Evening star., 1924-04-12
STIFFNESS DEATH BOON
TO EXPERTS REPORT
VIII Leave, Berlin More Free to
i Accept Pian-Means Ger
man Liberation.
10. S. LEADERS DEFINE PLAN
Regarded as Meaning Salvation or
Ruin of Germany.
ny FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

I
I NJ FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.
, Hugo Btinn death, at this hour of
rferman destiny, may prove the turn
ing point in European history. The
removal of his a1l-powerful hand, for
rhe past four years the controlling IN
ftuence in German politics, commerce,
Industry and finance, makes the Ber-
lin government a freer agent than IT
has been at any time since the arni-
stice. n Washington, and doubtless In
other world capitals, SHINES disap-
pearance from the Germany which he
beStrode like colossus, is considered
AN omen of prodigious Importance
The Marx -Stresemann cabinet is rld
of a factor which moro than once
since 1919 paralyzed the Wilhelm
strasse's policies. Tho German ma
ton itself is liberated. SHINES con-
trolled scores of newspapers through
out the reich. They reflected his
views and those of the other big in
dustrialists. They stood for the pro-
gram of "non-fuifillment' of the trea-
ty of Versailles.
1t was from among the irrecon-
cilable induStrialists and militarists,
for which the SHINES press spoke.
that the assasSinS OF ErZberger and
Rathenau sprang. 1t was the class
which SHINES dominated that is held
mainly responsible for the deprecia
tion OF Germany's mark currency and
for the hiding of s1,615,0O0.0o0 of
German gold assets abroad, in order
to escape assessment for reparations
Boon to Dawes Report.
Fate DEGREES the exit of SHINES.
therefore, at a psychological moment
l.ld
and the HohenZollerns are still left.
but the great captain OF the non
fultillment" forces is gone. 1t is the
confident belief of the American gov
than ever, will not hesitate to eX-
ercise common SenSs and accept the
Dawes plan. The alternative, as
Washington sees it, is ruin.
Ruin for Germany not only in an
economic and political SenSe-pos$si
bly, ca ataStrOphe more disastrous for
her than the world war-but ruin in
the sense of complete loss OF the
worlds respect. AT Washington. in
the most responsible official quarters.
there is an earnest desire that the
German people will see the light,
will require their government to see
1t and will hesitate not an unneceS-
sary hour to climb onto the life
saving raft now put at their disposal.
Report Is Defined.
define the outstanding features of
the Dawes Mckenna plan as these:
/. 1t is the first time since the
armiStice that Germany'S chief cred
itor nationS-Great Britain, France,
Belgium and Italy-haYc been at
unity.
> 1t is the first plan put forward
which offers Germany at one and the
same time a scheme of meeting her
obligations and q basis for recovery.
3. 1t makes a tacit concession to
the Germans by not adopting. in so
many words. the 1872, ,000, 100000 gold
marks basis fixed by the allies in
May, 1921, as the irreducible mimi
mum of Germany's obligation. By
fixing no grand total, the Dawes plan,
with its index of prosperity" ar
rangement, requires Germany to pay
annually only what she is demon
strably able to pay.
4. 1t represents the disinterested
American business mind" in solu-
tion of a problem which the Euro
pean political mind" approached in
vain for four years and probably
would have continued to approach in
vain.
=. It. is a concrete American con-
tribution to European readjustment,"
which could hardly have been made
In any other form. 1t is unofficial, yet
is the best the United States could
ofer in the way of american com
petence and American experience"
and was offered without any sugges-
ton that our government was tax
Ing sides" In the bitter European con-
troVersy over reparations.
Next Step Up to Berlin.
Washington acknowledges that
everything depends on the German
state of mind that now must develop.
That's the cruX of the whole situa-
ton. Dawes and his colIea CUES have
SHOWN there's way. 1t is now up to
Germany to show there's a will Hap
PLY there are indications of the IA
Vorable kind. But it would be pre-
mature already to conclude that they
viii prevail and that Germany will
now roll up her sleeves and go to
work along the lines Dawes has map
ped out.
The Hohenzollerns and the mill
tarists have been showing their teeth
of late. Ludendorff was acquitted OF
high treason at Munich the other
day amid manifestations of mon,
archial enthusiasm that is significant
The ex-crown prince, who was sup
posed to be willing to intern himself
on his Silesian estate as the price of
permitted return to Germany. is Wis
iting PotSdam and his old crOnieS of
the PrusSian Guard without let or
hindrance. There will be reichstag
elections next month. If SHINES po-
litical heirs join hands with the Lu-
dendorff- crown prince gang to domi-
nate the next Berlin government,
hopes that today seem rosy to the
world may be summarily blasted.