Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-01-08
THE FREE SEAS
GERMANY A
(From Minneapolis .Journal.)

The Germans profess to be con-
lcerned for the freedom of the seas,
and allege the securing of that free
dom to be one of the reasons for
which they wage war. We are aware
u a what they purposed was not to
Tree the, seas. which required no
freeing, but to. transfer the trident
from the hands of Great Britain to
nose of Prussia. And the submarine
IS proof of what Prussia would do
gain it.
German success and development,
the riches Germany had gained since
1871, the economic prosperity she en-
JoSed' depended until 1914 upon the
very freedom of the seas which
russians declare did. not exist.
Germany in that period was free to
import every raw material from the
ehos OF the earth. free to export every
n1anu1acture from that raw material
70 Brltaln. to. Britain's colonies, to the
Cnited States, to South America, to
emma and everywhere else: free to
enter British Rprts all aroun the
earth on the s1mc terms as Britain's
own vessels; free to yer the
suez cana on paying the uniform
toils. In fact. the oceans were open
10 German ships on freer terms and
better security than ships in any
other period Of history ever possess
sed. ~
Today. aftcr'more than three a
OF war Ylon her neighbors. of muir
der and outrage, Of s~poilation and
oppression, or piracy upon the high
seas, Germany would be tickled to
death to W. restored to her the
freedom of the seas exactly as she
enjoyed it until August, 1914. She
p~retends still that the seas were en-
shaved, but whatever they were, her
use of them made her a great indus
triai nation, an importer and exporter,
d and manufacturer. a
rich country with vast overseas trade.
she q sacrificed all that, and now
she knows, or those of her subjects
who are intelligent enough to under
stand, know that unless Germany
after the "a has free access to the
globes raw materials. with freedom
10 import them in her own bottoms,
the freedom to export them as manu-
iactured goods. she will be impover-
lshed. no matter what her victories
ana her anneNations may be. More
important to Germany in the next few
decades than drang mach Osten (drive
10 the cast). than the Balkan cor
rldor, than the Isagdad railway, than
roland and Courland, than even the
t'rley iron district and the port of
Antwerp, will be the opportunity to
secure raw matcrials-cotton. rub
Der, leather. wool, copper. what-not.
We're Germany assured that the
freedom or the seas, as she enjoyed
1t before the war. would be restored
TO her, she might be induced to
agree to what would look to her to
be moderate terms OF peace. When
her rulers. political and Industrial,
get down to brass tacks, they know
that what is essential to German life,
10 make 1t tolerable for their people.
is untranlmcled privilege to import
and export. p
Germany had these benefits. From
their profits she built up a huge war
machine to enSlave tho world. And
the world now is justly dubious con-
corning what Germany would do with
them again, were they restored to
her. They will not at once nor for
some time be restored altogether,
since Germany has forfeited the good
Will, upon which business so largely
depends. She will have to efface the
hatred of the world before she can
regain the confidence of the world.
A long interval of. good conduct on
her part will be required to ac-
complish that.
What Germany will strive to put
into the terms of peace is favorable
or preferential Determinations in the
markets OF others. Bismarck did that
in the treaty of peace with France,
and the kaiser is doing the same in
ms agreements with the Russian
Bolshaviki.
But what actually c%onfronts Ger
many is economic ruin, even should
she manage to avoid military catas-
trophe.