Evening star., 1922-08-20
DY THOMAS U. MAASNAI.L,
Former vice Presiaent sf the
UniteA States.
MUNICH. July. 1922.


Unitea Btstes.
MUNICH. July. 1922.
I have been long enough In
Europe to ascertain that uncer-
tafnty In money 10 the root OF
most Of the economical dtmcuities
now confronting the world. have
heard bankers talk OF liquid as
sets and I have seen assets which
seemed to Ae sufscfentiy liquid to
be lashed into a storm. Condi-
tions in Germany are of the same
order, though Of lesser severity
than those in Austria. ! did not
have the same good luck, how
ever. purchased marks at $50
to the dollar and before sue
ceeded in getting rid of them they
were worth 500 TO the dollar.
This condition of Affairs finds no
reasonable explanation in my
mind. I have long been ac-
quainted with the fiuctuation in
the purchasing power Of q dollar.
seeing 1t shift from year to year
~ the currency was inflated or
debated, but I never before had
anything. to do with money that
would shift 10 per ceat in Its
purchasing power while 1t was
being passed over the. bankers
counter -
From all outward appearance
Germany Is prosperous There are
fewer than 10000 unemployed.
am told. The crops are fine. The
peasant 10 doing his best to re-
habilitate his country. II any
criticism were to be made as to
working conditions it would be
that two hours is too long to take
in eating lunch.
Notwithstanding their prosper
ity, every one in Germany seems
to feel sorry for himself and Tor
CARDS himself as the most abused
man on earth. ! heard mournfHl
complaints that the French had
the audacity where there was a
vacant room in a house to quar-
ter one of the soldiers OF occupa-
tion in that room. came near
getting myself into trouble by re-
calling that the Germans had not
occupied vacant rooms when they
were in France. hut all rooms. and
that when they got through they
had destroyed the buildings.
asked whether the French gen
eral in charge smoke En9lish and
was told they did not know. ]
asked his name and was informed
that they did not know and did not
care. As I fingered learhed they
alike. The German is revealing
the human trait Of the average
man anywhere. for it is the law
OF life that the one person whop
we never forgive Is the person to
whom we have done an Injury.
On the ground that a defeated
people Is entitled to justice. Ger
many is saying that she cannot
pay her bill to France and to the
allies. And the remarkable thing
to me is that the hnanciers who
fixed the amount OF indemnity are
now Joining in the statement to
the effect that she cannot comply
with the terms Of the treaty. My
respect for the wisdom OF fnan-
ciers has been impaired. To just
a plain man it would seem as
though there were only one OF
two things to be done. either to
conhscate all German property or
to hx the indemnity within the
bounds OF reason. The hrst was
not even considered and the secI
ord apparently was not done.
do not know how much Germany
can pay. but I am quite convinced
that il the time wasted in arguing
that she could not pay anything
had been devoted to trying to do
something she would have done
more than she has done and would
have retained the confidence OF
men who thought and believed
when she shifted from a monarchy
to a republic that she shifted her
ideals also and was willing to pay
the bill which her rulers had inn
posed upon her. am not pretend
ing to say that Germany has the