The Monmouth inquirer., 1923-01-25
BERLIN IN FRENZY,
MARK COLLAPSES
Fall to $4,000 for Dollar Drives
People to Wholesale Drinking
in German Capital.
GOODS SOLD AT AMY PRICE
Despair. Prevails, Only Hope Being
That Disaster May overtake
French--Merchants Money
Mad-Food Running Low.

Berlin With the drop of the mark
to $4,000 on the dollar Berlin has
yielded up the ghost, and appropriate
mourning is in evide9-oe.
The people celebrated by beseiging
every wholesale liquor shop in Ber-
lin, and the proprietors said they had
had no such business before in their
experience.
The mad rush helped bring about
a police order closing all cafes, bars
and cabarets promptly at IL o'clock
at night, instead of l a. m. Brawls
resulting from the tense feeling also
had something to do with thu order.
The annual German ball will be
among the events barred under the
new order.
Merchants have gone money mad
and have started war of bitter COM
petition. They resort to the alter
natives of selling for whatever they
can get, or boosting prices to fantas-
tic figures, in some cases twice as
high as in the world market It is
impossible to get any expression,
even speculative, on the future. either
from official or citizen. The country
simply has no idea of escape from
the present situation, nor tne slight
est plan, save that it is bitterly hop
ing disaster may occur to the French.
The entire situation has been con-
densed into one phrase by the propa-
gandists. namely, They have broken
the treaty. Now we don't have to do
anything" How thoroughly this has
been drilled into the population was
shown in a school in E Leipsic sub
Rurb where a new geography teacher,
mentioning various European coun-
tries, found her class rising in unison
Ito spit upon the floor when England,
France and Italy we're mentioned.
The class explained that the preced-
ing teacher had taught them this was
the correct procedure.
Feeling was particularly bitter be-
cause it is the anniversary of the
coronation of Frederick Il in Konigs-
berg and the founding of the order Of
the Black Eagle. Formerly 1t marked
the opening of the season Of court
receptions.
The Government has information
that the stock of food in the Ruhr is
running low, and this new develop
ment hits Germany in an unguarded
spot, as the low estate of the mark
means that foreign firms will refrain
from making deliveries. In the mean
time the Government is asked who is
to pay the wages of the miners for the
last week and, in general, disaster for
the rest of the country is foreseen in
the economic separation of TIE Ruhr
from the Reich The actual coal out
put has been reduced more than 40
per cent. Nationalist papers hint at
Germany's. willingness to negotiate if
principles OF right and freedom are
observed.
Political parties with desire for
warlike maneuvers are still tying the
hands of Chancellor Cuno's cabinet in
its every attempt to do anything that
might be construed as constructive,
granting it has such plans, which is
not evident.
Paris. - Certain prominent allied
reparation experts have been working
here on a plan which it is hoped may
pave the way for an allied settlement
on the whole question of reparations.
The plan will be discussed in the
press of the various governments. 1t
is based on the supposition that
America will reduce the British debt
by one-half, as certain rumors have
indicated is possible.
From an international legal stand
point and in the strict treaty interpre-
tation expert opinion is that France
received the right now exercised by
Il