The Washington herald., 1915-09-13
A Menace to the Canal.

Howard Pitcher Okie a Washington man, au-
thor of America and the German Peril a modest
volume which enjoyed unprecedented sale on
the other side and is shortly to be published in
this country, undertakes to convince Americans
that the time when they must have reckoning
with Germany cannot be long delayed and that
they had best ignoring that fact and prepare
while there is yet time 1t is his firm belief that
when that hour arrives Gcrmany's most vital blow
will be struck from within the United States rather
than from without. year ago we laughed this
idea to scorn. Herman Ridder and George Syl-
vestcr Vicrcck had only to say 1--WE are Americans
hrst!" and everybody cried why of course!"
But now we are not so sure. There have been
nasty revelations of late For months the tale OF
mysterious fires, attempted assassinations, bomb
paintings, subsidized newspapers forged passports
fraudulent afidavits and false clearance papers has
been mounting to formidable proportions. Just
how much the Washington government knows
about these things will never be revealed But it
has information in comparison with which the data
furnished by the imprudencc OF Dr. Albert and
Capt Archibald seem the mercst gossip Nothing
has been said yet officially about the interception
OF the British Ambassadors mail by German
agents in our postal service or about the German
mobilization schemes in Southern California,
by Germans in California to ship munitions and
rifles to revolutionsts in India or about number
of other things. But the government has important
information all these bjccts Perhaps when
Mr.. Okic's book is rcad-and it should be widely
read-hiS words may fall ears made more sus-
ccptibc by recent events.
1t is little surprising that in a volume written
with the purpose that Mr.. Dixie has in mind moth
ing should have been said about the vital point of
contact at which German and American interests
most likely to clash. The United States should
acquire the Dutch West Indies from Holland.
Those islands completely control the Panama
Canal and, in the hands of Germany and with a
submarine base at Wilemshaven, could absolutely
close it to traffic. But will Holland part with the
islands to Germany? If Germany wins this war
she will have little choice in the matter. But
should Germany be in position to compel Hol-
land to become part of the empire by economic
pressure, for which purpose the Dortmund- Emdcn
Canal was built it might not be easy then to dis
pute Hollands right to take her colones-includ-
ing the Dutch West Indes-with her into the
German Bund.
Will Holland sell the islands to us? That is
not known and it is fairly safe assumption that
the government has taken steps yet to find
out. Yet now is the psychological time to COM
mence such negotiations. since Germany is in no
such position TO interfere as she was when tn:
United States attempted to acquire the Danish
West Indies. And if Holland will not sell us the
islands it is at least likely that she would
enter into treaty with the United States agree
ing not to dispose of them elsewhere and further
agreeing that in the event Holland should become
absorbed into the German Empire the islands
should become the property of the United States
at price to be satisfactorily aseertained