(Editor "North-China Dairy News," 1911-1930)
London, Dec. 16.
(EN two such men of mystery and autocrats of money a Dr, Schacht and Mr. Montagu Norman confer, the British public w: its apprehensively to see how far its ear is to be bitten.
Why is the President of the German Reichsbank visiting the Governor of the Bank of England? And presicely at the moment when the Bill to enlarge the amount available for export guarantees is being rushed through Parliament and the President of the Board of Trade has announced that unfair competition abroad is to be fought by all the monas in our power?
Both of which events have made the Germans quite plainly very nervous.
According to the "Daily Telegraph's" very well-informed Diplomatic Correspondent, the plunder obtained by Germany from Austria lest spring, which has enabled her hitherto to finance her adverse trade balance, is nearly exhausted, and Dr. Schacht's object now is to induce us to take more German exports, for which we should pay in cash in order to provide Germany with foreign exchange to pay for urgently-needed imports.
But why, the public ask, should we give one penny to help Germany out of a hole? Two glaring objections are seen. First, that the Munich agreement has not produced the faintest sign of any contribution to world appeasement by Germany. As all history teaches, Danegelt produces nothing but demands for more of the seme stuff. would be called undemocratic and autocratic.
Yet Governments now are no better. in fact they are worse, using their powers in the wrong place. Only a few days ago when Mr. Chamberlain was asked to promise that no conversations on the subject of colonies being surrendered to Ger-meny should be begun without Parliament being consulted, he point-blank refused to do so. What could be more undemocratic?
The question of freedom of the Press has been very much to the fore lately. It was raised in Parliamen about a fortnight ago by that per-tenacious questioner, Mr. Mader of Wolverhampton, who made a long accusation of the Government's hav: nig put pressure upon editors to suppress news and tone down views; an interview between Lord Halifax and
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.