Der Deutsche correspondent. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1841-1918, 1916-08-24
NATIONS BALANCE SHEET.
From Issues and Events.

The war has entered in it's third
year and the belligerents have struck
the balance of their gains and losses,
they have compared the second with
the first year and calculated their
expectations for the future. If one
takes into consideration the official
declarations only, this appears to be
the most satisfactory war the world
has ever seen, because with the
possible exception of Servia, Monte
negro, and perhaps Belgium, each
country tells of victories and gains
only, and every commander is full
of confidence in final success.
The United States, fortunately,
have taken no active part in the hos
tilities, but their interest in the con-
| flict-sentimental as well as mater
ial-is so great and the effect of the
war has made itself felt so keenly in
this country that it might be well to
consider what we have gained or lost
by 1t.
It Is not our intention to enter in
to details which are still fresh in the
memory of every thinking person
and we do not even wish to submit
| figures which are proverblal for their
| aptitude to be adjusted to prove or
disprove the same thing az will. We
| just want to deal with facts that are
! beyond dispute.
The sudden changes In the worlds
economic intercourse, brought about
by the outbreak of the war, have left
their marks all over this country. A
radical change had taken place at
short notice. Markets had unex-
pectedly been closed entirely and inn
! ports had been stopped. Ready sell
! ing goods could not be disposed of
any longer and the demand for war
material of all kinds increased from
day to day. No wonder that a num-
| Der of people whose craving for
money was stronger than their sense
Of justice and their consideration for
the future as well as the welfare Of
| the nation as a whole, seized upon
this unique opportunity.
These war porfits are the only en-
tries on the credit side of our bal
ance sheet dealing with the period
Of the world war, and it is doubtful
whether the entries should not rather
appear in the books of Morgan,
Schwab, ETC., etc, than in those Of
the nations.
The debit entries are of much
more varied character and their ef-
feet is felt by every citizen. The bal
ance is overwhelming on the debit
side We have followed the bad ex-
ample of certain concerns that in or
der to be able to show a profit and
declare dividend sell their invest
ments, thus reducing their assets,
the very fundament upon which their
| business rests.
Amongst our most valuable assets
we used to count: Liberty" Fair
ness" Justice" Personal Free
dom" and National Independence"
How much of them is left, how much
shall we have to enter on the debit
side OF our balance sheet? How
much is definitely lost and how much
is recoverable?
We have fought to gain liberty for
ourselves, and our sympathy has al
ways been with the oppressed. What
consideration did we get for the
assistance rendered to the oppres-
sives of nine-thenths of the world?
Has India, Poland, Ireland no claim
on our sympathy? Have we forgot
! ten the unspeakable crimes Of the
Congo? Is not China being stran-
gled by Japan? Have our ideas
changed so much that we sell the
ideal of liberty for ammunition or
ders?
Neutrality does not mean indif-
ference, we cannot command our
sympathies, but we can control our
actions Neutrality means justice
and fairness. fairness means an equal
treatment of all parties One can be
strict with all parties or lenient with
all of them and still be fair. Yet to
| be strict with one and more than
! lenient with all others is the one
form of injustice that can bear but
evil fruit. Have we sold our con-
science, too?
In years gone by the one sentence,
II am an American" used to COM
mand respect. The world knew that
great, strong and proud nation
stood behind every single American.
What has become of our reputation
abroad? Who directs our move
ments? Who regulates our trade?
Who opens our mail? Who makes
our sons fight in foreign armies?
Who treats our passports with con-
! tempt and laughs at our faint-heart-
| ed official notes? Has some one sold
/ the personal freedom Of the free
American? We wonder what we re-
ceived for It!
We are no longer masters in our
own house. We are forbidden to
| trade with certain firms, not firms in
| belligerent countries, not even in
neutral lands, nay in our own coun-
try A foreign tyrant commands and
we obey. The mortgage on our house
must be very heavy, we wonder how
much it is and who received it!
Is there anything else we have to
sell?
Let us hope that it is yet time to
reorganize our system and re-estab-
lish our national independence and
that a strong hand will set right
what the string pullers of Wall
Street have spoilt.-T