The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-11-25
LET GERMANY BECOME A MEMBER
 OF LEAGUE, SAYS SIR 6. P. COLLINS
Industria Conference at Geneva Saw Need of German
 Representatives in Discussing Labor-Why Should League Keep Her Outside?

{ London. Nov. 25-Captains of in 1 dustry and the working classes the world over agree that an internation- al industrial conference which ignored Germany would be folly. For this reason Germany was represented at ] Geneva recently
 They see clearly enough that the i success of internationaliSm depends tsupon the hearty cooperation of all tcountries. What is less generally evi dent Is that in the political field the sebsencc of a similarly complete CO., Ioperation may have quite a disastrous effect upon industry.
 ! Yet the main problem of our work bters today is not so much to fight Eof profits as to stop artificial condi- Eaions in Germany from bringing down fthe general standard of living.
 A Lower Level
 The fact is that Allied policy has tcreated artificial conditions which Famong the nations. The threat of an Harmed occupation of their country 1 which hangs over the German people Us largely responsible for driving them Ito work at a much lower level of subsistence than they had before the war.
 It is not simple affair to say i precisely how far the standard of life tfor the German worker has fallen slbe1ow his 1914 level. The Federal Statistical Office calculates that the cost of living was nine times as high dn February-March. 1921, as in 1915 Is14. After a careful inquiry, on the Bother hand. the General Federation of l Trade Unions estimate that although wages have increased by eight the cost of living is l 5 times what it was sbefore the war. Discrepancies so wide preclude any exact statistics. We can, however, from a rough general idea of German conditions today from the known daily wage in marks, because, although it~is impossible to say ac- curately what the mark is worth to ] the German worker, from the point of 1 view of international labor it's value lis one penny. On that basis, accord ing to the tables issued by the Minis try of Labor, we find the following < rates of pay per day in Cologne:
 Coal miner, 2s.4d. to 5s.; moulders, 4s.Sd.; filters, 4s.2d-. cotton spinners, 2s. Sd.; tanners. 2s.Sd-; potters, 2s.Sd. ; 4s1od; painters and decorators 4sIOd.; competitors, 3s.9d. to As. Sd. bakers, 4s.Sd-; agricultural workers, 2s.; paper mill workers, 2s-6d.; cut lerS, 3S.4d.; makers of leather goods, Ss.Sd.
 Menace to Trade
 What is the significance of these figures? Clearly, so long as we hold over the German people the threat ot armed occupation. so long, as has been recently argued in the House of Com mons, do we place in the hands o1 every reactionary German capitalists a Weapon to depreSs still further the industrial conditions of that country and consequently of this country Does not our domestic finance depend upon our overseas trade. does not thai fin turn depend upon Europe produc- ing goods? It is the vindictive spirit behind the peace treaty that has SC gravely arrested European produc- fton Inevitably Britain, whose ex. istence hinges on her ability to sel goods to the nations of the world, is seriously menaced by the German workers low standard of living. Il the threat of armed occupation was removed the German worker woult naturally endeavor to raise his stand ard of living again, and so, incidental l, ly, allow our own workers to main tain theirs.
 A reasonable working existence 1T Germany is not a German affair only & is a British affair. it is a world affair If, then, the nations agreed aAon &he Geneva conference with Ger.