The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1917-02-08

MEN POMINENT IN
NATION TAKE HOPEFUL
VIEW OF SITUATION

NATION TAKE HOPEFUL .
VIEW OF STU ALTON
] Mf. Mclean Finds Prominent Men
]; Not Disturbed Over Crisis
WOULD NOT DISTURB BUSINESS
II war Is Declared Business Would
Not be Disturbed and Country as
! Whole Scarcely Would Know the
! Dlfference-Opinion Prevails That
war Will be Over in Six Months
j Oh IL Months at Farthest
National Committeeman A. w. Nc
Lean and Mrs. Mclean returned YES
terday fro ma visit of several davs
N Washington and Baltimore and
Inc Robesonian asked Mr. Mclean
j ABOUT impressions ne had gained from
men prominent in government cir
cles IN Washington as to the crisis
between the United States and Ger
many: AS mentioned in social it.ms
elsewhere in this issue, the Secretary
OF the Navy and Mrs. Daniels en-
tertalned the President ard Mrs. VIII
son at dinner Monday evening and
Mr.. and Mrs. Mclean were among
the people invited to meet them.
: Hopeful View of Situation
'Mr. Mclean said that while of
: course he did not attempt to discuss
foreign affairs with the President,
! he gathered from Mr.. Wilson's GEN
eral conversation that war NAV vet
a be averted, and that Senators and
: ether prominent men with whom he
talked take hopeful view of the
situation There are many differ
: ent opinions and conjectures as to
) what may be the outcome, but there
IS only one view of what will happen
e IN the event of an "overt act" on
e the part of Germany. That of course
would mean declaration of war hy
) the Congress at once.
. Different Views
, One prevalent opinion, Mr.. Mclean
= said, is that Germany is reduced tc
o severe straits, that the German peo-
h pie have been led to believe bv theil
> leaders that at any time they coult
4 bring England to her knees bv strang
=, ling her with submarines, and thai
+ while the German leaders know thi!
= cannot be done it was necessary fol
them to make declaration of ruthless
submarine warfare for this purpos,
Ill order to save themselves with thei
home people. In other words, tha
1T the declaration of ruthless submarine
IN warfare was more for home consump
If ton than anything else ard that Ger
J. many would carefully avoid any &C
fsashat~ would lead to war with tn
N United States. The treatment O
n the Housatonic, which was sunk care
10 fully within the rules, the crew be
IN ing given every aid to escape in safe
ar ty, seems to bear out this view. An
no other view is that if other neutral
n should follow the lead of the Unite
st States Germany would throw up he
he hands and end the war immediately
hit her leaders Saving their faces" wit
n, their people by the plea that Gel
adj many could not fight the whole wo:lt
er Still another view is that German
he fourd it necessary to make some sue
J. bold stroke to hold her allies.
he Germany Cannot Garry Out Avowe
nd Purpose
d. Nowhere did he find the view, M
,e- Mclean said, that Germany coul! a.
he complish the avowed purpose of he
re submarine warfare; that is, to shl
RS off England from her supplies an
ed thus strangle her in a short Will
in He found the general conviction thu
ID Germany cannot do much more
of that way than she already has don
or A Feeling of Security Prevails
ne If the worst happens, ard by sinl
on ing American ships and killing Anne
aft leans Germany forces the Unite
NO States to declare war, Mr.. McLea
a sees no likelihood that the Unite
ci- States will get into the war to ar
ng appreciable extent, except, OF cours
he that American warships might
he lent over to help convoy mercha'
EN- vessels, etc. Business, he think
ain would be disturbed only momentari!
if at all. The financial condition
to the county was never better. al
DR.. among farseeing business men the
1r- is no anxiety over what may happe
er- Indeed, some big business men s:
that declaration of war would be t
is best thing that could happen to bu
on mess. At any rate and in any ever
aftc@ crhaps few days of unsettl
c0~ditions, things would settle dov
snd tie country as whole wou
not know the difference. In this Sc
of ton, to bring things down &C hor
Ugh folks, conditions would be just, as tn
are now, with the exception thai t
yer. price of cotton would be affected. a
ice hut for news of events from the OF
13. side world one would not realize Tn
sed state of war existed.
IA, End OF War Almost In Slgnt
ON Mr.. Mclean found the general /
can lief that the war will be over IN s
, | months, or in twelve months,
xiv farthest. He has not found that
per lief prevailing on any FORMER vi
has to the Capital. Heretofore the
lcle have not been wanting. men
any thought that the war might iast {
or three years. Now it is differe
Men in close touch with national ;
nse fairs are confident that the end
the war is almost, if not quite,
Ma sight.
,roe cnool,;nr of war-hound Germ