Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - The German Problem
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the First World War. He felt that a new currency
should be introduced, and that simultaneously
effective restrictions regarding the printing of paper
money should go into effect. The time for carrying
out the reform was, however, a difficult problem. He
said that, if it came too soon, before there were
sufficient goods, the new currency would soon lose
its purchasing power.
Finally, Brauer also touched upon another
important German question, the plight of the farmers.
They suffered under too high taxes, which they
simply could not pay without demanding higher
prices for their goods than they were allowed by the
price control office. Consequently, he said, they tried
to overcome their difficulties by hoarding goods
which they never mentioned to the authorities, in
order to sell them on the black market. The taxes
must be reduced, Bauer declared energetically. The
pressure of taxation was one of the most important
causes of the prevailing state of misery in Germany.
But could taxes be reduced without stranding the
authorities? Yes, declared Brauer, simply by running
the administration more economically. In his opinion,
there were three times as many people employed as
were really necessary. This was far too costly, and
above all, man power was kept away from commerce
and industry which could not be spared.
The next German I met was the man in charge of
reconstruction work in the harbor of Hamburg. I
had expressed a wish to make a tour of the harbor
in order to get an idea of conditions. He also gave
me information which eloquently witnessed the
severe internal conditions in Germany. He needed, he
7 — Instead of Arms 193
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