The Washington herald., 1922-11-19

But my advice. Notwithstanding
or perchance on just this account,
was useless. My friends, rich and
poor, men anc women, admirers and
adversaries of Germany bought
marks, marks. marks. And not my
friends only; the whole city in which
hve,. all Italy, all Europe and
America.
EVEN BANKERS DUPED.
And not only private persons but
the banks Of the two continents
directed by sagacious men, filled
their safes with German bank notes.
Germany is intact. Germany works.
Germany is Germany. Her paper
will equal gold tomorrow" they all
said and thought. And each time
the mark fell in value more pur-
chasers flOcked TO buy, feeling as
sured they could profit, only to lose
yet more.
Who can estimate how many bill
lions OF good money Europe and
America have lost speculating upon
The mark. The sums that the pur-
chasers OF marks have lost repre-
sent an enormous gain for Germany
who profited by the difference. II
is a gift furnished her by the world,
often in specie. always in money
better than her own.
1t appears incredible and yet It
Is true. The world feared Germany
for years as a terrible and cruel
giant who menaced the universe
and created a vast league. fought
her for four years. sacrificed un.
told riches in the effort to con-
quer. enchain and punish her. But
after having overcome her, and
after threatening her with letters.
impositions and terrible retaliations,
so great was the confidence in her
powers Of recuperation and in her
future that the outside woriu bet
billions of dollars on her by buying
her currency.
SUM CAN'T BE CALCULATED.
The exact figure of these billions
cannot be calculated. but they prob
ably exceed all that Germany has
yet paid to her conquerors. There
probably exists among the Entente
more than one country which in
stead of securing its indemnity has
handed over as gift to the late
enemy the amount due 1t.
This paradox furnished a true
mirror of modern civilization. 1t has
achieved marvels, this civilization
who would deny it? But 1t lives In n
perennial hallucination of ambition
and greed. While it smiles over past
ages that credited so many invisible
mysteries that were outside reason.
II believes with the virulence OF un-
bounded appetites every species Of
folly whose absurdity good sense
could tangibly and visibly demon
strate. But it no longer reasons, the
moment the hope Of rich profit
blinds 1t.
The hallucination of the mark,
that all wish to see rise, while II
continues to fall, is not the last and
the most pronounced form Of a vast
hallucination melted in mans mind
by greed and ambition. The hallu-
cination of war that was to enrich
and make powerful and happy the
conquerors. and which instead has
ruined them. together with the con-
quered.
GERMANY FIRST VICTIM.
Germany during the war was the
first victim Of this colossal halluci-
nation. During four years she in
vested her all. up to the last
pfennig in arms and soldiers, hop
ing to recoup herself on the con-
quered. That having conquered she
could have been rich, prosperous,
happy, in the midst of a Europe
devastated and ruined by her vic
tory was an infantine puerility.
But the ambition and the greed
of a great modern people is not
dismayed by such little absurdities.
Sixty million subjects. the most
cultured nation of the world be-