it is indispensable that life be made possible. To let devastated, dismembered, exhausted Germany, live, means to give her the opportunity to become capable of resistance. The policy of Foch of keeping Germany in an ever tightening military vise, which is to prevent Germany's revival—is being dictated by fear of Germany’s revenge.
There is a general shortage and a general need. The trade balance not only of Germany alone, but also of France and England is of a decidedly passive character. The French State debt has reached the sum of 300 billion francs. It must be mentioned that the reactionary French Senator Gaudin de Villaine asserts that two-thirds of this sum has been lost by embezzlement, thieving and general chaos.
The work of re-establishment of the French districts ruined by the war is a mere drop in this sea of devastation. The shortage of fuel and raw material as well as of labor power is the cause of insurmountable obstacles.
France wants gold, France wants coal. The French bourgeoisie points to the innumerable graves of the war cemeteries and demands its dividends. Germany must pay! It must be remembered that General Foch has sufficient negroes for the occupation of German cities. Russia must pay! In order to innoculate the Russian people with this idea the French Government spends billions upon the devastation of Russia; money which was originally collected and intended for the revival of France.
The international financial compact which was to ease the tax burden of France by a more or less complete annulment of war debts did not take place;—the United States gave no evidence whatever of a desire to make Europe a present of 10 billions of dollars.
The issue of paper currency is continuing to an ever growing extent. While in Soviet Russia the extensive introduction of paper currency and its devaluation is, coincident with the development of a systematic communal distribution of products and an extensive introduction of payment in kind, only the result of the gradual death of the commodity-money system of production, in capitalist countries on the other hand, the spread of paper currency signifies the growth of economic chaos and the approach of inevitable collapse.
The Entente Conference travels from place to place seeking inspiration at all the European resorts. Dividends are demanded all round in accordance with the number of men killed in the war. This traveling stock exchange of dead men, an exchange which fortnightly decides the question of whether France should receive 50% or 55% of the contribution which Germany is unable to pay,
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