Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1917-01-12
Editorial Worth Reading
The 'CondG.

been few vars in which its ser
vices to its country have been so
great. Just as it was the block
adc of the South which defeated
the Confederacy, so 1T IS the
present blockade which is defeat
ing Germany. 1t makes little diff
ference whether it is called ablock
ade or not. Whethea or not it
has been legally an effective block
ade, practically it has been the
most effective of its size in histo
nv, with one exception. That ex
ception is the blockade in the
War of Secession. In that case
the problem was to put up a wall
around q continental coast line of
5000 miles, which with its linden,
tations and island shore lines
came to 10000 miles. The thing
was 50 thoroughly done that the
Confederate soldiers nicknamcd
the blockade ''the 'conda,D and
said a%fterward: at was the crush
of the 'conda that squeezed us to
DEATH
The problem before the British
navy in this war was to wall in
the whole center of Europe. Al
effective blockade, in the legal
sense, seemed impossible, for IL
that sense a blockade is effective
only when nothing from the out
side can get in, and the Contra
Empires could draw from the un
blocked neutrals of the north
That source of supply has been
gradually shut off by agreement,
between Great Britain and the
Scandinavian nations, but even
when it was ilouriShing the legal,
Ineffective blockade was proving
its practical effectiveness as thor
Oughly as did its one great his
toric precedent, the blockade of
the South.
The blockade began on March
II, 1915, and has thus been in
force almost two years. The Union
blockade began on April 20, 1856 l.,
and was practically ineffective for
a long time. 1t began to be really
effective in 1863, more than two
years after it was declared. In
was in the following winter, 1863
A., that Lee complained of his in
ability to clothe his men properly.
"Armies might be resisted in the
tield,' says Charles Francis
Adams; "the working of the air
pump could not be stopped; and,
day and night, season after sea
son, the air pump worked. Air
hole on air hole was cloScd.n
The task of hcrmctrically seal
ing the central part of Europe
presented one difficulty not pres
ent to the Union-the possibility
of respiration through the Sean
dinavian countries; but it had one
advantage, the cost line was not
so great. 1t was possible to bring
to bear greater pressure imme.
diately on the parts that could be
pressed, and by degrees the other
air holes began to be stopped up.
OF course well-to, do men in Der.
lin 90 to the theatre and visitors
crowd the hotels; of course rich
men in Vienna and Budapest can
still pay high prices for a window
to view the kaiSer's coronation.
They will feel the pinch last. The
people feel it now; Germany and
Austria are in want.
As the year goes on, the air
pump Will work as steadily rs
ever, and more and more air. holes
will be closed. There is no pros.
pect in Germany and Austria of a
change for the better. Mackcn.
sen may march through Rnmania.
as Lee marched through Maryland
into Pennsylvania, but there is
no relief from the working of the
air-pump in that. If the situation
is bad now, it can not grow bet.
ter, but only worse.
Therefore, while Germany is
still able to breathe, she offers
peace. The Allies are not willing
to let her make peace on her owr
terms. They know that from theil
standpoint there is no necessity
for it; the months fight for them
1t will not be necessary for then
to win a battle; they sit, as Grant
sat before Petersburg, and let tn,
'conda squeeze the Central Al,
lance to a peace which will be OF
their terms N V Tin,nc