The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-01
PRESIDENT EBERT |S LIKE ROOSEVELT. IN AP PE A E A N | [
Has Same Vigorous Man. ner and Expressive Use
 Of Lower Jaw
FALL OF MARK PROVING RUINOUS TO THE NATION
Man On Salary Never Knows From Month To Month
 Value Of Income
Bv FRANK CARPENTER

By FRANK CARPENTER
 BERLIN, June 30-In this letter l shall let the Germans speak for them selves During the last few months 1 have had confidential chats with the leading officials and financiers who are running the republic. Most of the conversations have been heart to heart talks, and for this reason l am not able to give the names of the takers. One of the men, for in- stance, practically controls the bank ing interests, another is the manager of the Union of German Industries, and others are closely connected with the Reichstag and the government.
 A Message From President Ebert.
 I begin with President Ebert whom l met Tn his palace facing Wilhelm strasse, the Downing street of Berlin. President of German republic neV- CT gives interviews and my audience was arranged with the understanding that nothing MT. Ebert said could be quoted. He talked freely, and at the close ot the conversation 1 beg S>d him to make an exception to his tdstom and, through me, send a few N Urds to the AmerIcan people giving h;5 views as to what he might do to better the situation in Europe and especially in Germany. The answer as revised by his excellency was as follows:
 Tn view of the close economical interdependency of the whole civilized world it is evident that the destinies of America are intimately connected with those of Europe. I feet that America is vitally concerned in Euro bean affairs, and that she can, if she will, do much to better present conditions. She can do much for Germany by taking an active part in solving the pressing problems of the world, and by giving her counsel and assistance, as far as she feels it to her own interest and that of the world"
 These words of President Ebert are moderate expression of the feeling exhibited in our conversation. His excellency is forcible talker and during the interview I was impressed with his live, active mentality and his great strength of character. He reminds one of Theodore Roosevelt whom he greatly resembles. He throws out his jaw as his conversa- tion grows earnest, and now and then has smile that recalls that of Roose- Welt when he uttered "Delighted." Mr. Ebert has the same stout figure and medium height of our former President His face is shaped like that of Roosevelt, with broad but orerhigh forehead. His head is large and it is firmly set on a short neck and broad sturdy shoulders. He is noted for his common sense, and he looks at things from much the same angle as the hero of the big stick when he was in the White House Mir. Epert Is, as you know man of the people. He has worked with his lands, and he began his life as saddler and harnessmalter, before he went into politics and became presi- dent of these sixty odd millions of cople. Upon leaving 1 referred to Lis resemblance to Theodore Roose- cit, and asked him for a photograph [" be used in this letter. Thereupon h , went to his desk and wrote his gnature at the foot of the picture Ghe Passing Of The Conservatives
 My next talk is with man whose position in Germany is such that statement over his name might easily cause big rise or fall in the mark. spent an hour with him in one of Inc chief financial institutions of ne republic, and he said he was lay l$ all the cards on the table. He believes that the United States might do q great deal to help Germany if ia would join with England. Sweden, Swttzerland and Holland in a loan to stabilize tho mark and says that such loan could be safely secured by import duties on certain foreign soouS coming into the country. lie stated the Reichsbank could get on it's feet, provided the reparations de hands were at a fixed rate and not loo oppressive.
 This man is much concerned as to 'e passing away of the conserva tive Investors and the intellectual classes. Said he: There is one hing that most foreigners coming to Germany do not appreciate. This Is that our thrifty, intellectual, saving middle 7class is being wiped ut. 1 mean al. those who have had taeir own indit idual fortunes, with investments in bonus and gilt edge Se- rlrities. based on the gold value of lc mark but now foHnded only on paper. This class includes the salar- ied people. It includes lawyers, doc tors, professors, musicians, and art f'ts, as well as most of the govern nIcnt servants. These classes now have incomes so smal; that they are not earning enough to keep them alive. and they are slowly but surely dying out. This means that the real brains. culture, and scientific ability of Germany Is passing away and, what l is still worse that nothing is coming in to take their places. The conserva tive class has no means of sending it's children to school and there will be no support for German culture for q generation to come. I regard this
  The Future Of Germs-y
 ''Is it true that Germany has de- preciated the mark to enable her to undersell the rest of the world?" l asked.
 No. That idea, if carried out, would be suicide and absolute mad ness. We have been ruined by the | fall of the mark, and our property | and stocks are being taken over by foreigners. We have not one-fourth | the exports we had before the war and between Vladivostok and Berlin we have lost buying population of 300,000.000. This is so with other | countries. Bolshevism and the pow erty of Europe have made the world war we had foreign trade of 20, ,000,- OO0,000 gold marks and of this 10000 000,0 900 were exports. The other | billions, which formed the balance of trade against us, we could pay be- cause of our large shopping fleet | our colonies from which we received | raw materials, and our foreign in- vestments which paid dividends. Now we have lost all of our colonies, and | also our foreign investments. We | used to make a profit on what the | foreigners brought In the country. | Now such things are paid for in marks and we lose all around. In- deed the outlook IS dark.
 o o O
 Unemployment In Germany.
 Nv next talk relates to the work inrman. It Is with pr. Herman Ley mann. the ministerial counselor Of the ,department of labor. He tells me | there are something like 10000 un-