Der Deutsche correspondent. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1841-1918, 1916-02-09
THE EAIBARGO QUESTION.

When Woodrow Wilson in his
answer to Austria~Hungary's protest
six months ago defended our unpre-
cedcnted sale Of munition OF war TO
tho Allies by stating the United
States, not being military Nation,
at the beginning of q war With some
powerful country would have to de-
pend on neutrals for its supply OF
munition of war, the German Cor
respondent referred to the flimsy-
ness OF that excuse by pointing to tho
swiftness with which the output OF
the ammunition factories had been
Increased hundredfo'd and could be
increased much more and even with
more speed in actual time Of danger.
as had been shown by the example OF
Germany and Austria Hungary. and
also OF France, although an inn
portant part of the main Industrial
district OF the later country had
been occupied by the enemy And
after the German Correspondent has
said, woodrow Wilson would not
need to invoke the aid Of our battle
ships to make Great Britain respect
our rights, the constellation of the
world powers being such at the
barge on everything Great Britain
needs to live and to carry on the war
would influence the 'motherland"
much more TO treat us with respect
than battle ships could do at any
other time Writing on the same
subject Bernard H Ridder says:
One Of tho most peculiar reasons
that have been advanced by the in
fatuated friends Of Great Britain for
opposing an embargo upon the OK
portation of munitions Of war from
this country is that such an order
might react to our disadvantage at
some future time, when we might
find ourselves in conflict with a for
cign power.
The argument is somewhat this;
We do not wish To turn this country
into q standing arsenal We wish
rather to scrap all The arms and am
munition factories which have
sprung up overnight at the call OF
war orders; but somehow or other
we must keep them on tho pay-list,
hoping that at some future time they
may be OF service TO US. We're the
Government to place an embargo
upon tho expectation or war muni-
tions at tho present time those over
night creations would have TO 70 out
Of business. Where, then, were We
10 be involved in war with Mars, for
example, should we turn for the fod-
der OF our cannon? We could not
turn to foreign people If we had
established the principle OF non-ex-
portation to belligerents.
The answer is very simple. We
could turn to ourselves. When we
mixed up with Spain in that little
controversy Of 1898 Great Britain
immediately invoked an ancient
statue upon her books TO prohibit
the expectation Of arms to both bel
iigerents We have seen no tokens
Of friendship exhibited in the present
war by the British Government to
lead US to believe that in war with
Japan, for instance, this statue would
not again be invoked. Germany, GER
tainly. cannot be expected TO furnish
us with arms in any possible future
struggle, when to-day we arc sup
plying them alone to her enemies
We have to look out for ourselves.
Were our mushroom munitions
plants to be put out OF business by
an embargo they could be resut-
rected as readily BY American dol
lars as thcy have been created by
British pounds or French francs.
The layishness with which we are
sending our material resources to
Europe to be blown to pieces in the
Flanders or France is comparable