THROUGH GERMAN GLASSES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 249, 30 March 1915, Page 8

THROUGH GERMAN GLASSES.

RAISING THE WIND AND SCAB[S»»

THE TEUTON,

ENGLAND'S GREAT WAR OF ANNIHILATION.

According to proverbial philosophy, when rogues fall out honest men eomo by their own. A very pretty quarrel is now in progress between Germany u-.ul Austria over the proposal of the latter to sanction an unlimited issue of paper money, irrespective of tha amount cf bullion security behind it. Austria's monetary obligations to ':i>r ally are already so gigantic and her position so precarious that Germany views witn unconcealed alarm the prospect <*)' being repaid in worthless paper rauiuy of a bankrupt and beaten State, ami her Press has accordingly been warntd, through the casual official sources, i o discountenance the Austrian proposals with the utmost severity.

SCRAPS OF PAPER. Among, others the Frankfurter Zeitung takes this course, and conveys 'ls warning in the shape of a review;— In a booklet published by a practical financial man of Prague and the professor of economics of the same town, the thesis is put forward that questions of saved capital and gold resources are only of secondary importance, to the necessity that all goods which a warring State requires shall be freely available. The extension of the present war is carrying with it the impossibility, co r. practically complete extent, of purchasing supplies and munitions in forcr,n countries. Gold, and capital wealth, V'cording to this booklet, is therefore not the decisive factor. The war, as far is Austria-Hungary is concerned, is completely independent of capital, and even an enemy immensely superior in this respect would not thereby be more warefficient. The movement iwil utilisation of existing economic forces and the prosecition of the war can be effected in tinniest efficient manner by paper money without the slightest possible trouble.

THE ROAD TO DISASTER. Up to a certain point the Frankfurter agrees with this exposition of the gentle art of war finance, but it points out that you can have too much even of a thoroughly good thing:— To carry on the war over a longer nor iod simply by the aid of paper money may suffice for the military actions, Int not for the standard of currency; an excess of paper money issues will seriously endanger this in the long run and thereby completely shatter the econorrc situation of the country. Of this, the Iristorv of Austrian paper is a certain proof." As a matter of fact, however, Ausv/oHungary is not thinking of limiting t self to paper money to finance, the war. At the moment the amount of her money in, circuation is not known, because the Austro-Hungarian Bank has not issued a statemet since the outbreak of war.

The question arises, therefore, whct\cr the State, on its own resources and without war indemnities, could bear the large increase in dividend requirements on its loans, and how money is to be obtained to meet the burden of war <.'b!igations after the conclusion of peaie. It is obvious that without a gold banking there must be a limit to paper ebrrency, or the sequel can only spell disaster.

TWENTY YEARS' WAR. The Deutsche Tageszeitung (whose sources of information, like Sam Waller's knowledge of London, are extensive and peculiar), affirms that Lord Kite'iener has expressed his intention of "spinning out the war for twenty yevus," anil discusses the effect of this reptehensible course on the youth of fkrmany:—

We must be prepared for all emergencies, after a period of many years' peace has been broken, and the necessity of contimijd preparation has become evident.

Large circles had lapsed into a state of peaceful happiness. Warning voices found no acceptance. Luckily wo did not allow ourselves to be lulled to sleep by the dream of the great Palace of Peace at the Hague, and completed om preparations for war, when we took in hand the care and development of our youth in good time. It would be idle to discuss the question whether more or less freedom should be shown in the training of civ youth, or whether military drill and freeparticipation should be united. The war has spoken, and will continue to be (lie chief speaker—this war which is the inexorable educator of young and old. No one can tell.us when we shall lay down our arms nor when we shall iiavc to seize them again; but one thing is certain, we must be ready for it at all times!

SOME HAMBURG HUMBUG. Though the Tageblatt has modified its tone, the Taglieho Rundschau is still as vicious as ever so far as England is concerned. After pouring scorn on the British protests against dropping bombs on undefended towns, the journal observes:—

It is remarkable how tender the Engglish have so suddenly become considering that at the beginning of the war they published, with proud self-consciousness, not only in their own papers, but also in those of neutral countries, gruesome pictures of Hamburg destroyed by the British fleet, and in the accompanying text proudly proclaimed that they had devastated Germany's leading commercial city like an earthquake! England not only instigated this frightful world-war, but has openly prochurned it a war of annihilation. She has the pleasant intention of producing famine in Germany, and hopes to destroy our commerce for ever, to sink our fleet, to shatter our Empire. If this England complains about harsh war methods she becomes laughable.

We hope that the good beginning of our air raids will soon be successfully continued, and that the blockade of English commerce by our (submarines, as announced by von Tirpitz, will be taken in hand in earnest.

HALLUCINATION AND BARBARISM.

Lamely, as well as tardily, the Frankfurter (fritting, essays a reply to the French indictment as to German atrocities:—

In actual fact, the "Latin race," poorly represented by the medley of French origin, appears in this war only aa the willing retinue of the Muscovites and the Anglo-Saxons.

In order to impress on the understanding of humanity the thoughts of German barbarism aroused among the French, it became necessary to give it a meaning acceptable by all people.

These detailed charges of barbarism against the German nation would, it Avas known, be road by few, but it was hoped that their very existence would suffice to impress one and all with their truth. These hopes, however, could only be realised if all common-sense and justice were completely wiped out of the world, so that rational thinking people would have nothing to urge against the monstrous expectation that the most blood-thirsty hatred which the world 'has ever seen shall count as an "unbiased, witness." ~ , v