Der Deutsche correspondent. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1841-1918, 1916-04-09
NIngRE GERMANY STANDS FIN
aNClALLY, AND OTHERWISE.


Tho German correspondent has
Repeatedly stated that with the eN-
cntiOn % the borders Of Germany
and AustrlA-Iiungar To Arras in the
#North West. the wilma andDwinsk in
#the haEt aud North East TO the
#Adriatic in t}c South West TO the
Greek border and the Aegiap Sea in
the South and to Bagdad in the
South East The Central Powers will
steadily gain strength the longer the
war lasts. Ia the following article
(which appeared in Modern Finance"
for March, 1916. Mr.. Otto j. MerkeL
OF Nov York. deals With the same
subject Mr. Merkel saysi
Arbitrary figures have frequently
been used to prove either that the
Central Powers were inylncible or
that they were doomed. 20 destruc-
tiOn The wish haH usually been the
father Of the thought and only par
tisans were able to derive one way
+ or the other, encouragement from
such presentations. The great im-
gp0rfancc Of getting q well-balanced
saspect or tho economic positions Of
|tho Central Powers OF Eurasia-this
term includes the contiguous country
the Central powcrs-of course JUS
Nnas frequent attempts for getting
nfopei view point a helpful COM
parlson. as far as the Central Powers
urc concerned Anay be made with
cOnditione existing on large iafins'
especially as they used TO be in form
er periods of civilization A well
conducted larm viii be opt 70 add
slowly to ts wealth, through in-
crease of population. development OF
property and accumulation OF sup
piles Increase OF population may
hardly be expected By the Central
Powers OF today They viii be for
iunatc II they add ever 50 little 10
their effective population during the
time 0f war--indicatlons are rather
10 the contrary. unless prisoners Of
war arc counted aa 'e1ectlve poDula-
ton" they viii certainly not ac-
cumulate stores even II the develop
mcnt Of resources heretofore neglect
cd is allowed for In many cases
such development has not so far been
undertaken, as the expense Of DO
yeIopment would have been higher
Than the use OF outside sources Yet
the farm comparison becomes quite
illuminating when II IS also applied
to lhe Entente Powers, which have,
to such an extent, been forced TO
rcly Oh outside resources.
Americans may possibly get q
clearer idea about the economic po-
sitOn Of the Central Powers Of
Eurasia by some comparison with
the United States. In thinking OF
the United States as engaged ~ q
f.I ttI Of
the miliisry one which emphasizes
the difficulty Of an attack on the
United States and the economic one
winch emphasizes the complete re,
iiauce on own resources the United
StatcH would be capable Of. Ine
worry opposite ideas are. OF We're, pre-
valent ia regard TO the Eurasian
Central Powers now at wnr u was
thought impossible that they could
resist the military attack aud u was
thought impossible that they eould
resist tho economic pressure. The
first dea has, owing to tho events Of
the past eighteen months, largely
been changed, but the second
thought is still quite general
The following tables show the
territory accessible for economic
purposes TO the Eurasian powers at
wan. In sixe and population II makes
Il very significant comparison with
tho territory Of the forty-olght states
of The United States, The figures
have been taken from the States
mans Year Book 1915.
Area in Population
Sd Miles Gin Gin round
round fgures) fgurcs)
Now acccasible.N