The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-10-24
GRENADE THROWN
 FAILS TO EXPLODE
Rx Associnted Press

Marseilles. France, october 2S.-A grenade which failed to explode was thrown among the police here today while efforts were being made to or ganize a procession for a march on the American consulate to protest against the conviction for murder or Sacco and vanzetti.
 The grenade was thrown imme- diately after a Sacco- -Vanzetti protest meeting. The police prevented the procession and arrested 17 persons during the disorders.
 inclined to think that the printing presses will continue to augment the supply for some time to come. Last week they added more than a guar ter of a billion to the circulation. The frantic rush to get rid of marks con- tinues throughout Germany, and no thoughtful person dares predict when 1t will end.
 Peace Treaties
 Ratification of the peace treaties with the central powers Is probably the best thing that could have been done under the circumstances. and ne- gotiations of commercial treaties pro viding for exchange of consular off, ficers will follow. In Mexico the set clement of the oil tax controversy and the rise in the price of silver has greatly stimulated business. and oil exports in September were not far be- low the record. In Great Britain Lloyd Georges proposal to stimulate trade by guaranteeing interest on loans has heartened business. and even in Russia a "boom' is reported to have followed the practical estab- lishment of free domestic trade.
 In this country sentiment is still cheerful, though the fall in wheat and the possibility that it will drop to a dollar is cause of anxiety be- cause of the impairment of the far mer's purchasing power. The decline offers interesting proof of the futiiity of the emergency tariff to help the farmer, yet the House has passed a bill extending its life until February i. Coffee, sugar and cotton are also lower. and it Is not to be expected that the public will support specula- tive markets until Congress shows more readiness and ability to deal with the problems confronting busi- ness. The decline in the cost of liv- ing and wage reductions seem to be going hand i" hand but the main tenance of high rents. and even the increase in many places, Is justly dis contenting labor and constitutes a principal obstacle to orderly readjust- ment Building is remarkably active for this season. and the materials markets are busy. The iron and steel trade is holding it's gains, but copper interes, has waned again. Shoe man ufacturers are working near theii normal rate and an autumn survey of the tire industry indicates strik- ingly improved inventory position. Crude rubber is higher. Mall order houses are doing better.
 One result of the depression of the past year is the enormous amount of study which has been given to busi- ness problems Industrial engineers and economists have added so exten- sively to their knowledge of the causes of these cyclical reactions that they generally concede the possibility of preventing them. or at least miti- gating their leverity. I have long contended that their causes are hu- man and therefore eradicable and that our fatalistic habit of accepting in- stead of challenging them Is largely responsible for their existence. If others reach this same conclusion in their own way this may be. as I hope, the last time we have to crawl out of such bog of depression.