Der Deutsche correspondent. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1841-1918, 1916-01-13
AN HONEST coNrEssIoN.


war the German government and the
German people have maintained that
Great Britain did not go into this
war as the protector Of the weak
nations" but for the sole reason OF
destroying dangerous trade rival.
AS Tar back as January 1915 the
London Times was honest enough to
admit that England was not fighting
the cause OF the weak nations, and
many times since we have heard ex-
pressions from Englishmen which
showed plainly that Great Britain
went into the war for its own sake
alone. But no one had dared to
state It In such plain language as
Walter Runciman did In his speech
in the House OF Commons on Jan
uary 10.
While the war Is on we must do
everything in our power to destroy
German finance, credit and trade"
declared the president of the British
Board Of Trade. ''The work Of the
Board OF Trade shall be to see that
after the war Germany does not have
the opportunity OF reorganizing her
commercial system before our trade
has begun to flow in eyer-increasing
volume, to see that Germany has no
chance to reconstruct her war mach
inery. The Board Of Trade is look
ing ahead. We must ask the CO.
operation Of our dominions we must
see that control OF the metals OF the
empire passes entirely from German
hands; We must keep control OF the
worlds coal; we must secure control
OF the supply OF oil ... There are
signs that at last Germany Is be-
ginning to feel the economic pres
sure Of our blockade. Her food sup
plies are becoming depleted, while
ours are increasing Although our
exports have fallen and our imports
risen, there is no doubt that the
economic strength OF Great Britain
is so well founded that we can stand
the strain far better than the Gem
tral Powers ... We can stand the
strain longer than Germany, and ii
we husband our resources the dis
aster that will fall upon her will be
almost irreparable. We must make
II clear, however, that when peace
comes we will not permit the OUT
breake OF the economic war which
Germany would wage against our
selves and our allies Moreover,
| am not prepared to wait for the
end Of the war to take steps to deal
with this matter. 1t has been all
along the policy Of the British Board
OF Trade to capture German trade
while the war Is still on. In the case
Of South America we have since the
war began developed trade which
/ hope will continue long after the
cessation OF hostilities. British trad
ers, despite the handicap OF the war,
have worked wonders in trade de-
velopment We have completely
broken down the German monopolies
in optical glass, dyes, electrical ape
paratus and certain chemicals, and
these monopOlies will not again be
renewed The policy OF the Board Of
Trade ID that there shall be no essen
tial article either for the arts Of
peace or war that we cannot produce
within either Great Britain or the
empire | fully appreciate that one
Of the first necessities Is the improve
ment OF our research methods and
the technical education Of the rising
generation There is also need for
Improvement in banking, need for
helping young, growing firms, need
copyrights on a different basis. The
dominions OF Great Britain are not
likely to alter their methods or their
attitude toward the mother country
The colonies are determined to raise
their revenue and to foster their in
duatrics IN their own way, and am
afraid the idea OF free trade within
the empire must be dismissed.
feel the same way Of the proposed
Iollverein to include all the allies,
but II such an arrangement prove es-
sential to end the war successfully
we shall have It, for there Is no ar
rangemcnt that the allies are not
prepared to make to that endv
What more evidence Is needed to
show that Great Britain's sole aim is
to rid itself from the German trade
rivalry Tho original plan was to
destroy the German empire; but
since that is not possible, the war
must be prolonged as much ais pos
siblo ia the hope TO weaken Germany
economically to such an extend that
it would take years for the Empire
to recuperate and TO make itself
again felt as rival in the markets OF
the world, and meanwhile to secure
all the markets in which Germany
formerly dominated and then keep
her out Of them permanently.
But as Great Britain has had one
disappointment after another in the
last seventeen months, she will also
be disappointed in her hopes OF ruin
ing Germany economically and fin
ancially, because Germany is self
sustaining and has now the resources
Of the vast empire OF Asia Minor TO
draw from.
A WORLD TRADE MONOPOLY,
ENGLAND'S AVOWED OBJECT.
Under this caption the Washing
ton Post comments as follow on the