Carson City daily appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1907-1930, 1915-10-13
A OF SANITY

To ,onreciate the full significance
of the German government $. actoii
i, the sinking OF the Ara
bic. it is necessary to consider ,he
nature Of the political conflict that
has been waged in Germany over TINS
issue. saws the New York World.
President Wilson's diplomatic VIC
,orv marks the first defeat that the
German military autocracy has sus-
tained at home since the outset OF
the war.
Most of the influential mber
of the German general staff nave
been frankly in favor OF war Win
the United States ever since the con-
troyersy over the sale OF munitions
became acute. Naturally they ar
IDENTIFY supported the Tirpitz policy
OF submarine warfare. From their
point of view, wal with the United
States was eminently desirable. war,
in their opinion, would mean that
the United states government would
have to take over all the
factories here i'll order to equip an
army. Six or eight months would
elapse before an effective army
would be ready. In the mean time
Great Britain and France would De
shut off from their American supplies
of ammunition, and the military adj
vantage to Germany would be ire
mendous.
With Great Britain, France and
Russia deprived OF American NUM-
tons. the German general staff be-
lieved that the war could be won be-
fore a formidable American army
could be sent to the trenches IN
France and Flanders. THEFT was
nothing to fear from the American
navy. becaus the superiority OF the
British and French navies was al
ready overwhelming, and the situa-
ton in respect to sea power could
not be changed if all the navies IN
the world were added to those OF the
Allies.
The theory was plausible and it
represented the majority judgment
of the general staff. Opposed to IT,
however, were the Ichancellorp the
foreign minister and all the great
financial and industrial elements OF
the empire. These were willing 70
r~..aIa chat xyar with the JRited
States might work to the military adj
vantage of Germany for the time be-
ing by cutting off the Allies supply
Of ammunition from this country.
But they also saw that war with the
United States would mean the COM
plete isolation OF Germany financial
~, industrially and commercially.
They were wise enough to know
that without American markets,
without American loans and without
American assistance Germany would
be left PROSTATE after the war. They
had no decisions that Germany
would be able to r~ehabilitate herself
economically by extorting indemnl-
ties from her enemies, because they
long ago realized that no victory OF
that kind was possible. Therefore,
they insisted that the German gov
eminent must maintain friendly rela-
tons with the United States, regard
less of Tirpitz or "frightfulness." 1t
is because they finally gained the
upper hand that Count Won Bern
storff was able to meet the Presi-
dents demands and formally dis
avow the sinking of the Arabic.
The presidents great diplomatic
achievement means that the German
government is no longer committed
to the principle Of wal for wars
sake. 1t means that the fate of the
German empire is no longer i'll the
keeping OF the military autocra:y,
and that German finance, industry
and commerce have begun to assert
their power over the policies of the
government.
Had President Wilson rushed this
ountr into war with Germany, as
so many Of his foolish critics de-
mandcd, he would have played di-
rect1v into the hands of tie German