The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-12-30
BALM PREDICTED
GERMAN TRADE LOSS
The German Who Is Reported to Have
Committed Suicide Just Before the
Armistice Was Signed, Fore
saw the Result After
the War.

Sidney, Australia, Dec so correspond
ence of the Associated Press .-Albert
Balm, general director of the Hamburg
American Steamship company, who is re
ported to have committed suicide lust
before the signing of the armistice, had
predicted disaster for the German over.
seas trade as an outcome of the war
This is disclosed by the publication here
of letter which Herr Balm had writ
ten in December, 1917, apparently to DR.
Rothenau, privy councillor at Berlin
A copy of this letter was made public
here by J. M. Paxton, resident Of
Sydney who received it from a friend
in London. In it BALM declared that
whether Germany or England was vic.
torious in The war the consequences to
German foreign trade would be disas.
trous. The letter reads in part:
Most of what we read in the news
papers as to our preparedness for EN-
barking on brisk trade and manufactures
as soon as peace has been concluded is. |
fear, written with the manifest intention
OF heartenlng our people who are noto-
riously ignorant Of our actual economic
conditions and all that threatens them. .
He said that the German mercantile
marine was in "a perilous condition" and
that the bill to re establish and strength
en- it, which at the time Of writing was
before Reiehstag, would show no results
for at least five years. In that time
GermaDy's great maritime competitors.
Britain and the United States and ia
pan and the neutrals, Norway, Denmark
nd HOltuu1 mould ,NwaE+
Balm reminded his friend that he
tBallin) vainly begged Berlin authori-
ties not to engage in unrestricted subma
rine warfare; and he continued:
you and | know that the Americans
are probably the most idealistic nation
on the earth's surface In antagonizine
America we have done disastrous
thing, 4 thing which will throw cold
shadow on our economic life for a gen.
Grafton" The latter part Of Ballin's
letter ran;
But II ! am concerned about our re-
lations with the United States. ! am
still more anxious about our relations
with Britain. ! realize as never before
that all the increases in our wealth, all
the success which attended our enter.
prises in the year before the war. were
owing to our intercourse with the Bril-.
ish empire. Her home ports, her domin.
ions and colonies, were freely opened to
our shippers and traders Sometimes I
wondered at this generosity, and even
called it folly. Is it to be imagined for
a moment that those old relations will
return.
Il am not to be supposed, dear Herr
Geheimrat, tpriyy councilor) as saving
one word in favor of Britains policy in
this war | believe that she entered il
from some base motives.
Consider what we are risking. We
look forward to resuming our sea trade.
We build our proudest expectations on
this. How are we to resume it in face
Of an Anglo-Saxondom which loathes
our presence among them!
But we must beat England, YOU saw.
no matter what the consequence. Il
agree. All say is that whether we beat
her or she beats us the consequences
will be the same--disaster to our over.
sea trade if Britain so wills it. We NAV
in the event of victory, impose all sorts
of conditions securing us most favored.
nation treatment, securing us free entry
into British ports everywhere No sane