Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-02-04
DR.. Bernhard Dernburg Declares
That 1.-the War with Germany
Is a War against the United
States"
We LOSE s500,000,000
Former German Colonial Secre-
tary Asserts Great Britain's
Sea Notifications Include
Fringe of Islands All
around" America.

St Paul, MINI, Feb 2-Dr. Bernhard
Dernburg. the former colonial secretary
of the German empire. in an address
here tonight argued that the logical
sequence in the interruption of trade be-
tween Germany and the United States,
through Great Britain's command of the
sea. both transportation and communica-
ton, is that "the war with Germany
is a war against the United States"
The speaker, who Is making a series
Of addresses. told Tonight OF the COM
n,ercial embarrassments now suffered by
Germany and the effect upon neutral
countries. After reviewing the resources
u this country and describing it as the
chief purveyor to the world of oil, lum-
her, cotton and copper, DR.. Dernburg
told Of the situation in Germany. where
about 7OO00.U0 people are living in a
territory not larger than California,
which means, he said, about g Germans
to one Californian in the same area. The
country he said was rich only In coal
md potash SO far as natural resources
we're concerned. 80 that German genius"
he said, has had to be applied in the
manufacture of highly finished goods,
importing raw stuffs not only for manu-
featuring purposes, but also for home
consumption.
ION this basis an enormous trade has
heen established between the United
States and my country. OF cotton No
less than 21bo,0oo bales have been pur-
chased here during the last year. In
copper. Germany is the best customer OF
the United States. OF wood and lumber
her purchases In this country have been
constantly increasing"
s5ooNm.0o LOSS TO U. s.
Dr. Dernburg, supported by figures Is
sued by the department Of commerce,
told how these imports have been paid
for through an exchange for commodi-
ties such az fertilizers, dye-stuffs, toys
and innumerable smaller articles which
Germany by the most effective system
of applied science and technique is able
to turn out cheaply and in good quality.
"The stopping of German competition
on the sea means a loss Of SNooN,cO I'd
the people Of the United States said
the speaker, and It was in this connec-
ton that he declared a war with Ger
many was against this country. He
spoke at length of Great Britains In
tentions in relation to conditional con-
traband, declaring that country had re-
versed the doctrine that when conditional
contraband is stopped the burden rests
upon the captor to prove that the goods
were destined for the use of the armies
or navies of adversaries. He declared
that by the reversal OF the recognized
doctrines relating to contraband England
hoped to starve Germans at home. III
this connection he said:
"And while the English will PROB
ably be baked in this ingenious device
nv the action of the United States al
we'll as by German thrift that VII
supplement the needed quantities from
other sources. 1t is fair example o.
the spirit in which the English conduc
their warfare The uncertainty or tn
status OF conditional contraband' II
doing untold harm to number OF PEG
nile in these States. and is largely re
sponsible for the fearful increase il
unsyn ployment."
UNITED STATES ISOLATED.
After cnumerating Great Britain''
sea fortiications. including "a fringe
of Islands all around the United
States" and her control of trans mar
me communication. DR.. Dernburg said
so not word Of uncensor news
even regarding markets or market
conditions. can get through. and tn,
United States Is as thoroughly $50
atcd as she would be were she in thu
moon And this system not only dis
turbs tho United States, but all thu
neutrals. especially those who withou
great natural resources draw a grea
deal Of their national sustenance from
their sea traffic. So the Scandinavian
probably suffer as much as any bel
llgerent country.
But the worst Of this state of thing
il that it will not be confined to the tim
Of war. It must be expected that tn
consequences will reach far into the tim
when the business shall have been re
established; because II trade is ono
ilslocated and a customer lost it is har
to get him back again,
IT the source OF supply is cut off 70
any considerable time, the customer wi
provide himself from some other source
or try to produce the needed article him
self. thereby becoming independent a
Germany is now forced to do. If she ca
not get American wheat, she must ca
rye. II she can not get lumber she mus
use steel. or cement, or some other sub
stance. II she can not get copper. sh
must help herself with alloys OF cheape
metals. u she can not get cotton. sh
must go back to the use OF fax Their
won't be a patch Of Germany, which
capable Of bearing anything. that will nc
be cultivated this year In order to max
her Independent. II she does not like 4
she has nevertheless got 10 continue dc
inE it In order not to lose the investment
the uss Of those substances"
The net receipts OF the two perform
anees Of The Runaways," given la!
wednesday and Thursday evenings 6