Evening star., 1935-02-24
GERMANS AVOID CRASH
BY LIVING FOR NATION
Although h Money Cannot Be Backed by
Foreign Markets 1t Is Sustained
by Prestige of Government.


out of the many exhibits) striking out
stingingly against the Jews. That al
lotment of space represents about
the part the Jewish issue plays inside
Germany today. The intensity Of feel
ing on the subject seems to have died
down, though there has been no
abatement in the determination to
deprive the Jew Of all real power in
Germany.
Jewish Newspapers Still Published.
Jewish newspapers are still pub
hshed here. I gathered eight Of them
at a stand the other day. Jewish
firms are still doing business. The
most popular music hall, the Water
land, Coney Island-type of place. is
operated by a Jew, Kempinski. The
chief drive against them has been in
government positions, in education
and the professions. 1t has been
rather thorough, although I am told
that about half the Jewish lawyers
and doctors are still in practice. I
can vouch for one specific case: An
American friend of mine. whose cook
was under sick-insurance benefit.
told me that the doctor who handled
the case was a Jew. His work was
at least semi governmental
The monetary question is, of course,
crucial here. While America, with
almost all the worlds gold, is off the
gold standard. Germany, with almost
no gold, is on it, Just one of our
present-day ironies!
Actually, Germany is conducting
the most ambitious experiment in
hermetic finance that the world has
seen. BY sealing herself up air-tight
against the export Of her gold-promise
notes and by rigid regulations against
the necessity of redeeming any such
promise within her borders, she is
avoiding the bankruptcy which,
technically, should be upon her.
According to orthodox theory, eco
nomic and fiscal, Germany is COM
pletely done for. She lacks raw ma
terials and has neither credit nor
real money with which to buy them.
She needs foreign buyers and instead
has foreign foes.
moving Anea0.
Yet, despite the theoretical i'm
possibility of her position, Germany
is moving ahead. painfully but
steadily. Her unemployed have de-
creased from six to two millions. Her
scientists are employed on technical
problems for the future as well as
for the present. Her construction
work on roads, buildings, parks. drain
age and reclamation projects and
on sporting and amusement facilities
is on scale that can be duplicated
in no other part of Europe She is
making preaching changes in her
educational system. Her administra-
tive machinery, particularly as re-
CARDS local and provincial govern
ment. is being reshaped. She is en-
dowing motherhood and making
splendid provision for aid to large
families. She is making immense
barter contracts for raw materials,
notably wool, cotton and oil. In the
midst of all the hardship and tensity
Of the last two years public buildings
and grounds have been kept in ex-
cellent condition. Government build
ings projects have been of the most
substantial character-stone, brick or
concrete being the rule.
Strong Pressure Brought.
How has the government done this
and how can it continue these hercu-
lean tasks in the face of its none
tary difficulties? Much is to be ac-
counted for by pressure brought to
bear on industrialiSts to maintain full
working forces. The government has
also kept labor within reason in its
demands on industry.
However, I believe that the only
complete answer to this riddle is to
be found in the fact that the govern
ment lin full control of the issue
as well as the circulation of money!
has put out more and more money
as circumstances have warranted. In
other words, it is very temperate
and astute imitation. It must be that
If the people are to be kept loyal to
the government, for Germans have
been through one orgy of imitation
and would rise against another.
GeTmany, tnen, Is restricting her
activities to work within and for the
nation, paying her people with her
own money and giving them solid
and lasting improvements for their
labors. The fact that that money
cannot be backed up in foreign
markets is being boldly pushed aside.
Internally, at least, it is perfectly
good money, saving a civilization from
collapse and keeping men at work
who otherwise would starve.
The German mark is really Sus-
tanned by the prestige of the gov
ernment and by the firm resolve of the
German people to place their nation
once again on an equal footing with
the other great nations of the earth.
The strength of the Hitler regime
and of the money it Is using is in
the fact that they embody the Ger