The Washington times., 1922-12-16
GERMANY SHORT
Of F0ODAND
FUEL
Must Be Granted U. s. Loan
to Sustain Life, Says
DR.. Rohrback.

HotU a German sOho had just ar
rived in America vietOs tho Frdnco-
German economic situation, Ohich
is now agitdting both American Of
ficials and bankers, is revealed ~,
the following article.
BY DIR. PAUL ROHRBACH.
Professor Of Economics. University Of
Copyright. 1922. by Cosmopolitan News
Service.)
NEW YORK. Dec. 16.-Germany
never was in a.more desperate plight
than today.
Georges Clemenceau, at the Yer
sailles peace conference in 1919. said:
I'm every German home sits
skeleton" and "there are 20,00O.00O
Germans too many in the world"
With Germany already practically
in the grip of starvation, Clemen.
ceau, who but this week sailed from
these shores is no doubt gloating
over the thought that the people OF
Germany are suffering for food and
that many deaths this winter from
under r-nourishment Is entirely prob
able.
Daily Becoming Worse.
The scarcity of food-our stores
probably will be exhausted by March
the great scarcity of fuel. lack of
employment and the realization that
things are daily becoming worse are
actual and pressing conditions.
Germany must have help IL she Is
to survive physically and economi-
cally. And in great part this help
must come from the United States.
There is no other real source from
which it may be expected, because
European nations are themselves In
serious predicaments.
Germany's greatest needs today
are food, materials and reduction
of reparations.
If we have no food we cannot
work. II we cannot work, we can
not make use OF materials with
which to rehabilitate our economic
conditions, and without both, We
can earn nothing with which to
pay for reparations. The latter
bill should be cut in half.
Hopes For u. 8. Loan.
There is every hope in Germany
that through American bankers
loan may be arranged, but 1t should
be understood that none Of this
money would go toward paying
reparations. The sustenance OF
life and the opportunity to work
must be given first consideration.
With a loan arranged, a mora
torium for Germany should be pro-
vided continuing for at least three
years, but four years would be
better. OF course, we would ex-
pect to give guarantees.
II is my belief France would
prefer that she be not paid repara-
tions. Her hope Is she may have
an excuse for occupying the left
bank of the Rhine and entrenoh
herself in the Ruhr basin and the
Saar valley. Then she thinks she
would have an opportunity to
permanently join the industry of
the Rhineland with that of France.
Revolution Unlikely.
The plea of France that she is
in great financial straits may be
true, but the remedy lies largely
in her own hands, cutting the size
of the army and increasing income
| taxes.
AS for the talk of wealthy Ger
man business men and others hav-
| ing transferred much of their
money outside Of Germany, there
is more of French propaganda in
this than fact.
or the probability Of another
revolution in Germany in the near
| future, there is none. The Ger
man people have had enough OF
| revolution. What they ask is
peace and a fair chance to get on
| their feet economically.
OF equal unlikelihood is the talk
of Germany seeking to form an
| offensive and defensive alliance
with Russia and Turkey, with the
main object of taking revenge on
France a few years Hence.
| My mission here is to lecture in
behalf of the central relief commit
tee, and to put before the people
of America the desperate condition
of my country. We must have
| acavar.s, ,tI x.,a uhan vnortch