Government Policy

Leaving Field Marshal von Hindenburg reading congratulatory messages from the Queen of Sweden (who said: "God has helped") the Landgrave of Hesse, Grand Duke Friedrich August of Oldenburg, Duchess Paul Friedrich of Mecklenburg, Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen and Prince Rudolf of Lippe, countless Generals and others (see above), Chancellor Hans Luther returned to Berlin, attended a session of the German Industrial and Commercial Conference and, amid the noiseleosness of intense interest, made a few short statements of the Government's policy.

"Within the last few days," said he, "the bogy of another inflation period has again been raised. This is criminal. . . . "

Already the assembled business men had forgotten the resplendent Field Marshal President. Realities remained, and of them Hans Luther was the master. They concentrated on his rosy face, his shining eyes-the "typical" figure of a youngish German. (The Chancellor is only 46.) They remembered him as the onetime Upper Burgomaster of Essen who twice was summoned to appear before the French General of Occupation, who twice refused-and the General came to him. They saw him now as the hard-headed hero who first balanced the budget and stabilized the mark, and who had done it "not by genius but by character.*"

"This is criminal. . . . The Reichsbank is able to keep the mark stable and will do so."

It was a direct, simple statement, directly and simply believed. Herr Luther then proceeded to make two more staccato points: 1) In regard to the failure of the Allies to evacuate the

Cologne bridgehead: "The fact that there is still an evacuation question is a sign that there has been no progress. . . . For more than three and a half months, we have waited vainly for a substantial justification of non-evacuation. . . . We must definitely expect that the allied governments will no longer delay to end this state of affairs."

2) "In her disarmed state, Germany also is justified in demanding security. . . . Our attitude in this matter is so clear and distinct that there can be no mistaking our aims."

* It required heavier taxation and reduction of the civil service-both unpopular.