The Washington times., 1917-05-03
America Awake

The full realization of the subma-
rine menace has at last been reached.
The sinking of 100000 tons of ship
ping in one week surpasses Ger
many's calculation of 100000 tons
month and goes far to make up
for former shortages. The lengthen-
ing days and shortening nights of
summer with the better sea-weather
prevailing during the summer sea-
son add tremendously to the effec-
tiveness of the submarine campaign.
The loss of two American armed
ships on successive days proves that
such ships furnish but a poor de-
fense against the U-boat peril. The
frank confession of members of the
British mission of the exceeding
gravity of the situation has brought
the matter home to American minds
and hearts. The estimate by the
editor of the Scientific American that
Germany can build and equip 1,200
submarines a year is a noteworthy
contribution to the question at issue.
An address in New York yester-
day by Pomeroy Burton, of the Lon
don Daily Mail, is full of warning
to America against harboring the
short war fallacy" and he urges
campaign of education by the news
papers to convince our people of the
fact that "the worst and most dan
gerous stages of the war are yet to
come" Finally, Secretary Lane, in
whose calm wisdom the American
people have the utmost confidence,
warns his countrymen that the war
may be a long one, that we must
look to this years crop and next
years and the year after that:
We can't afford to fail in this
war. Every man in this country
is involved in this work and every
man in the country is a soldier.
The French hope to break down
the morale of the German army.
Our concern is to see to it that
our own morale rises.
Of course, with American optim-
ism we hope that American inven-
tiveness will find some solution of
the submarine problem. There is a
vague idea that Edison is bending
his big mind to the task. But the
American spirit rises as the danger
increases. We see now that unless
we wanted Barbarism to. triumph
over Civilization it was necessary for
the cause of humanity itself that we
entered the war. We know now that
all we have and are must be conse-
Grated to the task of saving the
world from Prussianism. We have
put our hand to the plow and
there will be no looking back. The
sword once drawn will not be sheath
ed until victory has come.
The immediate need is ships and
more ships. Shipbuilders on both
Atlantic and Pacific coasts must
cancel all contracts not connected
with the immediate task of winning
the war by supplying the means Of
resistance and of endurance to our
allies. Charles W. Morse, no mean |
on shipbuilding, estimates
that we can build five thousand |
wooden and steel ships a year. Lewis
Nixon, another authority, thinks a |
new steel tonnage of 100000 tons
can be built in a year if the COM
of steel plants by the
Government suspends the erection of |
steel frame buildings The sky
scrapers can wait. Everything but
is relatively unimport-
ant now.
The most important thing is for
the American people to be fully
awake and to remain awake to the
greatness of the task that they have
chosen. The eyes of the
world are upon US. The destiny of
nations hangs in the balance. The
safety and happiness of our own
country is at stake. To your tents,
D Israel!