The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1915-09-16

Der OF submarines would be sufficient
to repel an invading fleet the fact
Is to be weighed that they could not
protect our commerce at sea With all
| her submarines Germany is powerless
to protect her ocean trade. The allies
have swept 1t from the seas. But Brit
ish ocean commerce Is but slightly dis
turbed England continues to be mis-
tress Of the seas.
This opens a wide range for American
thought and discussion. Shall we stop
with a navy that will be sufficient for
coast defense and accept. in case OF
war, the commercial conditions now
faced by Germany, or shall we set out
to build a navy large enough to repei
invaders and protect our ocean commerce.
too?
Is II Worth While To Pay That High
insurance7
weighty argument can be advanced
for the former policy. The cost would
be enormous OF constructing a navy
large enough to protect our commerce
around the globe. Is II worth while
to pay that high insurance?
Let 1t be supposed that he United
States adopted the policy Of providing
only for coast defense and leaving its
foreign commerce. dn case of war; to be
destroyed as German ocean commerce
Is now destroyed. The loss OF our ocean
commerce would impart a disturbance
of some violence to commerce and In
diIstry, but 1t would not be a vital
blow. So vast and varied are our re-
sources that we could adjust ourselves
to commercial isolation. We should
need nothing in raw materials for the
manufacture OF guns and ammunition.
We should have enough and more of
food to iced all our people. We should
not need to worry. over supplies of cot
ton, lead and copper.
It Is not improbable that the United
States could emerge from a war under
those conditions more resourceful and
industrially stronger than when she
began to fight. American inventive
genius. skill and enterprise would turn
to the production and manufacture of
many lines for which we are now more
or less dependent on other lands
In Some Ways Blockade Strengthens
Germany.
II any reader is inclined to consider
this fantastic thought he can have
given the subject little thought. Even
now opinion Is heard in England that
the British blockade has streng thened
more than 1t has weakened Germany.
1T has made the Germans more inven-
tive. more resourceful. Unable to buy
abroad, Germany holds all her re-
sources at home. She keeps her gold
and thus can longer bear the financial
strain of war .nt would have been
better" reason some Englishman, "had
we allowed the Germans to buy freely
everywhere and thus break down the
sooner her financial strength"
Undoubtedly England has suffered
from what seemed at first an unmixed
blessing and advantage. She has strain
er her credit by furious buying abroad.
But England had no alternative. 1t
is vital that she keep the ocean open
to her ships. Her fields can not yield
enough to feed her people. II unable
Ito import breadstuffs she could not
hold to this war for 80 days. She
would be starved to subsection.
Happily no such compelling condition
confronts the United States. An ene-
my could not starve this country In
hundred years.
These are broad questions for public
and public judgment
After they shall have been answered
by the people. the technical questions
Of the character OF naval defense can
better be solved ON the advice of naval
and inventive NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..