Evening star., 1931-12-23
BY LOUIS Z. LOCHNER.

(Copyright, 1881, by the Associated Press)
BERLIN, December 23.-The year
1882 will be a landmark in German
| history.
More than anything else the country
hopes for new deal in reparations.
The Young plan does not and cannot
work, the German people contend. The
! reparations burden is too heavy, and
through every stratum of German So
ciety pervadeS the conviction that the
war payments must be scaled down.
There are, however. indications that
the economic depression which already
has caused so much misery has hit the
bottom and that any change must be
change for the better.
Production of iron and steel has in
creased steadily during the last months
of this year. The textile industry is
picking up. The latest in the series OF
Chancellor BrueningS emergency de-
creeS has cut prices slightly and thus
increased the purchasing power of the
working man, an important factor in
country so highly induStrialized as
this is.
Foreign Relations Better.
International relations are improv-
ing, if the creation of economic COM
missions with France and Italy is de-
pendable indication. Business is profit
ing from Russias increased demand for
machinery and manufactured goods
and the German people, past the hys-
terra of last Summer, are giving an eX-
ample OF unprecedented discipline.
Next year brings also the Interna-
tional Disarmament Conference. Mod
crate elements in Germany want the
enemies of yesterday to make good their
pledge under the Versailles treaty to
reduce their arms.
While that meeting is in session,
Chancellor Bruening will face his Su-
preme test. The Reichstag meets in
February and many observers believe
that the government inevitably will
fall, to be succeeded by Adolf Hitler's
National Socialists.
Hitler Forces Ready.
In the past few weeks Herr Hitler has
let the chancellor take the responsible
ity for the drastic emergency DEGREES
calculated to carry the country through
the Winter, and for the signing of a
new debts agreement with the creditor
powers. That done, Hitler will be ready
to take over.
But the chancellor's supporters see
things differently
Every day gained is a gain in stabil-
ity for the government, they contend,
holding also that Dr. Bruening can get
better deal out of the creditors than
could any of those who tried it be-
fore.
Whatever the outcome, the February
session of the Reichstag will be critical.
Hitler may emerge as dictator. He and
Bruening may come through to run the
government jointly, or Bruening may be
left to continue his middle
course
Then in April a new President may
be chosen.
Candidates in Doubt.
Nobody can predict who the candi-
dates will be or even whether the elec-
tionS will be held at all
Paul Won Hindenburg, the old field
marshal, who now heads the state. has
not said whether he will run. Hitler
has denied it, but many believe he has
presidential ambitions. He is young
and can afford to wait, but he is not
even a citizen and still travels with an
Austrian passport.
In May the five-year term Of the
Pr-uSSian Diet expires and there must
be an election there. Prussia Is two
thirds Of Germany and it is political
axiom that as Prussia goes so goes the
nation.
Alfred Hugenberg and his Nationalists
have trained their guns on Prussia for
long time, and many believe that the
elections there will be more important
than the elections to the Reichstag.