Evening star., 1923-02-18
RUHR BLOW SAPS
CENTRAL EUROPE
Nations Unable to Compete
With Germany as Mark
CoIIapses.
BY NORMAN II. MATsON.

By Cable to The Star.
VIENNA. February 1.-THE blow
struck by France against Germany
Austrian Industry, for instance, was
slowing down toward dead stop
when one mark bought twelve lTo-
nen. Austrian statesmen, scrambling
for orders in the Balkans, Hungary
and Poland, were losing customer az
ter customer to the undertaking
Germans. With the mark plunging
down to the level Of the kronen COM
petition becomes impossible. In
Austrian cities unemployment, al
ready nearing the social danger point.
increases steadily and rapidly.
But this immediate economic IN
jury, felt not only by Austria, OF
course. but throughout central ano
southeastern Europe, is probably not
the worst effect of the war In the
Ruhr." The political effect promises
to be little short Of ruinous- TINS
part of the world is dotted Win
Rhinelands of it's own. france hae
set the precedent. There ls eVloence
that the little nations will not long
hesitate to demonstrate that the les-
son has been learned.
Ezra OF the Putsch."
Now comes the era of the putsch
In the opinion Of Count Michael karo-
lyi, former premier Of Hungary, dur
ing the war leader of the opposition
there, opponent of his country's al,
lance with Germany in the war ana
now an exile in Ragussa, Jugo- Slavla-
/ talked with him in the little poFoef
town Of Marburg.
"rThe Ruhr occupation" he said, rs
In my opinion the knockout blow TOT
European civilization as we @ kno~ as as
There was hope once. Ihat Was
when your country had 10000 1resh
troops in Europe, held the morAi
leadership of the world and was the
worlds banker. Had America then
said, make decent peace, peace
of understanding and no numoue'
Europe would have obeyed.
Only Possible Pence.
The only possible peace was one
that would have assisted the rapid
rehabilitation Of Germany ana Rus
sia- Despite the destruction wrought
by those years of d catastrophe pedCe
the United States yet mlgnt indhs
reconstruction possible. Might III
you accept what L CONSIDER dn iii-
possible hypothesis.
will America, say to herself: here,
I am the richest nation in the Worlo.
MY dollar is worth Io,ooo austrian
kronen, $4,000 German marks, mil
lions OF rubles. l may for long re-
main the richest nation in the Worlo, /,
but while my neighbors starVe my
own prosperity must slowly uecay.
I must give, give and glYe; L must
holm NV neighbors become as pros"
perous as l; I must deliberately, by
my own action. not only reduce tne
value of my dollar to It's normal
standard abroad, but cut its home value
i'll two. :
"This, put in its simplest terms, is
the real decision that the United States
is asked to make. 1t is conceivable that
any nation should make such a de-
cision? 1t is not.
Political-Economic Question
"The question of saving Europe is not
a financial, but political economic ques-
ton. More loans are useless. europe
needs fundamental reconstruction. !
think capitalism in Europe is pesoho
saving.
.ETench troops enter Germany and
seize property without a declaration OF
war" continued Karolyi. This is new
warfare. There is much talk of new
wars, but do not see how there can be
large scale wars as We learned IL from
1914 to 1918 The nations have neither
resources nor men. But certainly we
are entering an era OF many just
such coups as that made by France in
the Rhineland. This will not be war,
but will not be peace. either.
revolution in Germany. Perhaps not.
It makes little difference whether the
struegle against France is made under
nationalist or communist banners, the
destruction will be as complete
Copyright. 1927