GERMAN WAR PROFITS

An extraordinary list of the gigantic war profits collected by Germany was drawn up by A. Cheraband, the well known French critic. He estimated that in three years Germany had spent $322.50 per head, France $444.00, Great Britain $559.75. He presents a list of war profits made by Germany. The "booty" he divided into movable and immovable property. In the former category he includes the 212,000 square miles of territory that had fallen into German clutches, and this he values at $32,000,000,000, which, he says, is a conservative estimate. Turning to the movable booty, he classifies it as follows:

  1. "Capture of 'Human Material.'—This consists of the 46,000,000 Allied subjects from whom the Germans obtain free labor.
  2. "Capture of War Material.—Guns, rifles, munitions, vehicles, locomotives, railway trucks, and thousands of miles of railway. The Belgian railway system alone is worth nearly $600,000,000.
  3. "Capture of Foodstuffs.—Everywhere the Germans have stolen horses, cattle, corn, potatoes, sugar, alcohol, foodstuffs of every kind, and crops grown by the forced labor drawn from the 46,000,000 Allied subjects whom they have enslaved.
  4. "Theft of Raw Materials.—Throughout the occupied territories the Germans have appropriated coal, petroleum, iron, copper, bronze, zinc, lead, etc., either in the mines or from private individuals; textile materials, such as woolen and cotton. In the towns of northern France alone the Germans stole $110,000,000 worth of wool.
  5. "Theft of Industrial Plant.—On a methodical plan throughout the occupied territories, the motors, engines, machine-tools, steam and electric hammers, steel-rolling mills, looms, models, and industrial plant of all kinds have been carried off to Germany.
  6. "Thefts of Furniture.—The way in which furniture and household goods were stolen and carried off is confessed by implication in the following advertisement published in the Kölnische Zeitung at the beginning of April, 1917:
    "'Furniture moved from the zones of military operations in all directions by Rettenmayer at Wiesbaden.'
    "It is impossible to estimate the money value of the goods thus removed.
    "Seizure of Works of Art.—The works of art collected for centuries in museums, churches, and by private individuals in Poland, Italy, Belgium, and France have been carried off by the Germans.
  7. "War Levies.—Scores of millions in money have been secured by the Germans in the form of requisitions, fines, war levies, war taxes, and forced loans.
  8. "Thefts of Coin, Jewels, and Securities.—In the occupied regions, and especially wherever they have been obliged to evacuate those regions, as, for instance, at Noyon, the Germans have emptied, by order, the safes and strong boxes of private persons and of banks and have carried off securities, jewels, and silver. In September and October, 1917, they seized at one stroke the deposits of Allied subjects in the Belgian banks amounting to $120,000,000.
    "In view of the high prices of foodstuffs, coal, metals, petroleum, war materials and machines, it is clear that the booty thus secured by the Germans during the last three years in the occupied territories is certainly worth several billion dollars."

Photo by James M. Beck

A Woman Operating a Multiple Spindle Drill in an English Shell Factory

"Since the war broke out," said M. Barriol, a French celebrated actuary, "no less than 1,500,000 women have been added to the ranks of wage earners in England, an increase of fully 25 per cent."

GERMAN MONEY INDEMNITY

It became commonplace after Germany's defeat was evident that her war cost must include the cost of the destruction she had caused her enemies. To estimate this was no easy matter. The attitude of the Germans on the subject was indicated by their constantly expressed hope that trade would recommence as usual and that they would be able to start economic relations in a favorable position. So we find the Cologne Chamber of Commerce beginning to prepare for peace by adopting a resolution expressing the hope that the destruction of French and Belgian industries would allow the rapid recovery of German power.