TaÌˆgliche Omaha tribuÌˆne. [volume] (Omaha, Nebr.) 1912-1926, 1917-08-17
W0AndTheN Northern NoutraIs
The Export Embargo Must be Handled With Care
And CiTCumSpection.

when a neutral in the present
war. On March 30, 1915, we
thus wrote Great Britain pro.
testing against her attempts to
interfere with our right to trade
with Germany via the adjacent
%neutrals:
No claim on the part OF
Great Britain Of a Justification
for interfering with these
clear rights Of the United
States and its citizens as
neutrals can be admitted. To
admit it would be to assume
an attitude of un-neutrality
toward the present enemies OF
Great Britain which would be
obviously inconsistent with
the solemn obligations Of TINS
government in the present
circumstances.
There is absolutely no evid-
ence that any European neutral
lis willing to forego its neutral
lily, or that, if we force them to
I~cease supplying Germany with
Ifoodstuffs, they will not also
cease supplying Great Britain
Does England fully realize the
certainty that will take place!
Is she willing to get along with.
lout Denmark's ham, bacon, lard
and eggs? Read the figures OF
British imortations from those
countries and see how large
those importations are. There
is only one reason why Great
Britain herself has not long
since stopped our movement Of
fodder TO Holland and Scandi-
navia. The reason is she need.
ed supplies from them, and could
get those supplies only by let.
ting American fodder pass.
There was a formal percentual
division, agreed upon by Eng
land, as to the exports Of Hol
land and Scandinavia to Eng.
land and Germany respectively,
Are we prepared to supply
England with what she is GO
ing to lose if a food export en-
barge is forced upon Holland
and Scandinavia? Holland to-
day has about 100000 cattle.
A large proportion, probably
|one-half, Of those cattle are en-.
gagged in producing for the ex.
port trade. II the export trade
is cut off, what will happen TO
100000 head Of Dutch cattlel
They cannot be fed. They will
not be allowed to die. There is
no market for them in Holland.
They will inevitably be sold,
and there is every chance that
they will be sold to Germany.
Holland needs coal and iron and
can get them only from Ger
many. The Dutch have got to
give something in exchange.
Germany gets her unex-
pected harvests from Galicia and
from an occupied area in Russia
as large as Germany itself-is
every one certain that Germany
herself will not be able to feed
those cattlei
Some people seem to think
that Germany is operating with
a slender margin Of food supply,
and that a small reduction of
her imports Of fats from the
northern neutrals will suffice to
bring her to her knees. That
view is not shared by those who
have returned from Germany.
They report that the sacrifices
imposed upon the people have
resulted in the creation Of large
reserves, and that the territories
occupied by Germany are so
productive that famine is not
near. Ambassador Gerard says
in the introduction to his new
book on Germany that the al
hes are much more likely 70
'starve than the central powers.
Read what he says:
| want to bring home to our
people the gravity Of the
situation / want to tell them
that the military and naval
power of the German empire
is unbroken. Americans DO
not grasp the magnitude or
importance Of this war. There
is(far greater danger of starv-
alton Of our allies than of the
starvation of the Germans.
1t is not a simple question. II
is a very complicated one. The
embargo on foodstuffs and fod.
der to northern neutrals can
very easily do far more harm
than good. 1t can very easily
result in the economic pressure,
not upon Germany but upon