New Britain herald., 1926-05-19
EUROPE EXPECTING
 WAR ID BREAK OUT
(Continued from First Page)

ed force it maintains, will shortly
 make things interesting for them.
 But, MT. Pritchard said, the aver age man on the streets does not want war. He has had enough of
 it. His fear and belief is that other countries want it.
 Germany is probably the most interesting country because people don't know too much about what is going on there. He said that the average man is not any too well in formed on Germany's condition and he is not very deeply interested. He said that he was not interested in Germany's problems or in con- ditions before he went over there, but when he arrived in that Coun- try he became vitally interested in what has happened since the war The assertions of General Luden- dorf that the war was lost because he was stabbed in the back by revo- lutions within Germany. are wrong, according to Mir Pritchard. He stat ed that Ludendorf, on August S, 1919, suggested that terms of peace be drawn up, but that the Kaiser re- fused 10 relinquish the throne at that time. During the latter part of October the first revolt occurred, when sailors refused to go out to sea 10 fight the British. They were willing to defend their own coast, but they saw no sense in picking a fight which could do them no good.
 Mr. Pritchard sketched the for nation of the Communist govern ment and unsettled conditions in Germany at the close of the war. He told Of the occupation of the Ruhr by French forces, stating that tho Ruhr is the most intensely indus trial section in the world, not ex- cepting any other district. Intense feeting toward France grew up there in the course of that country's oC- cupation of the territory, while there was a great change in the feelinf to- ward England and the United States because those countries had with drawn their forces to a great eX- tent.
 The French gradually became anX- ious to get out of the Ruhr and sought only a plausible excuse for evacuating. This excuse came in tho form of the Dawes commission and it's plan of separations.
 Mir. Pritchard told of the infla- ton of the mark and of how for tunes were completely wiped out when it took to the toboggan slide. There were many people in Germany who had worked earnestly all their lives and had put by money for their old age, With the imitation their savings were reduced to noth- ing, as values, continued to drop. These people were sorely hit and they are practically paupers today. He told an interesting fact to show how values declined in that coun- try. Mir. Pritchard stated that Dutch peasant with one guilder which is worth somewhat over 40 cents in United States money, could travel across Germany and back, have first class accommodations and still have some money left when he arrived in his own country again.
 Germany had a great debt before the war and the war was carried on by funds raised in the country through bonds similar to the Lib erty bonds in use here. The mark | finally dropped so low that the | country was able to liqutdate the | cost of the war for a sum equiva- lent to about S250 in American money. The country itself lost nothing by this state of affairs. The people were the ones who suffered.
 Things came to such a pass that some of the towns were making their own money. In one town the currency was made from textiles. The workmen made the money and were paid in this form of currency Tn this way the textile plants were able to keep going. Later, iron money was circulated in many of the towns. This was worth abso- i lutely nothing, Something had to | be done.
 Then came the Dawes commits sion. The Dawes plan of repara- tions payments plans to draw from three chief sources, the railroads, | which have been made into one company and which have been bonded; transportation of articles, and industries. In the case Of the railroads the interest on the bonds is paid to the separations commits sion. A tax is placed on the trans portation of articles and the indus tries are also bonded. The budget must be so balanced as to leave a surplus.
 So far as Germany Is concerned it's responsibility ends with the pay ment of money to the separations commission in Berlin. Getting 1t out of Germany is the Allies re- sponsibility. At the present time firms in France, for instance, dosir- ous of doing business with German firms, send their orders in and enter into an agreement for goods just as American firms do. But, instead of paving directly, the French firm pays the separations board, which, in turn, reimburses the German house.
 At the end of last year. accord ing to Mir. Pritchard, there were