"Those Who Are Luckier"

Delegates to the Prussian Diet argued hotly over a local bill last week. Came a, terrific crash overhead, a greenish yellow streak of flame ran down the wall behind the president's chair. The lightning, which had struck the roof, injured no one.

While lightning struck the Prussian Diet, man-made thunder roared and echoed in the German Reichstag across the way. Most of the thunder came from bulky, rumbling Dr. Gustav Stresemann, Germany's quick-brained, bullet-headed Foreign Minister. Almost completely recovered from a long illness (TIME, July 9, 1928 et seq.), he had returned from pruning his prize roses to defend in his own fashion the Young Plan settlement of German Reparations. The Nationalists were, charging that the Plan will make Germany a "colony" of England and France.

The Young Plan is certainly better for Germany than the Dawes Plan, stormed Herr Stresemann. Turning to the Nationalist benches he rumbled: "You could do, nothing else, and if you were to take over, the Government tomorrow your first move would be to do exactly as we are doing; recognize the obligations of Germany in order not to endanger the unity of the nation. ... Do you imagine the Government views the Young Plan as ideal? We consider it only as a regulation for a decade!"

Then with prodigious rumbling of gutterals he added: "The Nationalists say Germany has become a colony of France and England. No, we are not a colony, but it seems to me doubtful if all Europe isn't becoming a colony of those who are luckier than we. The fact is that the colonies known as Europe have now come together mutually to lighten their burdens because they have been given no alleviation from the other side--America!"

Here was rosebush pruning with a vengeance. Germany's hope of meeting even the Young Plan payments rests largely on further loans from the U. S. Berlin businessmen wrung their hands over the Stresemann "colony" speech. One of them said: "I hope Dr. Stresemann's words will not be interpreted to.mean Germany is opposed to the coming here of American capital. That would be calamitous!"

Quick to sooth the ruffled feelings of the U. S. was Dr. Hjalmar Schacht, iron-man of the Second Dawes Commission. Agreeing with Dr. Stresemann that the Young Plan annuities were merely a makeshift and did not represent Germany's capacity to pay, he urged ratification of the plan, but hastily added for U. S. consumption:

"We have not the slightest reason to agree with the oft-heard wail that all Europe will ultimately become an American colony. Nothing lies farther from the wish of the American people than to take from the European his responsibility for the conduct of his own industry. The American wishes in his international dealings and business acts to deal with independent persons and peoples who are conscious of their own responsibility. He does not wish to deal with slaves."