The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-06-02
DR.. Usher's Theory and D~elusion.

1t takes the professors to strike
the note Of nonsense In these turbu-
lent times. For example, there Is
Professor ROLAND q. USHER Of Wash
ington University out in Missouri.
who wOn n rather sudden publicity
after the outbreak Of the war be-
cause of an ante-bellum book in
which he had digested German prop
uganda in recent years in a fashion
that seemed to throw some light on
the Hateful developments in Europe
beginning last summer.
On the strength Of this volume
Professor USHER has been consulted
mor or less frequently during the
past few months by newspaper IN
reviewers apparently anxious for
his up to date opinion on current
events. As a result he has Just ut
tered himself on our relations with
Germany and has set the seal Of his
PROFESSIONAL approval on one Of the
most grotesque and withal dangerous
a~bsurdities which have been promul-
gated for popular consumption.
Professor USHER says in substance
that II the United States were drawn
into a state OF belligerency with
Germany the effect would be to cut
of the Allies against Germany from
munitions of war. He argues that
Germany might 70 define its policy
of military necessity that It would
see advantage In forcing this coun-
try to abandon its neutrality because
our Government would then proceed
to prepare for military e~ventual!tles.
and In doing 81 would keep all our
munitions at home" He deduces
that unless the American people
want the Germans to win they will
not allow Germany to draw them
into the war.
Promising that our national policy
is not guided at Washington by n
desire to have victory incline to one
side or the other In the European
war, and disregarding the assumption
that anybody here can forecast the
Berlin Interpretation OF military ne
cesslty, the core OF Professor UsHER's
argument Is arrant nonsense. Some
body set the notion In circulation
a while ago that n the United States
were drawn into the war the bust
ness which the country Is doing in
war supplies would stop because our
OWL Government would need all the
military materials we could produce.
Presumably the inventor OF the no.
ton had some ultimate objective,
but 1t Is more foolish to-day when
Professor USHER Endorses 1t than
when II was first projected; and II
was foolish enough then.
What are the facts? The answer
Is given by the proof already fur
nished Of the enormous adaptability
Of American industry for the produc-
ton of supplies to meet any kind OF
demand. The proportions to which
war business has grown here In re-
Spouse to what Is for us simply an
economic opportunity are evidence
that under the pressure OF military
necessity applied to ourselves 1t
would become colossal.
How many industrial plants are
there the owners OF which have re-
fused to make war contracts because
Of some scruple or cOnviction2 Prob
ably there are enough OF them alone
to take care OF all the requirements
Of the United States In the event OF
a state OF war and leave the present
war contractors free to 60 ahead
with their foreign deliveries. In nd
dition to that there Is n vast num-
Der of manufacturing concerns, m
far unable to obtain contracts for
war supplies, which could be con.
verted M readily to the production
Of war munitions as any now operat.
Ing or expecting to operate Ia such
production.
Furthermore. 1t IL the most oh.
vious thing In the world that II the
United States should be driven by