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About The Omaha morning bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927 | View Entire Issue (July 22, 1923)
i Fixed Sum Key toSettlement i |T — ^ Indemnity Should Be Based on Germany’s Capacity to Pay, American Obser* rer Says. I t Continued IM he* One.) t- occupation. All that sxpense Is charged up against Germany. It Is a prior charge and must be paid be ** fore reparations. No part of It, nat u rally, Is credited to Germany on ng account of reparations. And this ex ~ pense on account of ths armies of occupation Is enormous. Already It has run Into billions of gold marks. * And the end Is not yet. Germany rr Is expected to pay the costs of the ** enlarged occupation of the Ruhr. 10 And It Is not only the costs of the FI armies of occupation. Germany has to pay the expenses of all these com missions that are going up and down nl her soli. There have been, or are, '* literally hundreds of high-salaried ’* men going through Germany looking t* for concealed military supplies; for ®* horses, cows, pictures and Jewelry that the German army took away from France and Belgium. It Is right that Germany should he compelled to give these things up. It Is right that the allies should seek them out. But from the point of view of actual cash paid by Ger many, it means that from month to month most of the cash Germany has paid has gone to meet the expenses of making her pay It. Germany sees so much cash paid; but at the end of the payment sees the most demanded from her for reparations not appre ciably diminished. Capacity Is Reduced. But this Is only a small Item In the Immense list of what Germany has given up. These things she lias given up have been not only a sub traction from Germany’s wealth, without adding anything like an equivalent sum to the allies’ wealth, but, furthermore, these things that Germany has given up have actually Impaired her capacity to pay more. They have been torn from the heart of her Industrial mechanism and have ieduced her capacity to produce and pay. For example, Germany gave up all her mercantile shipping. Most of It nas taken by Great Britain, In resti tution for the British ships that Ger many sunk during the war. These German ships haven't meant much to Britain, because Britain has more ships than she needs. But, obviously, Germany was left without any mer cantile shipping. Is deprived of an integral part of her trade organiza tion, and is to that extent less able to make the money with which to pay reparations. If you start out from ths point of view of what Germany has paid, or given up, or been deprived of, the list is pretty formidable and the con sequent depreciation of her capacity •> make the money necessary to pay reparations Is apparent. A list of some of the more Important assets Germany has given up would run sotno-g as follows: , Asset* Lost. i Thu German colonies, which are nr,w distributed on one status or an other, among the allies. The German mercantll* shipping, already mentioned. The German navy. To tha allies this was no asset at all, except as to what they have been able to sell tor scrap. But to Germany It repre lented a cash expenditure of billion*. Alsace-Borralne, as well as portion* of Poland, and the commercial assets Germany had In those territories. The Saar coal mines, which Ger many reckons as worth a quarter of a billion dollars, but which the Allies reckon at only about 175,000,000. (Both are right. The one figure rep resents what Germany lost, the other what the allies got. The difference In actual value between the mines as they stood In Germany's economic system and what the allies can make nut of them Is obvious. It Illustrates this whole story of the differences between what Germany thinks she has paid and what the allies think they hnvc got.’ The uillt.irv, naval and aeronautic supplies and material and the dls n | ting and'converting of the plant* for making them. This has meant hundreds of mljjtons to Germany, but little or nothing to :he allies. Germany has to pay the repara tions not only for herself but for all the tiher countrlej that were asso ciated with her In the war. The repar ations were assessed against all these countries Jointly, but ooviously Austria. Bulgaria and Turkey can’t be looked to for payment. Germany being the one sol 'ent country among them, al'. the burden falls on her. Sequestered Property Hig Sum. German property sequestered In the allied countries. The value of this runs In the neighborhood of a billion and a half dollars. The Ge'man euhmarlne cable* and the German government’* Interest In various public utilities. The deliveries In kind—coal, lum A 7gk.ktisf.mknt. FRECKLES Girls! Make Harmless Lemon Cream to bleach away Tan, Freckles Mix th# Julc* of two lemon* with three ounce* of Orchard Whit*, which any drugglet will *upply you for a few cent*, *hak* well In * bottle, and you hav* a whole quarter pint of th* moat wonderful freckl* and tan cream and complexion beau Jtlfler. Maaaag* thl* eweetly fragrant lem on cream into th* face, neck, arm* and hand* each day and *•• how freckle* and blemlshe* naturally bleach right out and how youthful* ly clear, *oft aod rosy whit* th* akin become*. ber MnS tha Ilka. Hera, again, tha whole story Is Illustrated. These dell varies In kind are credited to Germany by the aJllee at one figure —a vary low figure—but charged up by Germany at a much higher fig ure. Their value to the allies la less than their eoat to Germany. Of all these and other things the Germans have given up and trans ferred to the allies, the Germans say the value la about six and a half bil lion dollars That is what the Ger man government tells the German people they have given up. The allies, on ths other hand, esti mate It at relatively little or nothing. France tells her people that Germany has paid little or nothing on account of reparations. Those Americans over here who are In touch with the facts estimate as a fair appraisal of what Germany has already turned over to the allies somewhere about four billion dollar*. Germans Losing Docility. On# other fact neede to be men tioned at this point. Partly as a general result of the war and partly —so Germany thinks—as a result of mistakes In the Versailles treaty and mistakes made by the allies since the war, Germany has been prevented from paying as much as otherwise she might have paid. Germany aa a democracy, a new and awkward democracy, waa not as efficient In dustrially as before the war. To pass from a most compact au tocracy to an extremely loose dem ocracy Is strong win* under all cir cumstances. German workmen are less docile than they were. Industrial discipline, which went hand 1n hand with the military discipline, has been loosened. The restlessness of the people, starting with this change In the form of government, has been Increased by the successive crises that arose every few months, engendered by the mistakes of the allies and the dis agreements among them as to their policy toward Germany. The Inva sion of th# Ruhr, of course, almost put a stop to production In that ter ritory. Of course, all that Germany has lost she has deserved to lose. Meas ured In terms of Justice. Germany should lose 20 times more—and even then would only have made a start toward recompensing th* world for the loss of blood and treasure she brought upon It. Must Eliminate Justice. But the unhappy fact Is—and this Omaha Woman to Enter School of Medicine With Her Son, 22 Former Missionary to Africa to Seek Degree in Omaha Before Returning to Jungle Mission. Mr*. HUdah Bain. 1315 South Thlr ty-*econd street. Is studying to en ter the University, of Nebraska School of Medicine with her son. Clarence Bain. 22. Clarence entered the college of medicine last fall. Mr*. Bain has begun the premedlc course In the University of Omaha summer school. If shs Is not recalled to Af rtca as a missionary before she has time to finish her course, she In tends to continue and take the de gree of doctor of medicine a couple of years after her son ha* taken hi*. Twenty-seven years In the Belgian and Portuguese Congo, many of which were spent miles from any white peo ple except her own family, have not in the least dimmed Mrs. Bain's ar dor for study. Indeed, she finds that her experience has kept her mind alert and made It easier for her to compete with young students than it might be for most persons of her age. She and her husband learned to speak and write three languages, French, Spanish and the native Con go. after they arrived in Africa. This meant long-continued study. No Doctor Available. * During her stay in Africa as a mis sionary of the American Baptist board, Mrs. Bain and her husband were constantly being called upon to treat all kinds of diseases, from boils to leprosy and African sleeping sick ness. Much of the time there was no doctor within hundreds of miles, and the American couple had to pit their very slender knowledge of medi cine against the malignant, unsani tary climate and the vast Ignorance of the natives. Mrs. Bain tells of two cases where fv w*- ■* tum&U*. she helped amputate the limb# of men who had been mangled by croco diles. Needs K bow ledge of Theory. Such emergencies as this made Mrs. Bain feel that a llttl* more knowledge of the theory of medicine would be valuable, since she was go ing to be forced Into its practice anyhow. She and her husband were recalled to this country two years ago by his 111 health. After his death a little over a year ago, she determined to spend her time until she should be recalled to active service. In the study of medicine. Besides spending six hours a day In laboratory work, Mrs. Bain Is keeping house for her son and teach ing a citizenship class in ths Mexi can quarter three nights a week. Un til last week she also taught a vaca tion Bible class of negroes held In connection with one of the churches of the city. la a thing most unpalatable for any of ua to swallow—that It Is not pos sible to treat Germany In terms of Justice. It Is an utter Impossibility to make Germany pay as much as Jus tice would demand that It pay. Jus tie* must bs sllmlnatsd from ths prob lem of reparations. Bines Germany cannot bs mads to pay enough to satisfy justice, the next step Is: It must be mads to pay every cent that It can. And what A Great Sale of GENUINE EARL & WILSON SHIRTS There never was a better time for you to Get Acquainted with PRAY STORES than during this great Get Acquainted Sale. All our regular lines of merchan* dise are being sold far below usual prices We want you to know our store policies and the better kind of merchandise that we handle. This Is Your Opportunity To Wear Better Shirts You may select from our entire stock of Earl & Wilson Shirts. We guarantee them to give “perfect” satisfaction for ONE FULL YEAR. Read the prices. Come and see the shirts. You’ll soon realize the bargains now offered. $ 2.50 Earl & Wilson Shirts.r.$1.85 $ 3.00 Earl & Wilson Shirts.$2.15 $ 4.00 Earl & Wilson Shirts.$2.85 $10.00 Earl & Wilson Shirts.$6.65 (Other Prices Reduced Accordingly) $2.00 Cut Silk Ties, fine $1.00 Knit Ties, best In variety, choice ....90c town, choice.55c Big Sale of Ladies’ Hosiery » These are our regular lines; values up to $3.50. Choice while they last $1-45, $1.15 and 90c BIG SALE OF MEN’S COLLARS Big lot of SOFT COLLARS, values to 50c, choice, 2 for..25c Another big lot of soft collars, choice. 10c P-R-A-Y Both Stores—1509 Farnam and 1908 Farnam Germany can pay is an economic problem There has been, ever since the armistice, the widest variation In the estimates of economists, business m*n. hankers and politicians as to Germany's capacity to pay. Just now there is a general approximation toward some 112,000,000,000. The present writer, after going over the figures with many well Informed authorities, believes that Germany’s capacity* Is much greater than that, but believes also that this Is probably the maximum that will ever actually be gotten out of Germany. The reason for this paradox Is psychological. The amount of the reparations when It Is fixed will be hased on Germany "as Is." And Just as soon as the reparations figure Is fixed—or a few months afterward— there will be * wholly different Ger many "aa Is." Fixed Sum Prosperity Hinge. So soon as the reparations figure la fixed (assuming It Is fixed at all In time to save Germany from a wholly different course In the direction of economlo chaos) several things will -happen. Some of these things will happen at the game moment that the reparations are fixed and will be a part of the process of fixing the reparations. The mark will bs stabilised, the government budget will bo equalized, the government will become more se cure in Its seat and will he able to collect faxes more efficiently and In larger amounts. Most Important of all. Germany will be able to borrow money In Immense sums. It might well be that a stabil ized Germany could float loans In ternally and In America and else where running upward of a billion dollars. This money will provide working capital for German busi nest. The great—and recently Im proved—Industrial plant that Ger many Is will become a going con cern. The psychological factor will become favorable. Germany will start off with an Immense Impetus and within a. short time there will be a wholly new and^ different Germany 'as Is.” It will be apparent that Germany could have paid much larger reparations, and the world will rebuke Itself for having fixed the reparations ao low. Ruin bi High Amount. If it be asked, then, Why not fix the reparations higher? the answer Is that If the reparations are fixed too high In the beginning the other thlnga will not follow. If the repara tions are fixed too high the mark will not become stable, the R»rman budget cannot be balanced, the bankers will not make loans, the psychological factor within Germany will not make large production posalble. It la an unfortunate dilemma, but there Is no way out of It One question belongs here: Has! Germany. In good failh, made an earnest effort to pay aa much as it could? I have a«ked that question of dis interested Americans In a position to know. Their answer cannot be given In a single word. Th*rs were and are some German leaders who favored a policy of straining every muscle to pay. Bathenau was one of them, and Kathenau was assassinated t.y those who didn't favor that policy. It Is well known, of course, that many wealthy Germans have sent their capital out of Germany Into neutral countries. That certainly represented an effort, so far as Indi vidual Germans w.tre concerned, to avoid letting the government tax them and to avoid paying reparations. But could the German government have prevented that e%’aslon? The government was new and weak. In any other country, under the same circumstances, Individual citizens would have tried to hide their money from the Indemnity collector. Paris Conference Blamed. So far as the German government and the German people have failed to i show good will, have failed to show the Intention to pay as much as they could, there Is one valid excuse made for them by every disinterested oh- ! server. That excuse Is the failure of 1 the Paris peace conference to make the reparations a fixed, known, 4m termlned sum. This was ths funds* mental error of the peace conference, < the one great fact that the reader earnest for understanding should get his teeth Into. The Paris conference left the total amount of the repara* tions “up in the air.” In effect, they said to Germany, “Go to work, pro duce as much as you can, and each year the reparations commission will com# around and tako what you have made.” There waa no limit, either of amount or of time. Under such a condition no nation can be expected to have the will to pay. Imagine a business man worth, say $50,000. If you say to him, "You must pay $100,000 and when you have paid It you are free,” he will go to work and try# to make It and pay It. ' But If you put. the amount beyond any reasonable limit of his capacity, if you say to him, “You must pay $10,000,000,” he will lie down and qujt. (That is why the reparations must b>e fixed not on the basis of justice for the sllies but on the bsalg of Germany’s capacity to pay.) And If you say to the business man, “Go to work, make as much as you can, and we will take It all away from you for a series of years to which we refuse to set sny present limit”— In that case, most assuredly, the debtor will lie down and quit. And that, In effect, Is what the Parle con ference said to Germany. (Copyright, lKt.) ==-'■ =====-— - ■ , 1 --■ ^ ■ . ■■ ss. It’s Coming---The Greatest Fur Economy Sale Omaha Has Ever Seen—Watch Daily Papers for Exact Date Monday—Pre-Inventory Clearance Sale of Silk Remnants This announcement brings to the women of Omaha and vicinity an opportunity of j \ phenomenal savings on thousands of dollars’ worth of the season’s newest and most fashionable silks, all in remnant lengths. Here, as one may note from the list, are silks for the making of women’s frocks, suits, coats, blouses, separate skirts, as well as the making of men’s shirts and children’s apparel. We suggest that early and plentiful selections be made, for such prices we are 6ure cannot again be duplicated in silks of this character. Black Silks White Silks Sport Silks Colored Silks This season’s most active sellers and choicest styles in lengths from a half yard to full dress pattern. -g 1 1^- o 7™/i/s Sa/e kjlllvo Per KarJ Worth Regularly Up to m 2.25 a Yard Silks s?a Worth rt^u/arZ* | J II Vp* l#OJ/ , 2.98 a Yard * W ^ Silk hr Apparel as Well as Art Work C| I Irn This Sale I kjlllVa Per Yard 111 1.68] 'Silks »•“ 1 "S’ 1.951 ^3.95 a Yard 9 ^ J These Choice Fabrics Are Included: Each piece k marked &ith the number ef yardt and the price per yard. Spiral Crepe Canton Crepe Crepe de Chine Satin Canton Knitted Crepe Paiilep Crepe Knit Flat Crepe Rhapsodi Silk Chiffon Taffeta Sport Satin Japanese Pongee Novelty Silk* Zephyr Spun Alltyme Crepe Georgette Crepe Sport Plaids Klo-kanna Radium Taffeta Heather Den> Fluff}) Ruff Printed Crepes Foulards Matclasss Satin Charmems Art Satin Wash Silks Poult de Sot's Silk Broadcloth Extra selling apace, extra salespeople, special booths and tables to facilitate selection. Be here at 9 a. m. Every one who comes, no matter from where they come, in the city, suburbs or surrounding towns, and even from a dis tance, will be profitably rewarded for coming to the great silk remnant sale. Remember—this silk remnant sale is a clearance and none sent C. 0. D.—No re funds—None sold to a dealer—No phone or mail orders—No lengths'exchangeable. MaIi Floor—Center Children’s Wear And Now for Vacations This Is sure to mean trips to the country and possibly the sea shore, where warm weather clothes for play and festive dress-up occasions are sure to ue needed. Practical Play Clothes—For either little -iris or boys, blue chambray and khaki • ijprd in rid or blue; aquare neck, short leeves and long legged, pearl buttons at waistline trim them; sizes 2 to 8 QO„ years; special, ^Ov> Pag Top Overalls Made of gingham or blue chambray; can be worn with or with out a dress; sizes 2 to ft years; 7Qe» special, • 1.200 Splendid Creepers and Rompers— First quality of sturdy fabrics that ahnw in finish and will prove Itself in wear. The variety is great; hand smocking and stitch ing, picot edged, organdie ruffles, includ ing khaki piped in red and black sateen; all sizea, <5 months to 6 years; QC-, spscial, Play Dresies for Little Girla Of light weight quality gingham that will tub well, in plaida and rool looking atripes; round and square neck styles; short QO _ sleeves; extra value, */OC Boys' Slipover Suite— A one piece garment, easy to slip into, easy to launder; all the pretty shades for little boys; short legged, low nerk and short sleeves; OQ _ 2 to * years; special, OOC Third Floor—East / Pre-Inventory Clearance of Linens 100 Seven-Piece Colored Luncheon Set*—In pink, blue and yellow; one 59x59-inch hemstitched cloth and six napkins; regularly 7.50; A QQ special, per set, Summer Table Cover*—In Sanita, 48 and 54 inches, round and square, beautiful colorings in assorted de signs; special, 1 QQ O QQ each, I.IsO and Lt»VO 60-inch Japanese Blue Print*—First quality merchandise, assorted de signs; 1.69 value; QQ special, each, */OC All-Linen Handkerchief Square*—Kor men and women, in all white and colors. All ready to be hemmed: take some on the vacation trip and make them yourself at about half the price you would ordi narily have to pay. OQ Women's size, each, Men's size, each, 59<* 100 Bath Sheet*—Tn the new ab sorbent weave. 64x80-inch size; every home should have one at this low price; special, QQ each, £.*/0 Mala Floor—Woil A Special Clearance of Boys’ Straw Hats Reduced te 2 great clearance lots. All l the season’s new- ' est shapes, styles styles: white, black, brown or com bination effects: all sizes. 6'* to 7. 1.50, 2.00 and QO 1.00 and JQ 2.50 values, JwC 1.25 val.TrOC Boys’ Wash Hats—Middies, tarns, Rah Rahs. Beautiful, crisp, fresh stock in solid colors and color com binations: sold formerly from 65c to 95c; special, each. Bovs' Genuine Palm Beach Capa— In litfht and dark shades, all sizes. 6>+ to 71h ; formerly priced QC 1.45; special at ImJC Fourth Floor Art Specials Round Porch and Picnic Pillows of Cretonne—In dark colored designs, filled with good quality £r kapoc; regular 79c; special. ODC Stamped Pillow Cases—With hem stitched edge for crocheting. 42 inch size in attractive designs; reg ular 1.75; per pair, f iA special, 1.4 J Third Floor—WnI [Additional Brandci* Bargain* Advertised in Other Omaha Newspapers]