Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-11-28
German Masses
Starve-P Oliticians
bubble and Delay

Berlin, Nov. TIA. r. by MALI
While politicians bubble and delay
the German masses starve or live on
insufficient rations.s Unemployment
grows at a rapid rate and millions of
Germans face q winter OF want and
privation.
Berlin and other cities and towns
have established municipal kitchens.
Limited quantities of free fuel are
provided for by cards. But the
meals and the fuel are dependent
upon cards whose issuance Is irregu-
lar and shares the general disorder
which has pread throughout the con-
troll of food supplies.
With the adjustment of the bread
card and the subsequent rise Of Ger
man blackbread to figures which are
fantastic in comparison with the I'M
employment doles the situation. be-
came more acute than ever and gave
political agitators their opportunity
to incite riot.
The condition of the unemployed Is
pathetic in the extreme. By degrees
the old people, many of them middle
class. have been forced to go upon
the street for aims.
But the rioters are not of this class
for the most part. 1t is the young
sters, many Of them Communists,
and many Of them not Germans. who
have organized the riots. However
the grounds for violent demonstra-
lions against officialdom are so valid
that the extremists have the SYM
pathy, if not the actual support, of
men and women of nearly all classes.
Charges that the demonstrations
have had much encouragement from
Moscow have not done much to soft
en- the bitterness of the German pub
lie toward the central government.
The fact remains that Germany had
an excellent crop this year. There
are more than enough potatoes for
the German public. Germany had a
bumper crop of grain. But the cur
! rency crash and the let down Of
transportation and general disorgan-
ization in the government have made
It impossible to distribute the food
and enable the public to buy it.
Indignation is general against all
parties in the Reichstag. Feeling is
high against leaders who have allow
| ed politics to get into such jangle
only of the welfare of their particular
party and Of their own jobs. The
public Is gradually beginning to real
ize how badly it was led when the
passive resistance in the Ruhr was
instituted. While 1t was predicted
by many politicians that aban-
donment of the passive resistance
would cause much criticism, the
abandonment seems rather to have
caused a relief and the public is in
dignant now that it was ever induced
to believe such a step would effect
change in the French attitude.
Absolute neglect of domestic prob
lens in an attempt to solve internal
tional problems is the almost univer-
sal charge against the government
which Stresemann succeeded. The
parties are all blaming each other.
The big coalition is said by political
leaders to have been an error. But
the public Is in no mood to accept
excuses. 1t is hungry and cold in
country where there Is food and fuel.
And Stresemann is looked to for help,
but not with great confidence on the
part of the general public. 1t has
been fooled too often by political
promises. The proposed gold cur
rency is looked at with distrust.
Socialists and non socialists alike
are dissatisfied with their leaders.
Party members of the right, left and
center are all disgruntled. But there
does not seem to be any general feel
ing that the dissolution of the parlia-
ment and the calling of a new elec-
ton might have bettered the situa-
ton. That would have meant more
political pickering, and the average
man seems to have no desire for q
new election.
Passive resistance advocates In
Berlin and other cities who were
loudest in the demands for a contin-
uation of the sacrifices which Ger
mans In the Ruhr were making have
altered their opinions materially since
the general depression caused by the
passive resistance has involved all
Germany. in distress.
It was all right for the other fellow
to suffer for patriotic reasons. That
was fine so long as the hardships
We're confined to the area occupied
by the French. But the Germans who
were doing their resistance from
comfortable easy chairs far away
from occupation troops became much
less patriotic when the money presses
became SO prolific that paper marks
would no longer buy potatoes.