Der Deutsche correspondent. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1841-1918, 1917-02-09


tions factories, our aeroplane fac
tories, our submarine factories, our |
uniform and harness factories, our |
automobile factories, our chemical |
factories, our meat and provision !
packing plants, our steel works and
the rest OF the industries that have
kept the allies going and made it
possible for them TO prolong the war.
England, France and Italy would be
as effectually cut off from American
sources Of supply by the pressing
needs OF American preparation as by
the submarine warfare of Germany
In the meantime, the submarine
warfare Of Germany will almost cef-
tainly deprive England of sufficient
food and France and Italy OF the
coal without which their war FAC
tories and their all-important rail-
roads cannot be operated. For the
moment the German submarine conf
mandcrs are released from all fear
of sinking ships at sight, on account
OF danger to Americans, that mo-
ment no part OF the high seas will
be safe for any merchant ship, and
the Atlantic and Mediterranean seas
will be vast death traps, over which
ii will be impossible to induce sail
ors to voyage Hampered by Amer
lean restrictions, the German sub
marines have nevertheless succeeded
in destroying an average of 10000
| tonnage per day for many weeks
! past The German naval staff in
sists that it can sink 100000 tons
Of shipping month WITHIN THE
! BLOCKADE LINES, If the sub
marines torpedo without warning.
Ard If they calculate confidently
upon that bag within the blockade
| lines, what viii they do when all re-
gard for neutral safety is destroyed
| by America participation in the
war, and the submarines are at
! liberty to prowl the seas and torpedo
anything anoat anywhere in the
| ocean? The reasonable supposition
] is that they can and would sweep
! the seas of commerce, partly by de-
stroying it and partly by frightening
neutral shipowners into declining the
risks Of voyaging.. But II we as
sumo that the German submarine
| feet can destroy no moro shipping
! bound to England than it has been
! destroying for some weeks, under
hampering conditions laid down Dy
/ Us, then in ten months the shipping
available for carrying supplies 10
England cannot possibly coal France,
supply England's overseas armies
and feed England. 1t is impossible
that tho destruction of 5,0OO,OOU
tons of shipping can have any other
result than to put England under the
stress of starvation And If the Ger
/ man submarines can destroy ship
ping at that rate, while operating
under restrictions demanded by us,
it is ve.y reasonable to suppose that
they will take much higher toll
when they no longer care whether or
not they sink ships carrying Amerl-
cans or flying the American flag. III
they can double their present daily
bag. they will reduce England to
! starvation before we can fire a shot
in effective warfare and before the
Summer offenslves on the Sommc
4 and other ponts can even become
threatening TO Germany's defense.
Purely from a military standpoint,
our participation in the war, viii
prove a FAR greater help, for many
months. to Germany than TO the al
lies. 1t will be another case of Ru-
nania's supposed aid oQ far greater
scale. And we believe that it will
prove fatal to the allies IL Germany
is any way near as well equipped TO
deal destruction at sea as she is
thought TO bc..,. Now, believe US,
there Is great deal more true pa
triotism in putting these facts and
these possibilities plainly before you
than there is in Dragging, rantng'
reviling and making an ass OF ones
self in the holy and beautiful name
of patriotism. ..... The instant War
begins, il we do go to war, q period
OF hysteria viii begin and for time
the loudest braggart and the most
impudent Ounce VIII be populai
heroes. But let us who deeply ana
sincerely love our most dear country
and who are neither braggarts nor
| ounces. hut Intelligent and sensible
mon and womcn-lct us keep our
cars opcn 20 reasonable discussion
and to tho truth at all times. Let us
face situations as they arc. Let us
insist upon knowing the facts. There
must be censorship Of military and
naval movements Of course. But we
ought not to permit any such censor
shin as that which has constantly de-
ceivod the peoples OF Europe, which
/ has left them in ignorance of the
sentiments or other countries, which
has laborcd to inilamc hatred and
every other ugly passion by mons
lrous inventions and tales OF enemy
savagery, lest without that stimulus
they might cry for peace with their
former ncighbors and end the dc.
signs Of the governing castles. Let
us insist that we arc not children to
be mt in leading strings nor serfl
lto submit to the crack OF the whip
but brave, outstanding, free and in
; telligent mon and women, who arc
not to be cowed by unhappy news o.
temporary defeat and who have the
right to know and arc determined t(
know what is being said and done al
home and abroad, in our own coun
, try and in the enemy country Ls
us insist upon free speech and lre(
discussion We can make war with
out wearing muzzles. Let us insis
that our fleets and our armies o'
used to fight only for America VIZ
want no allies. We viii have us'
for every American dollar and ever