The Washington times., 1922-05-02
G|MbELF|NDS
GERMANS ARE
now THRIVING
U. S. Department Store Mer-
chant Reports Progress and
Prosperity on Rhine.

Richard Gimbel, Philadelphia
merchant, has Just returned from
Europe. He spent considerable
time In Germany making purchases
and Investigating trade conditions.
He had dinner aOith President
Ebert of Germany and members of
his cabinet and met most of the
great German GnufdctnreTs. HIS
surrey of German conditions Is
noteworthy.
BY RICHARD GIMBEL,
OF GimbeI Brothers. Department stores.
Copyright. 1879. by Cosmopolitan News
( service)
PHILADELPHIA, May ITO
an American travelling in Ger
many in the interests of depart
ment stores which buy annually
one hundred and fifty million
dollars worth of every conceiv-
able kind of, merchandise, Ger
many presents a very unusual
condition.
Germany, her armies defeated
and her military organization
completely put out of the way,
must naturally, with her great
and efficient man-power, look to
another field for that lust of con-
quering, which seems to be in
born in Germans.
Is Vast Workshop.
Germany today is a vast work
shop, trying to use up the energies
awakened by the war.
Before the war, the great dom.
ineering power in Germany was the
government. headed by the Kaiser
and is just the same today, only
where the Kaiser stood we find the
great manufacturers OF Germany
II is easy to see that where the
business men of the country are al
its head the country will adopt bus.
mess principles in its government
which means that everything is
being done to foster trade with the
world. Its methods naturally are
open to conjecture, but 1t appears
TO the casual observer that the
fluctuations in marks Is probably
one OF the most effective stimulants
The Germans having always be,
lieved in their government, natur'
ally value their money on a higher
scale than the allies, who distrust
German credit.
Now. when you have two people
one who considers money Of great
value and the other who considers
II almost worthless, you are In a po'
sition, IL there is any trade between
the two. 10 have anything made rela-
lively cheap in a country where they
value their money high. That IS
what we have in Germany, so that
the German manufacturer. IL en-.
abled to pay his workmen an ex.
ceptionally low wage compared 10
o 80 standards.
Government Juggles Mark.
The government is in u position
to raise or lower the value of Ihe
German mark by optimistic or pessi.
mistic news on Preparations" The
government being under the influ
ence of the big manufacturers,
therefore, when necessary to com
pete by under pricing. they lower
the value of their mark in order "a
make their goods cheaper than their
competitors. Thus ] believe II Is
the policy of Germany to have its
market cheaper than any other place
in the world and in this they have
so far succeeded. except where allied
tariffs have made 1t impossible
Some people may ask, how car
Germany produce cheaper than any
one else" but when you realize that
II is German labor that is being
sold and not merely produce of the
soil, It is easily understood.
The country is filled with orders
from the world outside looking for
cheap goods. The Germans have
been humiliated almost beyond be
lief by their debacle in the great wal