Der Deutsche correspondent. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1841-1918, 1917-02-09

The New York World says in it's
Issue OF February 7;
.. This is a conflict not of ar
mics but Of money and industries
and economic resources. Mr.. Lloyd
George once said that the last $780,
900, 900 might win the war. The
United States not only has that last
| $500, 100000 but it has many times
$500 100000. The day that this
resources Of the Allies are doubled.
resources oft he Allies are doubled.
We can practically care for France
while we are recruiting an army OF
our own. We can see that the French
| people lacN for nothing that they
need, either money or munitions or
food That can be done without
putting a single soldier in the field.
/ Germany may despise the military
establishments OF the United States,
but the military resources Of the
United States are so overwhelming
that they would decide the war, and
decide it quickly. The German Cen
eral staff may delude itself into be-
| licving that it is challenging the inn
mediate war power Of 100000 men,
What it is really challenging is the
war power OF 100000, 1000 and
financial and industrial system that
can be indefinitely mobilized. Po-
tentially, the United States is now
the greatest military nation OF the
world. All it's resources arc intact
and ready for use il Germany com
pels us to use them. Unless the
German Government understands
that. it understands nothing"
What the World says about our
wealth is all true and it is also true
that we can develop into the
mghtiest military power. But let us
hear what the Now York American
has to say on the same subject in its
| issue Of February 8
cat the beginning Of this war, the
| English wholly undcreStmated Ger
jnany's strength and endurance and
resources. They also overrated their
own capacity. "Thc big Spring drive
will end it," they said in the Fall Of
1915. "Wc win muddle through till
! Kitchcner's new army is ready. Then
| IL Will soon be over" You know
what happened. And all the world
! knows that If France had not sacii-
| feed herself SO magniflcently and
| Russia had not squandered millions
of lives. England would have been
whipped to finish by Germany be-
fore tho war was six months old.
Now, we ought, above all things, to
avoid these two errors that England
! made We must not overrate our
I capacity and we must not underrate
! the German war machine. The sens
ble, patriotic thing to do is to look
at facts as they are. to weigh all the
probabilities and to prepare for the
future situation as it may be and not
as we think It ought TO be. The man
who goes about boasting that we can
whip the universe off-hand and cry
ing that Germany Is exhausted ana
ready to fall OH her knees is not only
q fool, but he is nuisance and q
menace to his own countrys in
terests. II ought to be thoroughly
understood at once that II we so 70
war with Germany we play right into
the hands Of the German military
caste and make the allies defeat as
nearly certain as anything can pc
that is yet in the future. Mark you,
we do not say our defeat, but the
allies defeat. Let US look vt TINS
matter sensibly and dispassionately'
for il is q matter OF vital importance
TO us to thoroughly understand what
problems war has in store for us, II
we 20 to war. In the first place,
Germany viii either whip the allies
this year or not at all n she lS
strong enough TO whip the allies. the
only way we could save thcm Wouid
be to bring an overbalancing imam
cial. military and moral pressure TO
bear on Germany within the next
eight months. Can we do that? I'm
|
with billions, if We areffools enough
To waste our wealth on those bank
rupts. But the time has gone whcn
finances would have any decisive
weight in this conflict, but the fnan-
ceg HAVE ALREADY bocn found
and used in the preparation OF all the
means that will be used in this lina
decisive campaign. II we gave oul
whole accumulation Of cash to Eng.
land and France and Russia tomOr'
row, that gigantic wealth would not
alter the naval and military pTcpara-
ton Of the combatants for The COM
ing struggle by so much as a CUR
battery. For the whole available
man power and factory power Of al
these nations has been and now Is
engaged in the work OF preparation
land money, whose power is TO out
stay an adversary IN long warfare
is no longer a factor that can alter
the result OF the frightful struggle
that is approaching. Mr.. Georgc'i
assertion tnat the last $500,00O,OOl
would win the war had truth JIM j
two years ago. Now il is mere
catch phrase. Remember that W.
are speaking solely Of tho European
situation, because, SO Tar as WE arr
concerned, ii we are unfortunate
enough to get entangled in this war
our sole and our strong hope is in
deed IN our vast wealth, by whicl
we can outlast nations already great
ly exhausted and financially bank
lupt. But that we can at this tim'
affect Gcrmany's powerfully prepare'
onslaught on the allies on land ant
on sea by bolsterlng up England,
treasury with our cash is fool'
dream There remains to be con
sidcred. then, what military an
naval assistance we can give the 81
lies during the next eight months
af gttfp