The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-12-22

70 sell her manufactures among the
peoples who for three years and a
half have been not alone facing Ger
man troops in the field but seeing
their civilian populations murdered
by the submarine and the airplane,
by the various devices OF the Ger
man "terribleneSs."
To do business with the world af-
ter the war Germany must enlist the
credit OF her foes, she must regain
their markets, and she must obtain
once more the use Of the ports Of her
foes, above all the use of British
ports for her merchant ships; for
unless she can do this she can no
longer compete with the maritime
powers, whose colonial possessions
enable them to do business without
the permission or aid OF Germany,
II Germany is to go back into bust
ness she must once more make use
of Gibraltar, Algiers, Singapore
Genoa, Alden, Bombay and Hong
Kong. She must reclaim the Brit
ish and the American markets.
Now, whatever the eventual value
of her conquests in the Balkans, In
Western Russia and in Asia Minor
they cannot be Of any immediate
counterbalancing value for Germany
dis aGOUnD01Gu Will AGI A0GN ma MUS
and lost sources OF raw material
If Germany were to make peace on
the basis of the present war map she
would still have lost the war, so far
as the present generation is con-
cerned, because, while she held
Belgium and Northern France, ev-
cry port and colony OF the British
empire would be closed to her and
she would find herself a landlocked
state, which, to live, must have out
let upon the sea and in the markets
Of the maritime nations.
Further than this, each month the
war proceeds the German market
OF the future declines. The casualty
lists that come from our first en-
counters with German troops in
France will transform the familiar
trademark Made in Germany" into
q handicap for German goods fol
the next quarter OF a century, and
American credit will not quickly be
extended to the nation recently oul
deadly foe. In addition, one South
American state after another is
entering the war, and as q consequ-
ence demolishing the German com
mercial structure within its bound
aries. China is a belligerent, and
German markets in China. have
passed to Japanese and American
control. German markets in South
America will pass to the United
States. As for Britain and hel
colonies, it is only necessary to know
something of the Canadian feeling
toward the German to realize how
long viii be the struggle for the Ger.
man to get back into the British
empire. An intra-empire tariff and
rF4 4 a ulnnnEf
tain to follow the war and close the
German avenues to markets which
were so long the most valuable out
side OF Europe.
Therefore the German, still know
ing fortunate days on the battlefield
perceived q year ago that his SOLE
salvation Law i'm ending the war be.
fore the full harvest Of hate and
prejudice had ripened and while
there was still a chance OF saving
some OF his vanishing markets. ThaI
portion of Germany which is moder-
ate, not because OF political OF
moral ideals, but because Of materia
and business concerns, last year de-
manded peace, and to its demands
reinforced by the war-weariness OF
the masses OF the German people
the government replied by a peace
proposal, abortive, probably wholly
dishonest in real purpose, but in It,
self giving evidence OF the true state
OF affairs in Germany.
Now, after a year, Germany is II
make a new peace proposal. So fal
as the military situation is concern.
ed the Germans are not much worse
off than they were a year ago, save
as their submarine campaign ha.
failed and left them no weapon
against their CHIEF foe-Great Brit.
ain. They have lost battles and
ground in the west, but they have
accomplished the downfall OF Rus.
STA and have greatly lessened the
pressure upon Austria by their Ital
ian campaign. Their Turkish ally