The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-02-05

ences. All channels of reason would be closed if all patriots proclaimed 1t as holy duty blindly to defend everything their chance governments decreed in foreign intercourse, like warrior would defend his flag or priest his chalice.
 If half a dozen furious patriotisms clash peace is preservable only by elaborate artifces. Those not adher- ing to the rules of the game, or the blind rites of false patriotism, must be prepared for communication or abuse.
 But my own experiences along this line will not prevent my saying openly that the most recent answer of the German government to the separations commission is inade- quate like nearly all the previous ac- tions taken in this matter. Forced Loan
 The proposed forced loan is a sub stitute for reichsnotopfer, or vol untary contribution to the nations distress l have yafnly proposed as name for the voluntary contribution fund the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial charity" I wanted the name to re- mind the people of the origin of the charity and thus combat the mon archy through the purse.
 Under the new scheme large and small capitalists would be forced to lend to the government portion or their property, up to one-third of the whole. But by this plan the income tax would be so lessened that new paper money would have to be issued, | increasing the imitation, since many would be obliged to sell their homes and mortgage their Valuables to meet the loan. The flood of paper money would be harmless if none of it had to cross the frontiers. But as foreign countries already glutted with marks, must now take more on account of our needs for provisions, raw mate rials and foreign bills with which to pay our debts, money depreciation and consequently exchange dumping become an endless chain.
 Consequences of Measure The notion that Germany's hnan- cial misery can be abolished through taxation is so childish as not to bear discussion. This nasty measure, de- sgned to show again Germany's esti- mate of the repeated good will to tulfill her promises" has only one sure consequence. Every tradesman will shift the tax to his customers. Everybody must shift to some one or perish. Thus prices will rise. salaries and wages be increased and the money presses speeded up. The coal
 tax has been doubled. Bread is 70 per cent higher. The mark which
 TOW purchases in Germany about
 seven pfennigs worth, has fallen to an international exchange value ot l two pfennigs.
 | Any housemaid can see how, under
 such conditions, the need for paper l money must grow.
 l Would France get her money then?
 The raven answers "nevcrmore.
 France claims to have advanced So,- | 000. 900 francs to her people on ac- count of the reparations owed by Ger many and therefore cannot balance
 her budget or pay America, unless
 Germany is kept punctually to the schedule of payments.
 But Germany sentenced to pay | 132, ,000, 900, ,000 and now at the fourth
 billion is asking for moratorium, can only pay through the negotiation
 of a great reparation loan. This loan, of course, could only come from the United States.
 | Imagine America after unselfishly deciding the war with immense sacri- fees of blood and money, granting a huge loan during a domestic crisis, so that France might obtain the nec- essary money from Germany.
 I am afraid there Is no exit from
 this reparation problem, which him ders the worlds productive work. through any such labyrinth as this
 The treaty of Versailles is a mass of contractions Article 2S2 demands damages for civilians. The next,
 article one, demands compensation
 for military and naval victims. The first Germany can do: not the second. It is madness to imagine that in
 demnity for a whole continent after such a war can be squeezed from | single nations labor.
 Germany is responsible for the re- construction of northern France and flor civilian losses. but pensions TOT the military victims and their de- pendents for years to come ought to be pad from an international loan in which all the belligerents would
 participate, the granting of whicf
 should depend upon two conditions disarmament and short term oc-
 cupation of Germany.
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