Evening star., 1917-03-25

b1NINb the past month SWISS
N editors have been much occu-
III N pied with German militarist
60 plots in South America and
plans long matured against the United
States.
The maritime holding up of the
United States for a gigantic ransom,
advocated by the Post of Gratz as
providence to Germany and Austria.
because after the war the United
States will be the sole power capable
of paying a big indemnity to the CEN
trail empires" is no new idea. After
President Wilson broke off diplomatic
relations and war was actually in
sight. Count Reventiow. the specialist
Of strategy, revived, in the Deutsche
Tageszeitung the classical pan German
list plan to strangle us for ransom by
our Atlantic ports-brought up to date.
Let us hope" wrote Reventlow,
that it may be possible by means of
submarines to create close to the
American seaboard a forbidden zone
like that thrown around France and
England. In case of German war with
the United States their ships would
have to pass Two danger zones instead
Of one
: :.
1t had its beginning as early as 1901.
in a brochure published at Berlin by
the propaganda committee Of the mill
itary and naval clubs Of Germany, a
highly official body. The author. Baron
Franz Won Edelshein, captain in the I'd
Uhlans of the guard. and specialist of
the high war school, began by showing
that the commercial expansion of the
United States constitutes an increasing
irritation to Germany and that only by
arms is the end of the situation to be
hoped for.
It was not hidden that Germany. who
could mobilize with extraordinary ra-
pidity and who possessed lin 19CD
great fleets of transports was the only
United States England also has an
enormous commercial fleet. but the sit
uation of Canada. open to immediate
invasion, must always render war I'M
possible between England and the
United States.
In this official plan of campaign Il
repeat. the clubs are quite Officially the
author brushes aside the American
navy. Our navy. having vast At
Iantic coast line to defend, would not
dare to risk Il high sea battle, but
would take refuge in various ports and
thus remain divided. As for the United
States regular army, composed OF loo,-
900 men. it would be misled by simu-
lated attacks at points FAR apart from
one another. and, by propaganda or
ganized in the interior, be prevented
from concentrating sufficient forces
anywhere.
The invasion OF the United States,
therefore, according to the specialist of
the high war school. would be quite
easy. But would it be worth while?
Here is the question: continues Won
Edelsheim Would our military oc
cupation Of certain points of their ter
ritory compel the United States to ac-
cept our peace?' 1t Is not at all sure.
Whereupon the propaganda of the
military and naval clubs abandons the
program of mere occupation and draws
M the one-the real and only German
war against the United States-the
scheme which will produce.
-:
But we will force them to submit"
aftirms the specialist. because, having
in our power certain ports of the At
lantic, we shall stransle these centers
where converge all the arteries of
American life. We shall destroy every
thing. at need--their public buildings,
their banks, their great commercial and
Industrial houses. We shall cut Off the
civilian populations from all revictuai-
ing. We shall capture all the hostages
who fall into our hands. We shall e8-
tort enormous war contributions and
crush everybody under penalties"
The curious thing is that the plan to
strangle US for ransom by holding up
Atlantic SeapoFtS should nave orislnat-
ed in 1901 when the German subma
rine arm had no existence, the spread
ing of mines III your neighbor's front
ward had NOT yet been invented by the
kultur and the entire task or holding
mn the United States would have re-
posed on the German high sea fleet of
warships and transports. as now IT
rests alone on submarines and mines.
Do not forget the mines. They don't
talk of them much, but they are strong
on spreading them.
Swiss editors, ! say, have shown their
COURAGEOUS erudition in this whole
great subject lately Maurice Muret,