The new Reich Cabinet has now taken ten days to familiarize itself with government tasks.
Yesterday, on the occasion of this year's reception of the Berlin press, Chancellor Cuno made a major public address for the second time.
It was a representative act. This time, the Chancellor's statements were only of a general nature.
That's not to blame, but it's about time Germany's new government showed what it's doing.
For we are only a few days before the London meeting of the Prime Ministers of the Entente, at which the political basis for the settlement of the reparations question is to be laid.
Until then, it is important to show your willingness to act.
Because otherwise we will be treated like a willless object.
They will dictate to us instead of letting us find our own way to recovery and a return to solvency, we will be subjected to control measures that are contrary to the dignity of a great people, and Poincaré will have an easier time with his demands for pledges aimed at the destruction of German imperial unity .
It does not help us to indulge in the comfortable feeling: we are at the end of our strength, we cannot pay, and we cannot recover until the winning group has committed itself to a policy of reason and is prepared to make appropriate decisions.
We must shake off this certainly excusable feeling of apathy.
For abroad it is misinterpreted and has already created an atmosphere there, in France as well as in England, which is anything but favorable for Germany.
In the Paris correspondence of our newspaper it has already been pointed out that the French public is currently standing almost unanimously behind the demands of Poincaré's policy of violence.
People are disappointed in France
Although we are accustomed to the experience that the majority of the French people are always ready towards Germany in favor of the methods of brute force, not all French people worship the spirit Poincaré serves, and just a few days ago Paris was showing no ill will Desire to ditch the current French prime minister, who has done nothing tangible but has dramatically worsened France's prospects of receiving reparations.
But now, for the time being, there has been a complete reversal.
People are disappointed in France.
One is disappointed because in the previous demonstrations of the Cuno cabinet no sign is seen of Germany's willingness to seek a larger international loan, an international loan which will not only help to restore Germany's financial strength,
We have already pointed out that the French sense of disappointment is mistaken.
In Point 8 of the German Note of November 13, which the Cuno Cabinet has also made the guideline of its policy, the idea of accepting foreign loans to serve the purpose of reparations was expressly expressed.
The Cuno cabinet is also planning to work with international loans in order to meet the French need for money.
It is a question in itself whether the path outlined by our Paris correspondents and devised by Parisian circles who are supportive of equalization can be followed.