The World in Chains Part 11

The words in brackets are significant.

18. _Pall Mall Gazette_, November 10, 1916:

LIVING ON WAR

KRUPPS' PROFIT JUMPS FROM 1-1/2 MILLIONS TO 4-1/2

AMSTERDAM, _Tuesday Night_.

An Essen telegram states that the clear profit last year of Krupps amounted to 86,400,000 marks (4,320,000), as compared with a profit of 33,900,000 marks (1,695,000) in the preceding year. A dividend of 12 per cent has been distributed.--Reuter.

_19. Pall Mall Gazette:_

GERMAN DIVIDENDS

ECONOMIC POSITION OF SOME OF HER COMPANIES

The 1914 dividends of over sixty limited companies, nearly all German, and the remainder Austrian, show that in the case of sixteen companies the dividends amounted to 20 per cent or over, the average being 25-3/16 per cent. These companies (says the _Morning Post_) are mainly engaged in the production of leather, dynamite, explosives, india-rubber, arms, ammunition, and powder. In one case, that of an explosives company in Hamburg, the dividend attained 40 per cent.

Germany is still barring the Swiss frontier, and for the last five days the German post arrived at Berne very late or not at all, thus pointing to great activity in military matters beyond the German-Swiss frontier.

As further proof, if proof were needed, of the sufficiency of Germany's food supplies, it is pointed out that she now offers to send to Switzerland large quant.i.ties of potatoes.

20. _The Times_, July 5, 1916:

WAR PROFIT-MONGERS IN RUSSIA

_From our Correspondent._

PETROGRAD, _July 2_.

The clergy will to-morrow publicly anathematise the "freebooters of the rear," who are ama.s.sing huge fortunes at the expense of the public.

21. _The Westminster Gazette_, Aug. 28, 1916:

GERMAN WAR SCANDALS

700 PER CENT PROFIT FOR EAST PRUSSIAN LANDOWNERS

ZURICH, _Sunday_.

Details of several recent corrupt affairs which have come to light in Germany have reached Switzerland.

At Mainz a timber merchant was arrested for bribing army officers to secure contracts for his firm. The official investigation revealed that he had paid a total of 50,000 in bribes to army officers. Some of the individual bribes were as high as 2,500. This timber merchant, who was almost a poor man before the war, has acc.u.mulated in two years a fortune which compelled him to pay income-tax on an income of 25,000 per annum.

Another scandalous affair was discovered in Herr von Batocki's new Imperial Food Department. One of his officials, Bernot by name, was bribed by numerous East Prussian landowners to have the crops from their estates bought by the Government at exorbitant prices. Bernot pocketed some 15,000, and the landowners in question sold their wheat at a profit of 700 per cent.--Wireless Press.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 89: Net loss of 276,560 in first half 1914-15.]

_General Literature_

ART OF BALLET, THE. _By Mark E. Perugini._

ART OF SILHOUETTE, THE. _By Desmond c.o.ke._

BATTLE OF THE BOYNE, THE. _By D. C. Boulger._

BEHIND THE RANGES, _By F. G. Aflalo._

BIRDS IN THE CALENDAR. _By F. G. Aflalo._

CAMILLE DESMOULINS. _By Violet Methley._

CARRIAGES AND COACHES. _By Ralph Straus._

CHRISTMAS CARD, A. _By Filson Young._

c.u.mBERLAND LETTERS, THE. _By Clementina Black._

DRAMATIC PORTRAITS. _By P. P. Howe._

ENGLISH SONNET, THE. _By T. W. H. Crosland._

GEORGIAN POETS. _By J. C. Squire._

GOLD TREE, THE. _By J. C. Squire._

GRAHAME OF CLAVERHOUSE. _By Michael Barrington._

HIEROGLYPHICS. _By Arthur Machen._

HISTORY OF THE HARLEQUINADE, THE. _By M. Sand._

LETTERS FROM GREECE. _By John Mavrogordato._

LINLEYS OF BATH, THE. _By Clementina Black._

MAHOMET. _By G. M. Draycott._

MARY WOLLSTONECRAFT. _By G. R. Stirling Taylor._