The Washington herald., 1917-04-23
What May Happen in War?
German Possibilities Many
Five Methods of Attack Might Seriously Affect
American Defense Preparations

OF china. BetoFe the RUSSIAN revolution
there seemed chance of separate
peace between that country and Germany
and Austria Hungary. Since the over
throw OF the Romanoff dynasty, how
ever. opinion In general holds that the
pro-German element has been van
quished. But there is often a back
wash to popular uprislngs of the kind
We have just seen In Russia and 1t Is
possible, though not at all probable,
that the forces of reaction may yet re-
turn TO power. Were this TO occur, and
Russia to reach an agreement with Ger
many, Japan might conclude that her
community of interest lay with Russia
and Germany. In that case. and in that
case only. Japan might attack us.
Use of Commerce Destroyers.
The fourth mode Of German agrres-
sion upon us would be by commerce
destroyers such as the Moewe. This
sort Of attack cannot be important. A
number of ships might be sunk and
few third-rate ports might be fired
upon. But the damage would be
annoying rather than serious.
The NTH, and perhaps most serious
method OF attack. would be within our
own borders. The 1910 census shoIyh
that 11.677,sS3 persons of German and
ro-Hungarian extraction Hved in the
United States at that time. This is one
eighth. or II per cent of the total popula-
tion. OF this total 4171.705 were born
abroad. OF these born In this country T.
Sf1,s76 are the children of parents both
OF whom were born abroad OF the Inn
migrants from the two empires nearly
l,ss2,sA have never secured citizenship.
Now. IL Germany. say in 1918, had at
! tackled the United States all but a very
few of these German-Austro-Hunga
residents would have been loyal TO this
country. Those who did not feel they
could join In fighting their fatherland,
would at least have remained passive and
inoffensive. But a very great deal haA
happened since war broke out in 1914 to
reawaken the old Teutonic sense of kin
ship. The comments of our newspapers
and the utterances of our public men
have in large part been tactless and
calculated to arouse resentment. In the
present situation. moreover. a very large
number of American Germans look upon
our entrance into the war as an effort
merely to help England where we our
selves had no concern.
'If 1t were simply question OF Ger
many and the United states,' these
Teutons say. there would be no ques-
ton. But when our government de-
liberately enters the war to help Eng.
land and France. when we ourselves had
no quarrel with Germany. that is pretty
tough for US
Business Interest Deterrent.
Even under these circumstances Of
aggravation. agents of the central
powers win find but a very small per-
centage OF German blood upon which
they can work. Habit acquired through
years iof residence will make 1t difficult
to plot and destroy. Property owner
ship will be a great deterrent. A sense
- 0k1 80
they have heretofore been Hospitality
received will keep others out of action.
Fear of physical punishment will deter
others. Economic pressure will effect
many more. And. finally, the inborn
German instinct for law and order and
respect for government will hold nearly
all the others In line. -
In the last analysis It would seem that
the country has to fear only two classes:
The first of these is the paid German
agent who came here from abroad to
perform such service. The second il
from the soured and disillusioned fall
ure. Among the immigrants who
have come here expecting wealth ana
happiness In the land OF the free are
certain number who have failed to
achieve their goal II they had re-
mained in Germany they would have
been failures. But as they have failed Il,
America they blame their failure upon
this country They are bitter at heart
and will revenge themselves in many
ways through interference with the
routine of manufacture and distribution.
Their number is not large, but In sc
open and broad a country they cannot
fail to do considerable damage.
Serious Blow Ours.
On our part we can infiict a rather
serious blow at the outset by seizing the
German ships laid UP in our harbors.
There are thirty-one German and Austri-
an vessels in New York and sixty-eight
in other American ports. The largest Of
! these ships is the Vaterland of a,2S
tons. This ship. is in New York harbor,
together with the George Washington OF
z, SO tons the President Grant of 1907
tons, the President Lincoln of 1s,lSS tons,
the Kaiser wilhelm II of 1881 tons,
the Pennsylvania of 1883 tons. the Gros.
ser Kurfuerst of 13,lO2 tons, four other
steamers of between 10000 and 1900 tons
and a number of smaller ships. The
largest German ship outside New York Is
the Amerika of 2,622 tons. which is tied
up in Boston harbor. along with the
Kronprinzessen Cecilie OF H'SOS and the
Cincinnati of 1853. The Kronprinz
Wilhelm, OF 149oS tons, is at Newport
News and the interned ships in various
ports include ten other ships Of more
than 5000 tons each.
THE total present value of the ninety
nine German and Austro-Hungarian YES
sells is placed at s4o.OOo,0oo. Their total
TONNAGE Is about 10000, which is more
than the Germans have succeeded in
sinking in any one month. If this
tonnage were set to the purpose OF
breaking the German blockade its in-
fuence might, unaided. save the British
,,,bo, the Germans were on the point or