The Washington times., 1921-08-09
Money and Trade
BY GEORGE w. HINMAN

gard such conferences as purely polit.
ical. They are not. They are bust
ness conferences. They are business
conferences on the part of every gov
| eminent except the United States
| Government.
These statements may seem high
/ pitched-they are as practical as
| commerce, as real as money. II the
United States Government does not
see the truth and act on It, we are
going TO pay again a business pen
! atty.
What is all this trouble about
Silesia?
The beginning and end of the whole
! matter is Silesian coal.
Poland tries to get the coal because
she can use 1t in her manufacturing
business. France wants Poland 10
have the coal because she wishes to
ruin a trade rival for her own benefit.
| and, as she can't take Silesia herself,
prefers to let the coal mines go TO
an insignificant and friendly competi.
tor.
The fight for Silesia is not n fight
for or against liberty, or democracy.
or human rights, or ethnic symmetry:
the idea is ridiculous.
Nobody has it outside Of America.
1t Is fight for coal-for business. for
money.
1t is the same on the Ruhr.
AS Gibbs has just cabled from Lon
don, France wants to destroy Ger.
many economically for business rea.
sons Before the war France pro-
duced only 40,000,00 tons of coal a
year. Germany. 5000 900: France
had only II ,000, 900 900 tons in coal re-
serves. Germany AIS. 900 900 900. There
Is similar story to be told Of iron
and steel
While Mr.. Wilson dreamed of his
league Of nations in Paris. France got
the coal and iron Of the lost provinces
and the Saar
While we dream OF world disarma.
ment, France is reaching for Silesia
in behalf Of her ally. Poland, and for
the Ruhr In behalf Of her own bust.
ness enterprise. 1t is not for glory
and safety alone that France main.
tains her standing army Of 500. 900
men. 1t is for wealth and business.
In 500 square miles on the Ruhr is the
heart or German businesses, 900, O0O,.
! 700 and a beehive Of industry.
To get this is Frances business aim
! Liberty, fraternity and the brother.
! hood Of man are not involved. neither
on the Ruhr, in the Saar, nor in
I Silesia, nor any more than in
| Tetschen.
For business reasons France con.
| fers and negotiates; for business rea.
sons she arms and stays armed. for
business reasons she spends and bor.
rows and defers payment TO us on her
previous borrowings.
All this is her privilege and I'm part
! her policy may be Justified. but that ia
not the point. The point is that she
has created the international airs, a
| business situation of the gravest i'm.
/ portance to all the world, especially
| to England and the United States.
| England recognizes this and deals
| with IT.
We do not recognize II or deal with
II, but dream our phil8nthropic dreams
while billions of American business
commerce and industry are In the bal.
| ance.
Germany Is England's best Gus.
toner In Europe. German is Ameri.
! cas- second best customer in Europe.
| Destroyed as an aggressive power.
| Germany is still the keystone of Cen.
! trail Europe's economic structure.
! Central Europe cannot buy and sell
manufacture, trade and do business
| with England and America, cannot
come back and restore the welfare OF
the world II Germany is made an in.
dustrial and commercial ruin, whether
for Frances or any other nations
sake.