The New York herald., 1922-07-23
BERNSTORFF FEARS
GERMAN COLLAPSE
Says if He Were an Ameri-
can He Would Not Lend
Money to Germany.
PAYMENTS MUST BE CUT
But Only Foreign Borrowing
Can Enable Her to Meet
Reparations.

Special Gable to THE NEW York HERALD
Copyright, 1929, by THE New YORK HERALD
New York Herald Bureau.
Berlin. july 22.
Germany is going down hill and
cannot save herself unless help comes
from outside" said Count Won Berns-
torff, former German Ambassador to
Washington, at his chateau in the Ba-
varian highlands, in an interview with
THE New YORK HERALD correspondent
Count Won Bernstorff is an active
member of the Democratic party and
participated in the formulation of new
legislation for the defense of the re-
public.
IF 1 were an American" he con-
tinued, II should not lend money to
Germany" But he hastened to add:
II don't mean under any circum-
stances, but in Germanys present
plight, with impossible reparations and
the constant threat Of the hateful
army in the Rhineland. Nobody will
lend Germany with such uncertain
ties'
do you mean that Germany should
refuse to pay any reparations?"
Germany already has turned over
to the Allies payments valued seven
times greater than the indemnity Ger
many took from the French in 1871"
he replied. However. we are ready to
make further reparations payments so
far as we can. The international bank
ers' conference in Paris, in which j. p.
Morgan participated, formulated the
first suggestions that had been adj
vanced to which the Democrats could
accede."
Must Cut Reparations.
Count Won Bernstorff is for revision
downward of reparations, which he de-
mands as prerequisite to the restoration
of normal economic conditions in Eu-
rope. But Germany cannot meet rep
arations without an outside loan,' he
said. ''Only such loan will permit
Germany to make the immediate pay
ments which France needs. because
Germany hasn't the ready money"
He admitted that the German people
had their own obligations to fulfill be-
fore winning the confidence OF the
world. I'VE must put our own house in
order. and we must show our willing
ness to work. Business men and labor
ing men must make additional efforts
to prove our desire for work and the
maintenance of law and order"
He deplored recent events and the
trend of German politics.
"Dr. Rathenau's murder was a brutal
deed and a misfortune for Germany, for
which the violent section of the mon
archists must answer Count Won
Bernstorff approved Of the defense legis-
lation but regretted that the Socialists
should have chosen this time to spread
their propaganda. making capital Of
recent violence.
Attacks the Socialists.
He said that the Democratic party
was the only thoroughly republican
party, and thought that the Socialists,
who placed party ahead of labor did
great harm to the nation by their many
demonstrations and strikes. If the So
cialists really wanted to show their adj
miration for the assassinated Foreign
Minister and his ideals. he said. they
should have agreed to work an hour
longer instead of taking day or. and
prove to the world that Germany was
anxious to meet her obligations.
Moreover. he added. Socialist domina-
tion would prevent Germany obtaining
the confidence of financiers as il was
evident that, bankers would not lend
money with the same assurance to So
cialists as to the manufacturers and
labor combined. II the Socialists main
tain bloc in the Reichstag, he de-
clared, It was inevitable that the middle
class parties would form a combination
Of their own, as the Democrats were
determined that the Cabinet should not
include radicals unless equal representa-
tion we're given to the Industrial and the
Peoples parties.
Count Won Bernstorff indorsed the
words of Chancellor Wirth and Philip
Scheidemann, the Majority Socialist
leader. to the effect that the German re-
public must have a broader foundation
than that furnished by the Socialists
alone. He declared that the only saliva
ton for the German people lay In prov
ing to the world that they were willing
to set their house in order and work for
the common good.