The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-06-05
The Blockade's Eject ON Germany
News and Courier.

News and Courier.
In the great mass OF speculation
concerning the probable outcome OF
the differences between Germany and
the United States one comes. now and
then, across an optimistic note fore
casting the clearing away not only OF
the difficulties between Germany and
ourselves but also OF the difficulties
between Britain and ourselves. Ac-
cording 70 these forecasts, Germany
will renew her offer TO abandon her
submarine warfare on merchantmen
provided Britain will abandon her
blockade OF Germany. and this re-
newed offer Britain will accept.
That would provide an easy solu-
tion OF our most pressing interna-
uonal problems. but the optimism
which regards such solution as
probable has a pretty fiimy rounda-
ton. Great Britain Is not likely to
abandon her blockade II the blockade
js proving. or promises to prove, eff
fective. IL Il Is a failure, she might
give 70 up; bat st. as IL probable. II
IN getting results. She IS not likely TO
abandon Il because of the spectacular
but so far Ineffective reprisals under
taken by Germany with her subma-
rines.
OF prime Importance. therefore, Is
tho question whether or not the
blockade Is getting results. Professor
w. J. Ashley. a noted British econom-
LIST. presents an exhaustive study OF
this question In the current issue OF
the Atlantic Monthly and reaches the
conclusion that the blockade Is get
ting results. He believes that con-
unuation OF the blockade will not
only reduce the German food supply
and the German supply of war mate
rails beyond the point where home
production can supply the deficiency.
but that IL will also result In so Sc
rious curtsilment OF industry In
Germany as To create an unsolvable
unemployment problem.
For this view. based mainly upon
an examination OF Germany's known
resources. a measure OF confirmation
is found In the writings of various
German economists published before
the war. Thus. I'm 1900. Professor
Gustav Schneider wrote. However
optimistically we may think OF our
agricultural progress. we shall remain
a people which needs to import for
eign foodstuffs. and therefore our ex-
istence Is threatened IL we are not
powerful at sea-" In the same year
Professor Adolph Wagner expressed
the opinion that until we have a
powerful fleet we are not sufficiently
secured against the very real dangers
OF "a hostile blockade" and DIR. Ernst
Fracnke declared that keeping the
sea open and the continuance OF
German competition I'm the markets
OF the world are. therefore. questions
OF life and death for the nation and
they concern the laborlng masses in
the very highest degree" DIR. Paul
VOlgt wrote even more emphatically.
Considering" he said. "how vastly
the economic life OF the nation Is de-
pendent on foreign trade. there can
hardly be any doubt that a blockade
which lasted any considerable time
would bring Germany into subjec-
tlon."
These ante-bellum expressions are
certainly highly interesting. They are
very different from the assurances
that one hears so often nowadays
from German sources TO the effect
that Germany ls entirely self-sustain-
Ing and that the blockade can never
reduce her. n is true that all these
opinions which We have quoted were
nut forward AZ arguments for the
building OF a big German navy and
that there may Nave been tendency
to magnify the danger in order to
make the need ora big navy seem all
the more Imperative; but there can
be little doubt '''\ the economists