The Cordova daily times., 1921-07-14
GERMAN AUTO
 MAKERS NEAR BANKRUPTCY
By International News servIcel

situation of the German automobile vestigation made by the Internation. al News Service. Only the high priced cars with international reputa. tions stand the chance of surviving the old-fashioned and inadequate methods of production.
 German efficiency" that hypnotiz- ing slogan which has thrown fear into the hearts of competing coun- tries and forced the hurried passage of anti-dumping legislation to protect home markets from German competi. tion, has never made it's debut in the automobile industry.
 Mass production, even for small cars, is unknown. Compared with American methods, one can truly say that German cars are handmade. If you want an automobile in Germany you are limited to German makes. for the government forbids importation of either cars or tires.
 You first decide what engine you want You can order it from the fac tory directly or through a dealer. l Even Benz and Mercedes have no standard prices. There are prabably |, forty to fifty automobile dealers in | Berlin selling the Benz car Prices l. hn made with the Benz or Mercedes companies. If he has an early con tract, made before the mark depre. ! ciated to it's present level, he can sell you q chassis, with engine, 9 | per cent cheaper than his competi- l tors, or even the factory itself.
 After you have the chassis you go to a car architect and have him de- sign the body for you. He may have 1 half a dozen stock body designs. but | there will be no bodies on hand. It must be built wE!ch means delay of six weeks to three months.
 If you want self-starter and cleo. tric lights you go to a third shop. were accessories are sold, and pick out your starter and electric lights. There isn't a single German manufac- turer who has reached the point of including starter and electric light as standard equipment for his car.
 LIGHTS COST $500
 The chauffeur habit is responsible for the absence of the starter Even the curious little tricycle. automobiles running around the Berlin streets are driven by uniformed chauffeurs. A starter and electric light costs be- tween 16,OOO and 10000 marks. which means about $500 in American money.
 A chauffeur earns about 10000 marks year Consequently the most expensive and approximations limou sines require the driver to get out and turn it over before he caa start it.
 [ system in the prices of the chassis you'll be more astonished at the diff ferences in tire prices. You must make the rounds of the tire stores and carefully get their bids on tires { for your car. There will be varia- tioNs of 20 to 30 per cent This is traceable to the fact that, although Germany forbids the importation of foreign tires, the tires you will prob ably buy were smuggled in through Abe zone occupied by the allied armies of occupation.
 Germany's cheapest automobile. by the time it has been outfitted with tires, with acetyline lamps, costs more than one thousand dollars. at the present exchange. trip in car of this type reminds you more of a motorcycle sidecar than an automo- bile. Germany's best makes, of in ternational reputation, however. are cheaper than the equivalent Ameri- can cars. At prices ranging between s3. 800 and $4,O00 you can get Benz or Mercedes limousine in Germany with a body which, in luxury, leaves nothing to be desired.
 WORKERS EARN 13 CENTS AN
 HOUR
 But even these latter cars require that you shop carefully, picking your chassis, body, starter, lights and tires carefully at the dealers who have the lowest prices. Car connaisseurs are willing to pay fancy prices for the names of cars which the worlds