Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-10-04
ALFRED G. SCATTERGOOD
On Conditions In Germany

LNRCIBLE disarmament and the imp"si'
l. tion Of seemingly impossible peace con-
ditions neceSsitating much hard work T."
fulfill them even approximately. VIII IN the
end be the chief causes for the economic
re- establishment of Germany. is the opinion
Of Alfred G. Scattergood. who has recently
returned home after serving in Central
Europe with the Friends Relief Commits
sion.
Our position while abroad was not al
together an easy one. said MIR. Scatter
good. "bccause we had to be exceedingly
careful to avoid becoming involved in IN"
Dolitical situation in the country. Whlcn IL
present is the political storm center OF
Western Europe. But one of the most i'm
preSsive things We saw is the contrast De
tween the prosperity of the older days ana
the conditions now
'People in this country cannot appr'rIal"
the conditions under which Central Europe
now lives and by this | mean more the
mental than the physical conditions lh"A'
people are completing almost seven years
of the utmost ncrvP-racklng tension ana
this is apparent on every side,
Nevertheless. Germany's financial condl-
tiop is terribly bad. almost hopeless. ON
the surface things do not appear to be IN
this terrible way. If person mas money n"
can get pretty nearly everything thal II"
wants but the great majority mas only IN"
means for the barrst existence. There Is Il
terrible shortage Of clothing and all textile
goods, for that matter. especially D"ddns'
and even the best hospitals are using paper
handapcs except the one layer next TO III"
skin
The Disarmament Situation
"'rhc Germans as a peopI" ar" entirely
satisfied with the forciblc disarmament. u
rne.ts The approval Of the great majority and
,ho man in the street wants no more Mill
,orisn, There are some who StllI favor 1t.
hmt they constitute only a worry moderate
minority A British member OF tn" tontr"!
Commission said recently that th"E had hdd
far greater success than 'ntE h"d "hti'l'
mateG in the disarmament of Germany. Now
thn active military force Of Germany is only
100 600 men and there is an active public
sentiment against any rcSuScllAtion OF th'
economic burdens which unbridi"d mlltarlNn
jmposcd upon the people of IN" country.
"Aa to the general trade conditions Of IN"
oo,,ntrr there are some trades which Hr"
oxrprdinplv busy. and all over Germany
tLora is the will to work, which j. 50 i'm =
nor,ant in the upbuildng Of the industrial
welfare of nation
they we're and this is in part AT east a
cnrsnounnce Of the policy of III" Govern
,,nn, Rut many Of the children ar" StiII
h,dly under nourshed. If is most probable
thot This under nourishment Will AFFECT the
coming generation untavoraDlE'
"I is n strange fact that up 70 til" last
few months lHe infant Aipi A"'i'H ~ wv man ~
has declined In the years since the beginning
~ tho war The authorities realized that
,ho shortage of food was IA serious mcna",
~ tho health Of the future generations anC
,hav therefore took every possible step tc
nrotect motherhood and the welfare of the
smaller childreh'
,"rhis decline was not great when "N'
,,rcsseI i'm figures. but it was astounding ii
a country which had Just lost til" grratcS
'vor that the world had ever known. In the
last few months, however, IN" scale ha'
,,rned the other way, In Dusseldorf The
infant mortality rate Is rising somewhat an'
thasr figures are probably an index a. Il
,vhat is happening in other places through
arr the country. This. Of course. is due t
! ,hc weakened condition of the mothers,
| The appearanCP of the children in Ger
,rapy is sometimes deceptive. Many SchOO
| nhiiIren appcar to be well nOurishcd, bu
when YOU ask their ages you find that man,
| - them whom you took to be about cgh
| cars Of age are in reality from ten TO thir,
! Icrn, And there are many Of them who vii
| ,,cver get back that three or four years
MANY cases Of rlcketS' were n0ticrabl
q, frat, but the hospitals are all functionin,
| IihiCulties and many Of the children are il
them--all in fact. that can find places. Tn,
| hospitals have had a hard time Of it. Will
their fixed incomes and the terribly drprr
riated state of the currency.
''Germany. Of course, is saving \ ire
mpndous amount each year by not having Il
pay for the immense armament which sh
formerly maintained. Even before the wa