The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-02-05
GERMANY AND
BOLSHEVISM
A Plea For Modification of The
Treaty of Versailles

Oldenburg. Germany, Jan. 20
President NJ. Tantzen-Hecring of the
German free state of Oldcnburg, one
of the powerful political figures OF
northwest GERMANY declares that the
spread of !bolshevism through wes-
tern Europe, and eventually to the
Americas, depends upon economic is
sues over which the German people
have lost control.
The Germans will never turn to
bolSheNiSm until economic c-nditions
nave driven them TO desperation, the
president told The Associated Press
correspondent.
IhlS desperation will only come
when, with II good will 10 work-and
that Will here is very strong-worll
cannot be had" he continued. "Cp
To this time bolSheviSm has found no
sound footing in Germany, although
thcre are some cranks who are
| chasing the soviet rainbow, Germany
! is standing like II wall against the
| spread of Red Russianism over the
| oceans, and so long as tn" wall holds
there is no danger.
| THE character of the people of
Germany and particularly of Oldcn-
IburS, is too sturdy, quiet and sensible
| To tolerate the sentimental fOOliShncSS
OF bolshcViSm. Only economic causes
| could drive them to bolshcvisIn, but
at this time they have lost control of
| these causes. The treaty of Versailles
! made us strongly dependent economic
ca!IN upon the victorious nations. Eco
| nomic pressure has been brought to
! Dear. Reduced production and it's
consequences are keenly felt. Neccs-
sai1es of life are strictly Iationed.
Prices have been driven up; our mon
working people will not endure the
aid for voorhees, which they proper
| ~ feel lowers them morally.
The worst situation for us is that
the necessary means for agri -ul;ural
production is limited. As importa- =
| tions of fOodstuffs remain small this
production is of the utmost import
ance To US. Failure to produce is
| Dolshevism's ally. 1t is Il question of
sound business procedure to let us
produce. build up our industries.
sand once more upon firm economic
| foundation.
| "One of the cntcntes Dolicics
which seems to me Incredibly short
sighted is that OF forcing the Ger
man people 10 deliver from their al
ready dangerously reduced stock of
cattle 100000 to 100000 more COWS.
This Will not only mean an increase
IN our infant mortality, the death of
thousands of children, but that meat
pflce$ must again 80 up the buying
power OF our money again go down
| That is bad business. The other ma
tions cannot sell their wares to a
people that is economically crushed
and driven into corner.
IF We cannot buy raw products our
workmen will have no work, oul,
agriculture will have no means OF pro-
duction, the hard times will become
harder. Then Germany must tend
| toward bolsheVism. Should the
working people find sufficient work
TINS danger will be avoided and if
avoided here it will not menace
America.
1t is up to the United States to
have the terms of the Versailles treaty
moderated, lest we be crushed eco
nomically. In doing this America will
| 'OiP 10 HoiV lIe front against the
spread of bolshcvistic ideas. enable us
10 buy ana pay for raw products,
which we want and which now are
accommodating in American ware
houses and will immunize her own
working people against the disease of
dangerous political movements. For
after all bolshcvism is not based ON
the compelling force of fine ideas, but
| upon economic blight"