New Britain herald., 1916-04-22
WAR WITH GERMANY
 NOT ID BE FEARED
Less Exposed to Harm Than Any
 Of Belligerents
Especial to the HeraId.)

1
 to be crossing Atlantic and threatens
 to break upon these shores Presi-
 1 oent Wilson's note to Germany is in
 the nature of a polite ultimatum Un-
 less Germany m modifies her submarine
 1 policy in a degree satisfactory to the
 l united States, a severance of diplo- 1 matlc relations is inevitable. We are 1 possibly now on the verge of war with Germany, a catastrophe that only 1 Gernany can prevent. If war comes 1 winch Heaven forbid, it's consequences | to the United States cannot be very
 serious. Owing to our geographic po- 1 Sluon we are less exposed to harm | than any of the be1ligerents and are l relatively safe from attack. The Ger l man navy cannot reach our coasts 1 and our own navy can do little beyond 1 aiding the Allied navies. Our army has
 yet to be created and it would be l months before we had a wel1-trained l and equipped force to send across the Atlantic. Our most vulnerable point
 would be the relatively small Ameri- l can fleet of merchant ships, which 1 would of course be subject to subma- l rine attacks. A big bond issue would l be one of the first accompaniments of war. Business relations between Ger
 many and the United States, small as 1 they are, would probably be placed un- 1 der legal restrictions, if not prohibited. 1 It is not likely, however, that hos 1 tilities would very seriously disturb our financial markets. War might ] cause a sharp temporary setback and l shock; also a general mobilization of industry which it would necessitate. 1 Some of the industrials would unques- l tionably be affected adversely while i others, especially steel and intuition 1 concerns would benefit through l the placement of munition and l equipment orders Otherwise do- mestic trade would not be very ma- 1 teriaily affected. The withdrawal of any large number of men from active employment would induce some em- barrassment owing to the general scar city of labor, and would further ag gravate the present labor crisis For 1 eign trade would be affected but little; commercial intercourse with Germany being already suspended. All hap penings Of this character are based upon the possibility of war. Yet, war 1 may not come, and, if it does, it can scarcely be of long duration, while the end might arrive before we are ac- tuallly ready with any important body of troops. It is premature to give up hope regarding the peaceful solution of the present crisis; and it seems incredible that Germany will deliberately invite further isolation and the loss of her only remaining in fluential friend.
 Taxation Would Increase.
 One result of the war would be that the country would have to face an inn portant increase in taxation. The pre-
 paredness movement alone will prove
 very costly and may require an addl-
 tional expenditure of $200,O0O,00O to
 S3OO.OO0.0O0 a year. What actual war would cost cannot be fOretOld, but it would certainly be several times the cost of preparedness. Various means of raising further taxation are already being discussed, such as an increase in the rate of income tax, it's extension to smaller salaries, an increase in the inheritance tax, and also a rise in the tariff. Not much additional revenue could be obtained through the latter source for the reason that when the tariff reaches the prohibitive stand point it automatically ceases to ba revenue producer. States and muni- cipalities are also adding to the bur dens of the taxpayer; the general dis position being to tax property where ever feasible and not infrequently with a. flavor of vindictivness. Thus far there is no wide public opposition to increased taxes, simply because the aV- >rage man is ignorant of the fact that alIataxes have a tendency to distr1b- ute themselves and in time are ultl- matelv passed on and paid by the con- sumer, who blissfully sleeps in the de- fusion that his more prosperous neigh Dor pays the tax. Taxation is one of the most pressing problems of the day, and will soon become more so, espe- cially abroad.
 Labor Crisis Feared.
 One of the most disturbing features of the present situation is the labor crisis, which is really a sequence of the war or the intense industrial activity which it has been the means Of pro- noting in spots. Wages in many in dustries have already risen, and Ill some instances still further advances
 are being demanded following those recently given. Occasionally the rl5e has been as much as twenty per cent. i since the first of January but this is l exceptional and largely in the nature 1 of bonuses; the majority of advances 1 having been five per cent to ten per l cent This is the season when human unrest is usually at it's helght, the stimulus of spring and the outlook TOT l plenty of work after the slack ot Wln- 1 ter being universal incentives to la 1 Dor. The rise in commodity prices and
 the imitation of profits are also factors
 in the movement. It is not without 1