The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1921-06-30
THE GERMANY OF TODAY.

NE SENMAEN OF lODA1.
Three candid and well equipped OBJ
ervers have recently visited Germany
for the purpose of learning what the
&c onomic and industrial conditions in
that country really are. Two of these
observers, DR.. Alonzo Taylor and Mr.. C.
W. Barron, are Americans and the
other, Sir Philip Gibbs, is an Englishman.
DR.. Taylor seems to have centered his
vision mainly upon the industria situa-
ton there, and says:
"a year ago the general attitude of
the worker towards his employer and the
government was one of ill-concealed,
and sometimes of open hostility" So.
"Today, convinced of the utter failure of
c communism as tried out in Russia, the
toilers of Germany have broken loose
from their subservieHcy to the socialistic
parties" 1.-THE Herman toiler IS re-
covering his traditional thrift and ambi-
ton, and is the most esocile worker there
is now in Europe" "The Germa,
manufacturer, with his ability to obtain
government subsidies, is now in posi-
ton to undersell any other manufacturer
in any country in the world" Sir Philip
corroberates the above statements of DR..
Taylor by saying: "In Germany there
is spirit of economic enthusiasm, with
peace and labor as its conditions He
also said: 1.-THE trusts and labor unions
were working together to produce the
leading articles of German manufacture
so amazingly good in quality and so
cheap in price that they would be beyond
competition in the United States or in
Europe" If this is the determined Ger
man purpose the time may come when
German goods, plentiful aud cheap, will
flood this country and force many of our
manufacturing plants to cfoSe their DOORS
We shall then be fighting a trade war for
which we are now unprepared and de-
fenceless. We should not wait till Ger
man cheap goods drive our profiteers out
of business. We should put them out of
business now. Capital and labor should
not wait till German manufacturers and
German labor compels them to work to-
gether. They should begin to work to-
gether now. The warning is so plainly
written that he who runs may read it."
Mr.. Barron is editor of the Boston News
Bureau, a publication which gives stock
and bond reports and financial informa-
ton of interest to bankers arid investors.
His first visit to Germany was made 40
years ago and he has made frequent visits
there since then, especially during the is
years preceding the beginning of the
World War He was there in 1911 and
again IN 1913, always for the purpose of
getting information which would be of
value to large business interests and
especially valuable to the syndicates
whose business is to float large foreign
and domestic bond issues. These people
are trying to decide if Germany can nav
and how soon she can pay. Mr.. Barron
knows that the readers of the News Bu-
reau expect him to say something about
the situation in Germany and he cannot
afford to make any mistake. 1t is. there
fore. safe to assume that he believes
what he says.
Mr.. Barron is not SO optimistic about
the immediate future of Germ any as are
DR.. Taylor and Sir Philip, bat he says
Germany cannot be wiped out The
Germans are reduced but not extinguish-
ed. Their factories are blazing now. but
they can do more. Nevertheless, Ger
many must be considered as at present
ruined in man power, child power, and
mother power, but not in lands, buildings
or machinery" In Mr.. Barron's opinion.
Germany cannot fully recover her old
time Industrial strength in less than 20
years and, even then, cannot challenge
Europe to meet her III battle. EVERY
where he went he read the story of the
war in the pinched faces of the people
and in the little legs OF the children.
more than two years and half after the
lighting WIS ended The women and
children of Germany were starved to