Evening star., 1921-11-20
GERMANS APPLAUD
HUGHES PROPOSAL
Believe America viii Lead in
Progress With Proud
Self-Sacrifice.
BERLIN ALSO IN STRUGGLE
Writer Says If Will to Disarm Had
Been Shown Before 1914 World
Would Have ProAted. '."
BY MACMILLAN HARDEN,
Germany,s Foremost Publicist.

Germany's Foremost Publicist.
BY Cable to The Star.
BERLIN, November 19.-Today we
have a struggle for national order In
Berlin, and struggle for world or
der in Washington.
In both cities noble words float like
banners proclaiming holy ideals. Can
there be an ugly quarrel for material
interests hidden behind? Despite
Moscow's verdict that cunning and
fraud are being perpetrated in both
places" despite the mockery which
spurted even before the conference
opened from George Bernard: Shaw,
wittiest and least beloved of social
lists, hopes must not fade. :.
President. Harding is being most
loudly praised here for saying that
good could come of the conference
ish interests for the common veal.
Secretary Hughes program for naval
disarmament proves beyond a DOUBT
that America will lead the way with
proud self-sacrifice.
But, leaving the ornamental park
of phraseology, where no food grows,
the two American spokesmen at
Washington have pointed to the fer-
tile field Of deeds. Had Germany and
England shown such will to disarm
before 1914 the world would have
been saved much of horror.
should Prevent Domination.
Both in Washington and Berlin only
lasting good can come from the
struggle for a new order, provided in
can rule the fates of peoples.
Here in Germany the increasing
impoverishment of the state. accom-
panied all the while by growing pri-
vate wealth, made me say months ago
that an attempt would be made to
traitors masters Of the whole state
machinery. The attempt has hap
pened sooner than was expected, for
distress has caused the provinces and
municipalities to appeal to the own
ers of old and new wealth.
The suggested confiscation Of a con-
siderable proportion Of private
prietor without risk. but subject to
taxation. was an act of desperation.
No reasonable people can believe that
communism is possible when Lenin
himself attempts to retreat. and an
nounces that the impetus to earn is
ton.
1t is still harder to believe that
capitalistic methods can be mixed
with the communistic. The threat of
partial appropriation did not
frighten the industrialists and land
ed proprietors for long. They earn
ed SO tremendously during the war,
and especially during tho herperiod, of
psychological weakening After de-
feat. which seemed q revolution. but
was not, and proved themselves so
superior in management to the poli-
ticians that they can treat as equals
with a state that is dependent upon
their production. II the state wants
their help and their securities It must
accept their conditions.
Says Conditions Are Reasenable.
These conditions are, for the most
part, reasonable. They call first for
sweeping reductions in the, number
of officials, those dismissed being used
for colonization and the development
of unused lands. Second. the state
is to guarantee credits for the rail-
part Of the earnings henceforth, the
conduct of the business being by pri-
vate parties.
In other words, instead OF the state
usurping the substance OF private
wealth. private wealth Is to usurp the
substance Of the state. After . pre-
tended revolution, and with socializa-
tion and naturalization as watch
words, it is now proposed to take
from the state the means Of transport
which Bismarck with great dtficulty
acquired.
This result was not foreseen when
three years ago November storm
den paths. However. history teaches
that one who goes astray on the way
to India may discover America. The
railroads and post office are working
with enormous deficits. The. eight
hour law enormously increases the
and trainmen to quit work abruptly
at way stations. The constantly in
creasing prices makes higher wages
and higher travelling costs. Mean
while a multiplication OF pariiaments
Tin Berlin alone five state parliaments
are sitting and every small state has
at least one) gives 10000 members
the privilege Of free and unlimited
first-class travel through all OF Ger
many.
Desire Labor Co-ODeratien.
Unquestionably q business adminis-
tration would be more profitable. It
would find credit for the purchase OF
which was ruined during
the war and which the state can
barely keep repaired. The Industrial
leaders who formulated this plan OF
taxing over the government PUBIC
work are not blind to the signs Of
the times. They desire trade union
cooperation. and will consent to all
except exorbitant wage demands to
avoid a winter strike. They will
maintain. the eight-hour day while
at least two houss OF
overtime. daily by offering alluring
extra pay. Already many workers
after working eight hours in one fac
tory go to work in another after q
meal and q short rest.
Still, our industrial leaders are not
politicians. Their world domination
plan. entertained from 1914 to 1918.
Of annexing the best pieces Of land
from Ostend to Bagdad and north to
the Black sea. clearing ALI Of dis
agreeable Inhabitants, proved that
Today they DO not trouble oyer.
from Germany will toler-
ate the turning Of Germany''s pledged
national wealth over to private per-
sons. They simply SEQ IN irrational
and badly administered state; and
conceal from themselves first their
strongest motive-unlimited prof1ts-
and secondly the limits which every
people must place on the
economic power Of capital II the state
is to be preserved from awakening
the anger of the masssG
(Copyrisht lsz.)
1O0-GALL0N STILL TAKEN.