Der Deutsche correspondent. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1841-1918, 1916-01-10

MHkCH Ob GKEAT BRIIAlN.
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Great Britain is about to requisi-
tion all the steamships under the
British flag operating between North
and South America, und put them to
work transporting war munitions.
foodstuffs, ETC., from the United
States to England, and from Eng
land to the ports Of the allies.
This move may help to break the
deadlock Of freight at American ter
minals, but it will be terrific blow
to American commerce with South
America.
Ocean freight rates have climbed
to still dizzier heights. The rate on
wheat from gulf ports to western
Italy is 81 cents bushel South
American shippers are forced to pay
S5 cents bushel to get their wheat
to Europe.
American commerce Is absolute
ly under the dictation Of British
shipownern, backed by the British
government. The number of Ameri-
can vessels available for the over
seas trade is so small as to be in
significant.
At one blow Great Britain is about
to sever the two Americans. Neu-
tral commerce must give way to the
needs Of war
Some OF the American industries
furnishing munitions of war have
made money, but they have not
made as much as the public has been
led to believe The real benefit
Charles of the war are the foreign
ship owners, mostly Britishers. They
are using the war as means of
raising freight rates throughout the
world. Neutral commerce is paying
war prices, und the money goes to
England.
Great Britain destroyed German
commerce in day It could do the
same thing to American commerce
II may go so far as to destroy Amer
lean commerce with South America,
under the real or pretended necessi-
ty Of using British vessels for war
purposes. The business that has
been built up between North and
South America can be forcibly di-
vertet to England in large meas
ure. The British trader will not
overlook this opportunity to seize
commerce belonging to their COM
petitors. The British government
will gladly aid it's traders in this
scheme.
Evidently the time is at hand
When Great Britain will apply to
North and South America the pro-
cess In effect in North Sea countries,
whereby American goods are held
up and British goods substituted. or
course, Great Britain will not seize
American goods bound for South
America, under pretense OF blockad-
ing Germany, but she will use an
equally effective ethod-that OF
taking away the ships that carry
on the business. Then South Amer
ica will find that is must buy Brit
ish goods If il buys any at all, just
as Norway, Sweden, Denmark and
Holland have been compelled to buy
British goods in place Of American
goods
Whether BY bogus blockade or
BY communicating vessels, Great
Britain Is determined to take away
from the United States its trade
with other neutrals In this way ii
will make the war return part OF
its cost. In other words, the United
States must pay big share OF Eng
lands war expenses.
Is is not time that Congress
should recognize the desperate and
INSCRIPTIONS commercial war that
England is waging against the Unit
cd States? Is it not time to provide
for the national defense In a COM
mercial sense? Against the enorm-
GUS resources and cunning team
work Of the British government and
British traders, American commerce
is defenseless. The only recourse is
action by the United States govern
nent which has the power and
wealth and resources necessary to
defend itself and its citizens.
With American ships on the
ocean, American commerce cannot
be destroyed. The two Americans
cannot be prevented from establish
ing closer relations IL ships are pro-
vided. But with communications
in the hands Of Great Britain, PAN
Amcricanism becomes an idle dream
Both North and South America are
tributaries of London.
The United States government
must tackle this situation. 1t must
act in this emergency in behalf OF
the commerce Of the nation. 1t must
provide steamships and place them
under the American flag, SO that
American commerce shall be safe
from the rapacious power that domi-
mates the oceans.