Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-10-10
U-BoAT PEACEMAKERs"

rT'HE German censor has passed n dis
4 patch which appeared in yesterdays
EvESIEo LEDGER. declaring that Ger
mans. as well as Americans. believe
Ambassador Gerard bears peace pro-
posals TO be placed before President viii
son. Mr.. Gerard. before leaving Ber-
lin, had Important interviews" Il ap-
pears, with the Imperial Chancellor. the
Foreign Secretary and leading members
OF the Reichstag. The tenor Of the
evidently inspired dispatch ls that now or
never 10 the time TO make peace; the
war must last another year II not stop
ped abruptly. 'as the winter campaign
Is now prepared"
The Germans want peace on the best
terms they can get. No one doubts that.
President Wilson. among other pacifst
expressions. has said he doubts II any
permanent good can come by the use of
force In Europe In the present war. So
near Ia this TO saying that the war ought
TO end with some compromise that II is
highly probable the Germans look to him
to bring pressure TO bear upon the Allies.
And II is suggestive OF deep psyche
logical" diplomacy that. at the precise
moment when peace is hinted at. a sharp
C-boat blow at Anglo-American trade is
struck before our eyes
What bait 10 set before n hard
pressed President. seeking reelection, to
let him pose before the world as its
greatest peacemaker in the closing hours
of his campaign. the trusted go-between
OF emperors and kingsl And what a
threat TO his chances Of reelection, II he
does not catch at this bait. is the feet
OF submarines swapping link by link the
fragile chain Of that Presidents muni-
tions prosperity
That prosperity Is daily debated in
every newspaper in the United States.
Expert economist answers expert eco-
nomist-that our prosperity is based on
the war and again that II is not based
on the war. The stock market gave its
sharp decision by the worst break since
the death OF Governor Flower the
moment II learned of the sinking Of the
merchantmen of our coast. Drops OF
from three to sixteen points told more
clearly than any wordy argument OF the
close relationship between our export
trade. one-seventh of which is OF ex.
piosives, and our general prosperity. 1t
is as II the German Government had
said to us: You make peace for us
now or we give you a taste of the
blockade we have suffered under for two
years. This is how far your pacifism,
this is how far your lofty indifference
and lucrative neutrality will take you
a. a.
You have bet that we cannot win. What
do you bet-your munitions trader We
take your beta U-boat against every
million dollars worth OF shells. You're
in training TO be the peacemakers of
Europe. are your So are we, and look
at our eacemakers-U.boatsl"
1t is the theory OF the Democratic
orators that slowly the Germans will be
beaten. trench by trench, year by year.
BE Of good courage" they suggest, 'the
war will not end soon. It will taper on
by degrees. and gradually our industries
win readJust themselves, with the
gradual decrease In war orders. And
meanwhile. gaze upon our prosperity.
There 1t is. as obvious as peace"
But suddenly peace and prosperity are
Jared TO their foundations. All the ele-
ments that brought forth the Lusitania
case are cast into the simmering peace
and-prosperity pot TO make II a caldron,
and two new elements besides-the fact
that the U-boats are now outside our
ports and the fact that our national In.
terests and security are imperiled by
the probable continuance OF the new
U-boat war and possibly by some Ill
directed torpedo sinking an American
ship.
'Is It not likely" said the President
In April. 1915, that the nations OF the
world will some day turn TO US for the
cooler assessment OF the elements en-
gaged?"
The assessment OF the elements en-
gagged, ut this writing. is three British
freighters and one passenger ship, one
Dutch steamship. one Norwegian tanker,
and thrce other ships. flags and destina-
tions unknown.
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