The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-04-19
oday German-Russian Deal. Important to Europe. Stock Boom Here. Steel Boom Also.
By ARTHUR BRISBANE

The German republic has officially recognized the communist govern ment of Russia. Germany drops h ar war indemnity claims and conces- rions extorted at Brest-Litovsk are cancelled. The two nations will now do business. German training of the Shines kind directing and exploiting the vast Russian resources The Kaiser and Czar did not forsee this ending when they started fighting eight years ago. and the Czar prom ised every moujik" to the good cause.
 This agreement between Germany and Russia-the possibility of a great eastern and central European power ought to make the allies on the western European strip thoughtful.
 Germany is not allowed to have an army-but she has one, millions of trained men that could supply regi- ments and officers on 10 minutes mo- tice.
 She is not allowed to manufacture arms.
 But Russia can do as she pleases and does. She has an army; fac- tories for making munitions What will come out of that situation?
 Once Germany was the steel wall of bayonets and cannon that stood between Europe's western civilization and Russia and the east. Germany may now become the wide doorway leading from Russia into western Eu- rope. Germany does not want that but 1t may be the outcome
 On our side of the ocean the in- terest is in what seems to be reviving business and considerable stock speculation boom.
 Yesterday, in an hour, more than half million shares of stock were sold on the New York Stock ex- change; more than two million shares in the five hour session.
 The various moneys of Europe went up a little, French exchange reaching its highest point in some years, Advancing spring brings hope.
 Judge Gary, of the big steel com pany. biggest manufacturing con- cern in the world, says that condi- tions arc getting better rapidly. He told his stockholders yesterday after noon that the steel business had doubled in the past year. In spite of the strike. Judge Gary says, swe are feeeiving 11T.ooo tons of coal per week."
 The best part of his talk was the statement that the steel company ha abolished the seven-day week. and had cut the number of 17 hour a day workers from 72 to 14 per cent.
 Hiding your money is difficult, foolish business. but human beings ara slow tc understand and profit by simple. safe devices. Mr. Hanusyi. coming from Dansig, died on the steamship Potomac. Under his pil- low was found loaf of very stale bread, with $500 in bills stuffed In 1t. He had s25T in a jam jar with jam to hide 1t and more money in his shoes. Undoubtedly he worried and that helped his death.
 All that trouble could have been avoided by taking a draft-some de- velopment of the bill of exchange that the Jews invented centuries ago to thwart tho devout Christians that robbed them. The Jewish traveller. seized on the highway. carried noth- ing but a piece of paper with writ ing in Hebrew. The Christian high wayman, more greedy than learned, little knew what that paper would be worth at the end of the Journey in Venice. Cairo. Constantinople and any city. E
 In England wages are still 100 per cent above the rate before the war. And compared with this country there are very few men idle. Tn France and Germany there is prac- tically nobody out of work. Here we have four or five millions. That is something to puzzle the proud patriot. with our dollar the only good dollar on earth.
 As interesting and surprising as Conan Doyle's pitiful descriptions of a spiritualistic heaven are, the re- plies and discussions of various clersymen. One reverend gentleman says there may be messages from the spirits-but very low. vulgar spirits. Others say undoubtedly such mes sages come but they are the work of devils seeking to deceive us." The entire discussion is worthy the highly developed intellect of a South African witch doctor.