South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-07-26
Germany Is Losing
By r. F. Paine

Germany IS losing. She Is losing
every day, regardless Of the victories
Of her armies.
Nations do not grow through war
but through trade, and Germany's loss
will be tremendous, no matter what
her indemnities may be as victor at
arms
You can lock up your blacksmith
shop, or barber shop, or newspaper
shop. or store. or factory, for a day,
or two days, or a week, and return
and find your business not seriously
impaired. You cannot shut up shop
for a considerable period, without Sc
rious loss. if not ruin. Grass starts
growing in trade channels the instant
they are abandoned.
Up to August Of last year the trade
progress OF Germany was rObably
without precedent in the history of
the world. For nearly a year her
shop has been closed She has no
merchant marine, no foreign territory,
no foreign trade. The grass and weeds
in her erstwhile splendid channels of
trade are growing higher, thicker,
stronger every day and to clear those
channels, even if she is victorious,
will be a job requiring an enormous
outlay Of money and effort Every
days delay adds cost and difficulty TO
such an undertaking.
In addition. Germany is losing trade
that she never Will recover. Nations
heretofore dependent upon certain
German products have been forced
to supply themselves with such pro-
ducts Labor, an item of production
the cheapneSs of which has enabled
Germany to compete successfully with
several other nations, can hardly be
as cheap in Germany as formerly,
and the mere habit of producing for
individual. is very, very hard to root
out.
Much of Germany's trade su-
premacy over the majority of nations
has been due to her getting there
first" with her system, organization
and enterprise. The prolongation of
Germany's trade paralysis is simply
continuation of the schooling Of other
nations in Germanys methods With
Germany engaged in the wholly con-
Stunning business of war. the brains of
the rest of the world are bound TO so
TO work for potash, dye-stuffs and
other products for which reliance has
hitherto been placed upon Germany.
When your larder is empty. you've got
TO load your gun with necessity and
so out and shoot something for your
self
Trade enterprise and inventive
nation is out Of trade, but rather does
necessity stimulate enterprise and
genius
These things Germany undoubtedly
saw She intended to quickly lick
France and then turn on and lick
Russia, or whoever else had TO be
licked. She wanted To shut up shop,
for a day or two fguratiVely speak
ing, and return 10 find business in
fair condition. if not better than ever.
Day by day. her trade and the
things that gave her trade superiority
are slipping away from her farther
and farther. while the trade and trade
channels of her greatest rival are
comparatively unimpaired, or in shape
for speedy repair.
When this war is over. what? Why
the nations will put their souls into
trade, And Germany viii be where
she was 40 years ago, with hotter
competition and much wiser com
| pettOrs.
Germany is losing every day. The
conditions. the advantages by which
/ she made herself commercially great
are being shot TO pieces, and sur
geons and hospitals cannot put her
on her feet TO strike as formerly her
mighty blows in the great battles OF
| commercial warfare.
Maybe some Germans are thinking
! along this line.