The Dominance of Money

The amazing increase of German population before the war gave importance in politics and economics to the question of providing daily bread.

Unfortunately, those responsible could not make up their minds at a solution. They preferred to reach their objective by cheaper methods.

They disliked the idea of acquiring fresh territory. Instead, they went for the mad desire for the commercial conquest of the world. This would lead eventually to unlimited and injurious industrialization.

This weakened the agricultural classes as the proletariat moved to the urban areas.

The big barrier dividing rich and poor now became apparent.

Want and frequent unemployment began to play havoc with the people.

This divided the population into political classes.

Discontent increased in spite of commercial prosperity.

Soon, people felt that ’things cannot go on as they are'.

Commerce assumed definite control of the State. Money became more and more of a God whom all had to serve and bow down to.

Unfortunately, the predominance of money received support and sanction in the very quarter which ought to have been opposed to it.

The Kaiser made a mistake when he raised representatives of the new finance capital to the ranks of the nobility.

Even Bismarck failed to realize the threatening danger in this respect.

This made all ideal virtues secondary considerations to those of money.*

Financial operations succeed easier than war operations. Hence it was no longer any great attraction for a true hero or even a statesman to be brought into touch with the nearest Jew banker.

Real merit was not interested in receiving cheap decorations and therefore declined them.

• But from the standpoint of good breeding such a development was deeply regrettable.

The nobility began to lose the racial qualities that made them nobility. Instead they became plebeians.

A serious state of economic disruption was being brought about by:

• the slow elimination of the personal control of vested interests
• the gradual transference of the whole economic structure into the hands of joint stock companies.

In this way, labour became degraded into an object of speculation of unscrupulous exploiters.

The de-personalization of property ownership increased on a vast scale.

Financial exchange circles began to triumph and made slow but sure progress in assuming control of the whole of national life.

Before the War, the internationalization of the German economic structure had already begun by the roundabout way of share issues.

A section of the German industrialists made a determined attempt to avert the danger.

• But in the end, they gave way before the united attacks of money-grabbing capitalism which was assisted in this fight by its faithful henchmen in the Marxist movement.

The Marxists in the German government had envisioned the persistent war against German ‘heavy industries’ through the internationalization of German economic life which came after their successful 1918 Revolution.

Currently, the German State Railways are to be turned over to international capitalists.

• Thus ‘International Social-Democracy’ has once again attained one of its main objectives.

When the War was over, one of the leading captains of German industry and commerce, Mr. Stinnes, believed that commerce was the only force which could put Germany on its feet again.

• This shows how far this ‘commercialization’ of the German nation has been.
• This sort of nonsense was uttered just at the time when France was restoring public education on a humanitarian basis – doing away with the idea that national life dependens on commerce rather than ideal values.

The statement which he broadcasted to the world at that time caused incredible confusion.

It immediately became the leading motto of all the ‘statesmen’ whom Fate let loose on Germany after the 1918 Revolution.*

One of the worst evidences of decadence in Germany before the War was the habit of doing things by halves. This was caused by a certain timidity which resulted from one cause or another. And the latter malady was aggravated by the educational system.

German pre-War education had many weak features.

• It focused on the production of pure knowledge.
• It paid little attention to the development of practical ability.
• It gave less attention to the development of individual character.

Hardly any attention was given to:

• the development of a sense of responsibility
• strengthening the will and the powers of decision.

This produced erudite people who had a passion for knowing everything.

Before the War, we Germans were accepted and estimated accordingly.

The German was liked because he was useful. But there was little esteem for him personally because of his weak character.

Among all nationalities, Germans were the first to part with their national citizenship when they found themselves in a foreign country.