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Hokitika Guardian, 22 August 1918, Page 2

It is rather remarkable that the two chief military leaders of Germany should at this stage of the war, be concerning themselves so much about the industrial side of the question as it affects their country. Iti a cable message published on Monday it was explained that the German press had started a propaganda on the essential necessity of retaining tho colonies. Hindenburg’s message was: “We must retain our colonies because without raw materials industry is impossible.” LiuleiuloiTf said: “Possession of our colonies is inseparately connected with Germany’s future.” Both statements are interesting in the light of the progress of the war, for they strike tho German military note that all is not well at the front. The war is having a paralysing effect on Germany’s economic position, not so much from the depletion of man-power, hut from the lack of raw materials. The dependence of Germany on outside trade for the products to he used up by its industrial lines of manufacture is rather remarkable, asd shows what the country stands to lost' with defeat to he faced. Germany’s vital need of foreign raw materials and her panicky fears that the Allies will continue to prevent her from getting them are set forth in the Frankfort Gazette (June 19.) 11l the year 1913-14 half of the Huns’ total imports from abroad (£250 000,000 consisted of raw materials. As evidence of the calamitous effect of tho war’s stoppages of those imports, the Frankfort Gazette says that of the 1,700 spinning mills and weaving works in Germany there are to-day only 70 in operation; out of the 45,000 silk looms only 2,500 arc working; and in the oil industry only 15 out of a total of 720 are able to carry on. Stoppage of leather supplies from abroad lias resulted in the shutting down of half of the boot and shoo factories in Germany. The leading commercial organ points out that by dint of superhuman economy and “substitution” German industry has thus far been able to provide, without foreign raw materials, for the all-essential needs of the war. But it' is admitted that the indefinite cutting off of such supplies would Tiring Germany face to face with economic ruin. The War Lords are beginning to recognise this contingency, hence the inspiring efforts ‘to keep the war spirit alive in the hopes of reaching a military victory—a rather remote possibility as the war is now shaping.