The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1923-10-19
Germany Having a Hard Time
With Monarchists, Reds and
Industrial Barons.
POINCARE REBUFFS BERLIN
Conducts Direct Negotiations in the
Ruhr-lmporsant Plans Discussed
by British imperial Confer
e-Doings of the Amer
lean Federation Of
Labor.
By EDWARD W. PIcKARD

S A NY man who would make pre-
"A dictions for Germany beyond
tomorrow is mad" cables Berlin cor
respondent. Events in that distracted
country have been moving rapidly to-
ward climax which Chancellor Strese-
mann fears and frankly says may be a
catastrophe unless immediate measures
are taken and they prove successful.
Even before this reaches the reader
the situation may me entirely changed,
for the better or, if possible, for the
worse. Only the happenings Of last
week can be recorded.
The Socialists yielded to Strese-
mann's fnsistence on the authorization
law which will permit legislation by
the cabinet without reference to parlia-
ment, and the chancellor thereupon
formed new cabinet to operate as
directorate, in which are represented
the Socialist. Democratic, Center and
Peoples parties. The monarchists
and Communists are excluded On
Tuesday he submitted the new govern
ment's policies to the reichstag and
was given an overwhelming vote of
confidence, only the Nationalist, Com
mu1ists and Bavarian Volksnartel OPP
posing. The chancellor declared he
was not seeking negotiations with
France alone but only with all the al
ties; that he had no intention Of abol-
lshing private property but intended,
that the great properties should take
their share Of the financial burdens of
the state; and that Germany stood back
of her signature on the Versailles
treaty. Stresemann severely criticized
the Cuno governments refusal to aban-
don the passive resistance on the adj
vice of England three months ago when
1t still was possible to obtain conces-
sions from France. He declared hard
words and threats in protest against
Frances action in the Ruhr were USE
less.
Then came forward SHINES, the
Krupps, Thyssen and the other indus
trial magnates with an attack on the
cabinet and list of demands on
Stresemann which included an eight
and one-half hour day in the coal
mines, ten hours in the mills and the
abandonment Of the coal tax. Until
these measures are granted, they said,
they could not bring the cost Of coal
iown to the world market price at the
pithead. Their other demands amount
ed to the revocation of all privileges
won by labor during the last twenty
years. In reply the chancellor sent
Minister Of the Interior Solmann into
the reichstag to announce that these
demands of the coal and steel mag
mates for measures to fill their pock-
cts would not be considered by the
government. The country was en-
ragged by the stand Of the Industrial
barons. The press branded them as
traitors and the Communists intro
duced bill demanding their trial ON
charges of high treason.
MEANWHILE tthe SHINES group
lV1 and the Otto Wolff trust were
conducting negotiations with the
French In the Ruhr independent of
their government. When the German
charge d'affaires in Paris submitted to
Premier Poincare the proposition of
Chancellor Stresemann for confer
ence Of France, Belgium and Germany
In the occupied zone to arrange for
the resumption of work, the premier
rejected the plan, explaining that Ger
many had always commended that pas
sive resistance in the Ruhr was local
and that now Frahce was negotiating