Der Deutsche correspondent. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1841-1918, 1917-03-08
DO THE PEOPLE WANT WAR?

| II A0IX
The American Union Against Militar-
ism sent out 100000 return postal
cards, asking people whether they
wanted to 20 to war to enforce our
rights of commerce in the war-zone
declared by Germany. These cards
went to all kinds Of people in city
and country, from two registration
lists supplied by Congressman them
selves. The recipients were asked to
mail their answers to their Congress-
men. We are informed that the re-
suit, based on ieturns to thirty Con-
| gressmen from widely scattered
parts of the country, was heavy
vote for peace. The average was six
to one against war The lowest vote
against war in any district was four
to one, the highest eleven to one.
The people do rot want this country
TO 80 TO war.
Who does want the country to 20
TO war?
k The following quotation from the
weekly letter OF Baltimore firm, 4
member Of the New York Stock Ex-
change, may shed some light on the
question:
"Rcgarding war as inevitable,
Wall Street believes that il would be
preferable to this uncertainty about
The actual date Of its commencement.
Canada and Japan are at war and
are more prosperous than ever be-
fore. The popular view is that
stocks would have quick, sharp re-
action Immediately upon outbreak OF
llostilitics and that then they would
enjoy IN old-iashioncd bull market
such as followed The outbreak Of war
with Spain in 1903. .
THE advent Of peace would force
q rcadjWstmcnt OF commodity prices
and would probably mean post
poncmcnt OF new enterprises. AS
peace negotiations would be long
drawn out, the period Of waiting and
uncertainty for business would be
long. II the United States does not
go 10 war il is nevertheless good
opinion chat The preparedness pro-
gram Will compensate in good meas
ure for the loss Of the stimulus of
actual war"
In other words, Wall Streets first
choice Is war, and its second, a great
preparedness program In the last
two and half years, Wall Street has
sold two and half thousand million
dollars worth Of war supplies to the
Allies. But the Allies are now, to
large extent, making their own sup
plies, and wall Street must find
new market War with Germany
would be the surest means Of selling
these products to the United States
gov ernment. War is, indeed, pre-
ferable," but great preparedness
campaign is The next best bet They
must sell here what they can no lon
ger sell over there. Someone must
take up the White Mans Burden.
Wall Street charges that the
peace campaign In the United
States, being hint to Germany that
we do not want to fight, is an In
vitation to her to sink our ships.
The opposite is true. Germany has
no fear Of our military participation
in the war. Germany realizes, as do
the statesmen Of the Allies them
selves, that, fcl the present, our en-
trance into the war would not mater
tally aid the Entente. But Germany
does fear three things when she con-
siders the possibility Of war with u.s.
(1) Losing the influence of great,
unembittered neutral nation in the
peace negotiations; CD losing the
friendship of the only rich power
that can help her, financially and in
dustrially In the reconstruction per-
iod, to which she already looks for
ward with dread; andy(3) losing the
friendship OF millions Of German
Americans who, though loyal to the
United States, have legitimate af-
focticn for the nation Of their birth,
which would be largely destroyed by
war between the two countries. In
short, the more real our friendship
appears to Germany at this time, the
more unwilling will she be to forfeit
it through ruthless submarine ag-
gressions
The forces in the United States
that represent money power, and the
great newspapers which these forces
control. are urging the country 70
Wal in the name Of national honor.
VIC say there rs no defense of nation
al honor in going to war with a ma
tion that is down, even II that nation,
In its frantic efforts to get up, has
committed aggressions that are bar
barous and unwarranted though not
primarily directed against us Ger
many's armies are outnumbered and
surrounded by a ring Of steel, her
warships and transports cannot sail
in any one of the seven seas. Sub
marines cannot carry troops. If to-
day there was no one on the Amer
lean continent except children with
toy bows and arrows, 1t is doubtful
whether Germany could land single
regiment on our soil. Does any
grown man seriously maintain that