New Ulm review., 1922-01-18
Repairing a Continent & n tin i t.
(RY RArHEnAu, REcoNsnRucTIoN


but part of the great European prob
lem which cannot be solved by politics,
individuals, or governments, but must
be solved by the nations themselves,
and the force of reason. We have to
repair Continent. We, cannot solve
this problem withoutcrecognizing be-
forehand, that the European nations
are closely interviewer, that the people
OF the Continent are linked together
by common fate, and that we should
pursue our aim. with all the energy
exacted by present circumstances.
The various countries are entangled in
the network of their mutual debts.
Excepting those large transoceanic
states, all countries are in debt.
America is the creditor general of the
world, Germany the debtor general.
In between are the other nations, Gre
ditors and debtors at the same time.
If one link snaps, the whole chain goes
to pieces. 2
Furthermore, these countries are
bound up with the common disaster
Of deprecated currency. Always
excepting America, not single country
has escaped this complaint of war and
postwar conditions. The money of
every European state has deprecated.
The various currency systems are in
ter-connected by channels equalizing
their levels, so that anyone Of them
cannot rise at the expense of the others.
Even now, when German payments
cause a rise in certain values, we may
observe the close interdependence OF
monetary standards. Another link
between the states is their common
need of reconstruction. All OF them
have suffered destruction and disarray
of their economic life, visibly in the
shape of devastated towns and land
scapes, invisibly il the loss of trade
and credit. This havoc k1its the
nations together in community OF
distress, whether they acknowledge it,
or not. Reconstruction of one country
is impossible, if that of another coun-
try is not accomplished. .
The Need of Cooperation.
The fellowship Of misfortune ex-
tends still further. Let us remember
that the present territorial spaces OF
Europe are very small. They have
become small by progressive different
iation, owing to the foundation OF new
states, but also by comparison with
the big states which have not suffered
territorial changes from the war. The
present small economic units are in
some sense comparable with the an
cient Greek states. They also suffered
from want of concentration, from. in
compatibility Of interests, and from
their INABILITY to discover their com
mon task. Our reduced European
areas will not be able to solve the, great
technical problems Of the. future, ;un-
less they become conscious Of the need
for cooperation. Technical develop
ment depends on the advance of pro-
duction, and advance of production
depends upon the extent OF consump-
ton, which is the area supplied.
Add to this that the peoples Of this
Continent are united under the leaden
sky of a sinister crisis overhanging
them from beginning to end. Some
are inclined to believe that this crisis
is but passing one, and that it can be
dispersed by those simple means which
we employed in the olden days when
faced with some economic CONFUSION.
They are. mistaken, for this; crisis is a
deep-seated organic disease which has
befallen a great economic body. We
cannot hide the fact that three hundred
million Inhabitants Of this globe have
been lost as consumers. Nor can we
hide the fact that owing to the changes
in social stratification, the intellectual
classes Of society have suffered severely,
SO that they have ceased being active
consumers. All this necessitates a
change in the program of production.
This change cannot be effected in the
course of few years.
Politics Continuation of Wars
Looking at this state Of mutual in
ter-dependence, we should imagine
that the economic experts of the world
would not lose a single precious min
ute, but would constantly meet to dis
cuss the best means Of healing the
malady. But, alas, there is little to be
seen Of such effort. The idea Of state
individualism still holds sway. Every
nation still believes that one can thrive
all the better, if the other is destroyed
Peoples minds are still obsessed with
the idea Of enflity and revenge. The
Prussian General Won Clausewitz once
said that war is the continuation Of
politics by other means. At present
we are tempted into the belief that