OCR Text |
Show GERMANY SEEKS ECONOMIC PLAN Speaker Declares Most Important Im-portant Weapon Is Suffrage Suf-frage Reform. Fear Seizure of Nation's Gold Supply by the Entente. T3EPJ.1X, Sunday, Dec. S. (.By the Associated Press. ) The commission appointed ap-pointed by thf present government to i.ork a plan for economic socialization held its initial session, but, tOeyond organizing, it has adopted no specilic ? 'nrogram of procedure. The Berlin v 'T bourse and banking and industrial cir-""2 cir-""2 fits, po far as the correspondent has jjr been able to ascertain, do not expect im-w im-w piediate enactment of radical measures. The impression prevails that the Ebert-Haase Ebert-Haase government is convinced that the present political and economic situation is inauspicious. This seems to have been 'onfirmed by recent utterances of the leaders of both wings of the Social De- inocracy. . Must Come Gradually. fVitiard Bernstein, who represents the revolutionary government in the national ministry of finance, and who, with Carl Kautsky, undersecretary of foreign affairs af-fairs in the- soldiers and workmen's government, gov-ernment, shares the intellectual leadership leader-ship of the independent Socialists', in a speech last night, said the most urgent oroblem at present was maintenance of the nation's economic system. "Socialization cannot come overnight," said Herr Bernstein. "It can only be carried out gradually, but it is bound to .come, for the people now are sovereigns. Our important weapon is suffrage reform, re-form, which is now a fact. It will completely com-pletely reconstruct society and eventually eventual-ly lead to state control of important industries." in-dustries." Against Confiscation. Herr Bernstein paid he was opposed to -.'oniiscation or expropriation. "Our present pres-ent situation is most critical more so rimn most of lie realize," he added. "We :ire lacking in raw products, foodstuffs and other commodities, to procure which we shall require immense amounts of money. We cannot seize the wealth of the rich people, for then the whole system sys-tem of production would become paralyzed. para-lyzed. Our state railways, which in bygone by-gone years netted a surplus of 6,000,000,-uoo 6,000,000,-uoo marks, now show a deficit of 1,000,-noo.000 1,000,-noo.000 marks. Our credit abroad is undermined, the Dutch and Swiss banks refusing us accommodation becauso of the .instability of our economic conditions." Paul Hlrsch, Prussian minister of the interior and one of tho leaders of the majority Socialists, in the course of an address, declared that the date fixed for j0r tlie national assembly was too remote, and that immediate convocation of the as.epmWy was of urgent necessltv for the purpose of irlving the new state organization organ-ization needed stability. Opposes Dictatorship. Herr Hirsch asserted that a diet a tor-ship tor-ship was undesirable, as it would be Incompatible In-compatible with the principles both or Socialism and of democracy. He pre- V dinted that the Rhenish industrial classes would not hesitate to call on the entente to restore order if the present condition of suspense was permitted to continue. He then discussed the financial situation, situa-tion, saying that the substitution of a tremendous deficit for the former surplus would compel the administration of the state railways to increase the tariff by 60 per cent. This measure already has been planned by the former government, he added. The speaker said he opposed a? arbitrary arbi-trary the attempts of Adoipf Hoffman, former editor of the Socialist organ Vor-wnertB, Vor-wnertB, to disestablish the church as an issue of tar-reaching consequences which should be left to the determination of the ministry. Fear Gold Seizure. IJmil von Strauss, one of the leading directors of the Deutpchebank. said lie w as of the opinion that the government would he slow in carrying out Its program pro-gram for economic radieallzatlon, and that the final decision would be ren- i dered by the people. He pointed out that there was imperative need of avoiding extreme measures, which might impair German credit abroad, as the country naturally expected to enter the world markets as buyer and seller. Seizure of the nation's gold supply by the entente, Herr von Strauss pointed out. would mean the destruction of Germany's Ger-many's credit bonis and result in financial finan-cial anarchy and Inability to purchase foods tufts, which was the first requisite toward righting the present situation. Herr von Strauss added that he was of the opinion that the thoughtful elements oi' the German working classes would realize that the exorbitant wage demands made in isolated quarters would mean the prompt elimination of Germany from competitive markets . and result in a , situation k-ast of ail suited to economic experiments. |