Der Deutsche correspondent. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1841-1918, 1917-04-29

ngton to make practical inquiries which resulted in
the discovery that wooden ship building that scale
would require 10000 ship carpenters and that there
not 5000 ship carpenters be had in the whole
country II also then dawned on efficient intelligence
that wooden ships be built green timber and
that before enough timber to build 5000 ships would
be cut logged sawed seasoned and transported the
would be over and peace already matter OF couple
Of years in the past.
We mention this only as a sample of the utter lack
of common sense and ordinary calculation with
which affairs being conducted. The fact is that
we are fast becoming joke all over the word-and to
joke is apt lead disastrous consequences
Here it is full month since the Presidents sum-
mons to Congress to extraordinary not-
fed the world that the President had decided upon
warand not one single decisive step toward real pre-
paredness has been taken.
The President and the Congress are still at logger
heads which shall assume the responsibility OF
conscription and the army that ought to have been
the way to the training camps is still matter of
academic debate. The chances are better than even
that the European war will be ended before our citizen
army has been collected in the drilling camps
And far than this futlity is the fact that half
Of the planting season has slipped away and the pro-
specs that this years crops win not equal
those of last year. when they should be twice great
merely to keep our people and Europes peoples from
actual famine
Instead of drafting 900 men for military service
and putting them to work on the farms and mobilzing
ali available in the shape Of tractors farm
implements seed, fertilizers and labor under the or
eanzed direction of Agricultural experts ordered into
the national service the food problem has been left to
the helpless and utterly useless enthusiasm Of ind
viduals or volunteer local assocations-aii meaning
we'll and all doing nothing of any earthly value.
We the country now, and warn the Gov
ernment that if decisive steps not taken at once
put at least 00,000 at work under Government
compulsion and direction within the next six weeks
there will not be food enough in this country next Sep
tember to last through till the next harvests and the
inevitable result will be hunger among the poor and all
the disturbances riots bloodshed and destruction Of
property that ALWAYS when thousands are
hungry
We cannot understand how the Administration and
the Congress stand still doing nothing to prevent
this absolutely disaster the only time that any
thing effective be done. For how. in the or
common sense, have sufficient in harvest
time if we do not SOW and plant sufficient crops in seed
time?
We suppose words are useless. We dare not
hope that there is in Washington the statesmanship,
or the foresight the courage TO COMPEL IN TIME.
the production the supplies upon which depends
the fate of mankind.
But the words must be written nevertheless
Neither in conscience duty to God and to the
country sit mute in the of this coming
dsaster-in the presence the incredible folly and
futlity which does nothing against this
ing disaster