Evening star., 1925-08-16
BY SHELDON S. CLINE.
ONDON.-ReturninE to the Brit
ish capital after a stay on the
continent. one cannot help but
I be impressed with the truthful

is the crossroads of the world. "
There flows through this city a con-
stant stream of persons going to and
coming from every part of the in
habited globe, and nowhere in the
world is there any matter of consider
able public interest about which there
cannot be found in London some one
who is informed.
In London there is to be had more
and better information about the other
countries in Europe than the hurried
investigator could possibly dig up in
those countries through his own
efforts. Especially is it valuable for
the observer who has attempted in
Nestigations ON his own hook to come
back to London to check up on his
observations. 1t gives him a better
perspective and a truer slant and
enables him to free himself from the
immediate influence. of the propa-
ganda which is fed him in every
European capital. $50.
1t is for these reasons that the re-
naming articles in this series will be
written from London. | am anxious
not TO do injustice to any country
about which l write, but am equally
anxious that the American viewpoint
shall not be submerged by the view
points of Frenchmen or Germans or
Italians or others who wish to appear
TO American eyes in a better light
than is warranted by the facts.
German Propa gandists Busy.
German propa ganda became famous
during the war and German propa-
ganda is still on the job. 1t is less
obnoxious, in a way, than is the
Propaganda of the Russian Soviets
but l am not certain that it is not
more dangerous to the welI-being of
other peoples. 1 wish 1 had the power
to impress upon the world the i'm
portanCe of what seems TO me to be
the one great vital fact in the entire
European Sltuaton-and that is that
German mentality has not been
changed by the war.
At times, when 1t would seem to
serve German interests, profession is
made that the German spirit has been
chastened. That is pure hypocrisy.
In private conversation the German
does not give you the impression of
a chastened soul-does not seem even
to seek to create such an impression.
He is the same old arrogant, would-be
master that he always was-the same
old apostle of German "kultuy," hold
ing the same belief in the eventual
inevitability of Deutschland uber
allies"
The only thing lacking to complete
the picture is the saber-rattling of
pre-war days. I do not believe there
is in the minds Of the present genera
ton of Germans any notion that Ger
man aims can be achieved by an ap-
peal to arms, if for no other reason
than because Germany has no arms
and Is in no position to possess
them, French fears to the contrary
notwithstanding, any open-minded
inquirer is forced to the conclusion
that Germany is no menace to the
peace of Europe today and is not
likely to become so for a good
many years. AS an American dip
lomat said. Germany cannot fight
with pitchforks and table knives
against machine guns and airplanes.
and, figurauvely speaking, Germany
has today no more formidable
weapons. 1t is true that the inter
allied control commission found a few
hidden rifles and small quantities of
ammunition, but the cOncealing of
these war materials was obviously
the work of fanatics and had no real
significance. 1t is the belief of Am
bassador Houghton and other well
informed Americans in Europe that
there are not enough hidden arms in
Germany to equip a single division
and not enough such ammunition to
fire a dozen rounds.
Seeks Commercial Supremacy.
II - 4LOl, III Oil lIIltlISuldlC
military way that Germany is a
menace to the world, though she may
become q military menace at some
time In the future. That twisted Ger
man mentality and vaulting German
ambition which were responsible for
the World War have been switched
from the idea of military to the idea
Of commercial supremacy. There
would, of course. be no quarrel with
the German ambition were it not for
the German mentality which is back
of 1t. The Germans have just as
much right to seek commercial con-
quests as have the British or Ameri-
cans. The difference lies in the way
the Germans go about it. Before the
war the Germans were scornful of
the military prowess of other peoples;
today they are scornful of the COM
mercial prowess of their rivals. In
the war they showed they were with
out military scruples; today they are
showing that they lack commercial
scruples. They view with scorn and
as a weakness those instincts which
impel Britons and Americans to play
the game fair and above board. AS
in war, so in trade, the German holds
that the end justifies the means.
1 may be accused of drawing the
picture too strong, but 1 am satisfied
that I am not. A little later on in
Il
in behalf of Germany which ought
to relieve me of the charge of unfair
prejudices but, whether it does or
not, J. am going to tell what seems to
me some of the most pertinent facts
bearing on relations between Ger
many and the United States.
Use of American Dollars.
Since the Dawes plan went into
operation, and in connection with put
ting it into operation, Germany bor-
rowed a great many millions of dollars
from the United States and other
prospect. The dollars being loaned
to Germany are a part of the savings
of the American people and the bank
ers who are making the loans are the
trustees of those savings. The Aperi-
can people are perfectly willing their
dollars shall be loaned to Germany
If the money is to be used honestly
for the upbuilding of prosperity and
the establishment of peace. They are
not willing their dollars shall be used
for the purposes of war or to further
commercial dishonesty. Especially
are they not willing that their dollars
shall be used in a way calculated to
undermine American prosperity.
There is a disposition in Europe to
regard the American as an easy
mark" but he is not as easy as all
that-at least he is not willing to be.
1t hardly will be disputed that it is
the duty of American bankers to scru
tiniZe with the utmost care the uses
which are to be made of the money
they are lending to Europe. There is
reason TO believe that in all too many
cases this is not being done 1t is
49, ), MI