expected TO be a bumper
one. Every man, woman and child
has been working hard for their
harvest salvation. and they seem
likely TO get j.. L4aborists have seen
that there is but one way to COM
bat the large imports Of their coun-
try, and that is 10 produce and pro-
duce.
They expect to reduce the i'm
ports very considerably after this
summer. Cattle and horses are
quite plentiful. Clothing is practi-
cally the only article which is very
high priced.
In Germany today IL is possible
20 get a glass of good whisky at Sd.
in London the same whisky would
be about Is. cd. Here are some
figures which the people of this
country ought to remember. They
are taken from a document which
may be regarded as authentic. and
though they are only approximate,
they are near enough to be regard
ed fact.
In 1914 Germany had about 90
100000 cattle. Today it is estimated
that she has about 100000
Big Goat Increase.
The number of goats in Germany
today is over 1000. 600, "a large in
crease over what she had before
the war. Goat milk is being sub
ftituted very satisfactorily for cows
milk
The low value of the mark
makes il possible for the visitor TO
make some astonishing purchases.
The fact is that offici.Ely the Ger
mans are living on the bare neces-
saries Of life. but actually they are
able TO obtain anything they want
II they have the money-and there
IS plenty OF money in Germany to-
day.
1T may be that others have not
had the same experience as 1 have
had but I have come from Germany
with the firm conviction that the
country is able 10 pay; ~ they will
not pay If they can get free 81 their
debts 10 the allies.