The Hartford republican., 1917-07-20
D. 5. HAS HAND ON
KAISER'S THROAT
FOOD EMBARGO MAY FORCE
NEUTRALS INTO THE WORLD
CARNAGE.

Washington, July 15.-Uncle
Sans grip is tightening around the
Kaiser's throat
Your uncle is about to demon
strate that there is more than one
kind Of ruthlessness.
The particular kind of ruthlessness
with which he is going to answer the
Kaiser's bloody kind is expressed by
the rather harmless sounding word,
"embargo."
President Wilson has proclaimed
\ to the world that after July 10, no
commodity that is essential to the
making of war may be shipped from
this country to any other country
without license.
This means that no license will be
granted for the export of a ton of
food or material that can by any
possibility find its way to Germany.
First the necessities OF the people
of the United States will be con-
sidered, next the requirements of our
allies. II there IS anything left, the
neutral nations Will be allowed TO
purchase il, but only in such quani-
ties az are absolutely necessary for
their own use.
II will be up to the neutrals TO
prove what their necessities are and
TO give such guarantees as will salts
fy the President that there will be no
transhipment to Germany
The Presidents embargo procla-
nation is by far the most important
action this Government has taken
since II declared war against Ger
many Our military preparations
are, of course, vital but they can not
possibly be effective for many months
The embargo hits Germany now,
and hits her in her most vulnerable
spot-her stomach.
There is not the slightest doubt
that millions upon millions of tons
of food and other materials have been
leaking into Germany from the
United States thru the neutral coun-
tries contiguous to Germany.
So long as discontinued the effort
10 bring Germany TO her knees by
economic pressure was bound TO fall.
Violent Change.
Yet the embargo policy involved
such a violent change in our attitude
as 10 the rights OF neutrals that we
have adopted it only as last resort.
That we have been forced to adopt
IL and virtually say to the neutral ma
tions, "fght with us or eat with Ger
many" is due in great measure to
the cowardice and cupidity OF the
neutrals themselves.
Germany has stood and is standing
over them with the threat OF the
mailed fist If they do not help feed
her. And at the same time she
threatens, she tempts with unheard
of prices for what she wants.
AS soon as Uncle Sans embargo
gets into good working order
there not only will not be any sur
plus food in the neutral countries;
there will actually be such a food
scarcity that they will all have to
go on a ration basis.
For America and her Allies are not
going to permit the people of the
neutral nations~to eat three square
meals a day at the Allies expense un-
less these nations earn this right by
g,, tl, Ger
man autocracy.
II is not considered at all unlike
ly in diplomatic circles here that
Americas embargo policy will force
the neutrals one by one into the war
against Germany.
1t is argued that the neutrals
statesmen will soon see that this is
literally a world war in which every
nation must choose one side or the
other and bear its full share of the
burden or be crushed between the
two great contending forces. There
is not one of the neutrals that Is
anywhere near selfsustaining from
the standpoint of food. They are all
absolutely dependent on the Allies
for their surplus and to a great eX-
tent for the shipping to bring 1t to
them.
The situation of such neutrals as
Holland, Denmark, Sweden and Nor
way, Is, to say the least, unenyiahle'
What the future may have In store
for them no man can even guess.
But then. so far as that gses, the
same may be said Of the belligerent
nations.