The Washington herald., 1921-10-23
Prosperity. of Germany
Temporary, Gibbs Says
Sees First Sign of Trouble in Strike of Berlin
Walters as Other Workers Start
Grumbling at Low Wages.
By SIR PHILIP GIBBS.

power. Ihey VIII oemhno more
wages TO keep pace with the rise
IN prices.
The FIRST sign Of this new crisis Is
seen by che strike Of walters
throughout Berlin. It has been an
extraordinary experience for q city
which is more dependent on its no.
tells and restaurants than Lonoon
or New York. With a few excep-
tons like the Hotel Adlon, wnfcn
Immediately agreed TO the new scale
OF wages demanded by the walters.
all these places were closed and
piclseted. / could not get a room ia
any hotel and am bilieted for a
small boarding house, where / am
charged so marks for a room. That
is cheap for Berlin, but my land
lord told me that before the war
he charged only marks for the
same room. He explained to me
with a great deal Of detail regard
ing taxes and the cost OF living that
he was far better OF when be
charged 4 marks than now, when
he charged so. and I believe him.
At the same time. the Germans
have a great moral advantage over
other people. Their defeat MADE
every man among them expect a
lower standard OF living than be-
fore the war. whereas our victory
made men expect a higher standard
Of living, which is Impossible, owing
to the loss Of world wealth.
Agan, the Germans lived the last
year Of the war in a state Of hun
ger and prtvation, whereas the vic
tor peoples lived well as long as
the war lasted. So that the Ger
mans, comparing their present state.
however much II pinches. with their
war condition, find Il far more tol-
cradle. a.
1t seems 20 be also that as a ma
ton they get more enjoyment out
OF a meager margin above the bare
necessities OF life than the English
people do with a bigger margin.
Their climate, gardens, cities, mu-
nicipal theaters and opera houses
enable them to get cheap pleasure.
These things must be taken into &C
count in the sum Of life but. when
that has been done, my reckoninE
Of Germany is that her financial
state is thoroughly unsound. and
before long she will face a desper-
ate financial crisis.
Ways to Avert Crfsia.
There are ways in which she NAV
partly avert this. One way is TO
increase the national revenue by an
| international loan and by taxation
OF the industrial profits OF the big
trusts. So far the state does not
reap enough benefit from private
wealth and the big industrials and
export trade. DR.. Wirth, German
chancellor. is endesvoring to ar
arrange this by forming a coalition
OF all the parties in the state, with
the support of industrial magnates
like Hugo SHINES and August Thys-
sen, for a higher basis OF taxation
Another method which Germany
will be wise II she adopts is the i'm
position OF export duties. Her un-
derselling of all countries by the
low value OF the mark IN foreign
exchange will arouse a hostility OF
world traders and governments and
will inevitably put up q barrier Of
traffic against her imports, in which
case her commerce will be set back
Great Britain, for Instance is
growing alarmed because German
manufacturers are killing many or
her markets. Germany needy the
good will Of the nations and cannot
AFFORD to risk a commercial boycott
In any case, Germany will have
an immense advantage over her
commercial rivals, because her ned-
pie are willing TO endure a low
range standard and a low scale OF
living. whereas the British and the
Americans will struggle 70 preserve
high wages until the general pow
erty OF the world forces them back.
There is point, however, below
which even German labor cannot ex-
list, and that point has been reached.
Everywhere throughout Germany
during the coming winter there VIII
be a loud clamor by the workers for
higher wages because OF the fall
ing mark and rising prices All
this prodigious activity and indus
try which one sees In Germany. and
all the apparent prosperity. is based
on the low, miserable condition OF
the working folk, on manipulation.
on the government printing presses
Initiating paper money and on the
expert underwriting OF other trades
by a fictitious arithmetic.
It is not healthy nor real. II
pursued on the same lines ss now.
II will lead TO disaster not only 10
Germany herself, but. TO all other
countries.
CcOpyritht. 1871. The Bell Syndicate, Incl