Der Fuehrer - Hitler's Rise to Power (1944) - Heiden

674 DER FUEHRERof currencies. Three days after Germany had stopped payments in orderto rebuild her industry by her own strength, though not without stolenmoney, the President of the United States told the assembled financialexperts of the world that a nation's internal economy was more vital tothat nation's prosperity than the state of its currency; moreover,stabilization of currencies would not solve the problem of world trade;and it was more important to break down trade barriers; America — themessage implied — would help herself and recommended the same toall countries. This was the end of the World Economic Conference, andafter a few days it 'adjourned.' Hjalmar Schacht, always at great pains todiscover a similarity between the American New Deal and the economicpolicy of the Third Reich, gave an interview in London, on July 12, inwhich he said that the failure of the conference had been a good thing;that all these conferences were going the same downward path asparliamentarianism; that in world economy as elsewhere the generalwatchword was: no more prattling. And the world should be grateful toPresident Roosevelt for his withdrawal: 'For Roosevelt has in principlethe same idea that Hitler and Mussolini have put into action: take youreconomic fate into your own hands and you will be helping not onlyyourselves but the whole world!'