The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1917-02-24
IN THE EVENT OF WAR.
Small Chance of Actual Fighting Be
tween u. S. and Germany.
Baton Rouge State Times. J

Baton Rouge state-Times.l
In the event Of war between the
United States and Germany, neither
country could do much harm to the
other in the way Of actual combat.
For the present at least there would
be few clashes.
In the first place, Germany is bot
tied up. She cannot get her fleet up
on the seas. She is able to sneak
through a boat occasionally, and her
submarines steal out and back and do
good deal of damage to shipping.
But she is as completely bottled up,
so far as sea power is concerned, as
ever nation was bottled up. Great
fleets of allied battleships patrol the
seas and watch the German fleets
from afar and not Q vessel bearing
the German flag is allowed upon the
waters. The allies would not, of
course, relax their vigilance in the
event of war between the United
States and Germany.
For two years and half Germany
has been trying to get at her main
enemy, England. The great ports Of
Britain lie within sight, almost, of
the German feet, and within easy sail
| ing distance of the zeppelins. Yet SO
far Germany has been able to do but
slight damage to British ports or to
/ British cities. IT is therefore folly TO
.lsuppose that she eorsld cross arlaopeIl
sea Of 5000 miles and do any cons1d-
cradle damage to American ports.
Nor could our navy get at the Ger
| / ao,,1J ,an4 broale 4hrny1ph
where the Allies navies have failed to
do so. Our navy would be used TO
scour the seas to locate commerce
raiders and submarines, and to con-
vow ships across the ocean, and an oc-
casional vessel might come into con-
tact with an occasional German sub
marine. But it would not result in
anything that would be called naya
warfare.
It would avail us nothing to send
infantry and artillery to Europe
| The Allies already have more troops
than they can employ upon the battle
lines. There is not single section II
which we could get at German troop:
if we desired to do SO. The most VIZ
could do would be to send troops K
| France to cooperate with the French
and the British troops, and there arr
now millions Of French and Brltlsf
| troops in the region.
| Rnt in the event Of war we Woult
have an army and an increased navy
The making Of an army is q matter o.
| wears. and the building Of an addition
al navy is like matter. So for ths
4 coming months we would be employed
in getting ready to fight, with the ne
1 oessary precautions taken to guart
the coast towns and to prevent inter
nal disturbances, and it would be
small matter so far as actual hostlli
ties are concerned. 49,
i We could not help getting int
closer connection with the Allies. w,
would cooperate with them, although
| # would not be necessary for US q
| form an alliance with them. W
would arrange to furnish them mum
tions of war and supplies OF all klnas N
4 for we could not lose sight OF tl'
fact that the greater discontinue sh5.
caused our enemy, the better 1t Woul.
st once get into the very closest touci
ha for ns when it came to meetlnt
4h,t ~ enemy face to face. So we Wouie
..,;+b s tho Allies, and strengthen tneh
,vaal mes nlaees and furnish them all /, TN
~ ma 81 arial aid within our power ina
would ,,,e. he ulain common sense, regard
5 1aos 49, of = the fact that it might not b.
, iess 80 ~ ~ form hard and fas
alliance. .., .o~1, +o dr
! whatever the outconne-and it Is %
ing to require strong men OF tne No
tion to complete the work, II IS nc
. chill chill rs play. War is hell, any wa
YOU can look at it, and the prepars
fion for war is the preparation 1e
facing the fires Of hell. But II 5
J, com as, there will be few to weep ovt
burned fingers; there will be mar
ready and willing to face the flame