POLICY OF DRIFT.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 January 1923, Page 3

POLICY OF DRIFT.

t;ERMANY’S LUDICROUS POSITION. THE REPARATIONS HURDLE. WELLINGTON. Jan. 13. ATi: irs in Germany are interestingly di-citssed by a well-known Wellington business man at present on lour abroad . i a letter Lo a friend in Wellington. ; write-: "1 i annul leave this to ......I to London without a necessarily j■ i nud inadequate relerenee to the ion in Germany, in a lew words, i l aninit hut come to the ecmeltision i hat she is heading towards national hinkruplev, and, ask who you will, a -olill ion is not fort heoming. because , , K . p., |- Hint tilings have dnlted hevoial human control. Tim position is !caj| v ludicrous. For instance, we travelled lir-t-ela-s .s', hours) ironi Ham--1,,,,,, lo Berlin tor the princely sum in English money of 1- 3d each. Large I, n!"-: of v. ilie cost tin' Engli-lmian gs i.lj Dnifs are net on the same basis, i vnerallv speaking, a visitor Iron', j ~i,i,m! i- a millionaire. Another in- | J i:;ii;| g'AS.ps'J marks lor our. , v Rebels from Berlin on a round ,prohahlv OLD to 3!)l) or more mil,;, hut this represented in sterling , .-"I odd for two. One, can see that j the, ,ai:noi hist. The German business | , him-e'.f has no eoulidenee in the | marks, and sells, cm, internally m i revi-n enrre.u'v, anil -tacks up Ins . : ,| Mice- in foreign eurreney. Ihe (>nv- • eminent has ills! brought in an Order- ; ".Conned that he mu-t •.ell m marks _ within • Genminv. hut ,-uhtertuges, , h u- oifiees in Dutch territory, will . -uruiount this edict. I CANNOT .MEET DEMANDS. • Whds' I have no sympathy m the le : ,M. one ha- lo look at the question ~ . j’, ; , (feel - lhe world, and alt hough | w,,u!d not lei Germany ol! :■ |)euny. | j,m h. ni'Si !y of the opinion Mud she i mi."'!' the demands as at pre-

! .-eii l presi'iui'ti. ami in." ! ...iven reasouahle time. If not. national ' 1... nkrnpli'i end revolution will mean i (hut mi one will lie paid, and one can- , not eoneeiv • that in lieu ol payinelil j R,al lurther territorial :ief|iiisilions will !he countenanced. .Marks are being ; iH-inted bv the million-, wages and ! pßees are' altered every day, and in re- ; 1,, j,ii<e- lim I'oreign pureliaser is jjei'ng I'Tiei'ked a little, bill main iliiug- are ridieiilou-li cheap. One won id purelia-.e many things if ii were' not |or the possible arguments with Ihe ( ii-tunis. If you talk to a German j business man or hanker, lie discusses j these matters with rather a narrow ' unrviciv that lead no,-here. In laet. j n looks as ii l her do mil care, being j uiui'li embittered against Era nee. and ! being willing to lose personally to see ! he;' beaten for her reparations, l hough j a.- noted above they are all being eare- ! lul lo keep ihicr balances in lorelgu j cimenci. A Yll lOUS ( lIU LE. ! -'The whole thing is a vicious circle, 1 ..,el I do not think the present Gov- ' ernmeni is -troiig enough to attempt : le -taliilise the mark, which may dis- | appear a- worthless, leaving foreign j , ainhler- heavy losors -ami its place tn- | j. eii 1■ v llie American dollar. The Gel 1 ~ w'orl-'man works eight liour- a dai ; ......jus: '.ii i" twelve hours helore Mie I , n „| reia-es to no lurther. I'm he ; argues tiiai lie weiild ", working l->r I the .‘lilies. •• -Eix a reasonable sum.’ lie -ays, i -and lei us know where we are. and we : e : 11 will k and put our country right.’ : 1t,,. will, the Allies’ Wald 111 unison 1 : ;,e v. >l-1,1 1- suft'oring. which Germany ' „ llt and Hl»v eventually oi'L' l , e I eMilul 101 l like Russia. which IS ..,,ed 'or m one. There have already . Pee,, -eriou- and bloody riots ill _ Berlin 11 is a had policy ol drill.