The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1918-05-08
AFTER THE WAR


Two fairly definite schools of
thought have emerged in this coun-
try from the tangle of opinions which
the world war has thrust upon
people busily engaged in working out
its own destiny under rules that for
merly had seemed fixed for all time.
One of these is strongly inclined
to look upon the winning of the war
as the supreme and only task. With
them the evils of the day are suffi-
cient without any reaching forward
into the future for the purpose of
coping with evils yet to come. The
other sees a new world destined to
arise out of the chaos of the old, and
| insists that the measure of advance
preparations to meet its require
ments will determine the part which
a great and free people will play
therein
1t is very much question whether
these two schools would not speedily
unite into one If clear understand
ing Of common. aims could be
reached. Even more significant are
a host of current happenings In lend
ing support to the conviction that
| the very preparation for the prose-
cution of the war to a triumphant
conclusion are paving the way to
meet the new conditions so certain
to be brought about.
The most striking evidence in this
respect is found in the manner in
which the demands of war have
shaken thought and action out of
their accustomed grooves. While
only perverted philosophy, such as
| the German has taught, can distOrt
this into defense and apology for
war as such, it must be admitted that
what is known as the wis inertiae"
has no more rest-disturbing antagon-
list than that produced by the univer-
sal clash or arms. In the one in
stance, of airplane development alone,
no one doubts that much greater adj
vance has been made since the fateful
month of July, ia, than would have
been accomplished in half century
if the Beast of Berlin had not dreamed
that The Day had come.
How far the shaking up of sloth-
full ease has taken place in other d.
rections would comprise an inter-
esting and almost endless story. To
begin with, our splendid isolation"
is gone for all time. The exigehcies
of war have determined this They
have done more. The Hun subma-
rine has made it necessary for Amer
lea to build the greatest merchant
marine that ever sailed the Seven
Seas. While this is still in the build
| ing 1t will be finished. And then
will come the enforced necessity of
utilizing 1t after the war. This can
only mean that brutal German diplo-
macy once more turned the wrong
card, for her own commercial SUI
premacy, gained through peaceful
trade penetrations with vicious WIS.,
ions of autocratic domination ever
following in the wake, is h0pelessly
doomed.
IL there is any doubt of this 1t may
he recalled that Congress instructive
ly recognized the inevitable. For
several years the Webb bill, de-
signed to give American exporters a
chance to meet the German kartel
system on even terms by permitting
combinations of American selling
agencies In foreign trade, failed Of
passage. There was opposition on
various grounds. But within the last
few months It was put through with
out opposition. Thus we will have
the ships and we will have the Amer
lean policy, too.
Germany had strange hold on
the potash supply Of the world and
held 1t in the peace days. America
depended upon Chile for nitrates. al
though a world war might cut of
the source Of supply at any moment
and leave her helpless for materials
essential to munitions making. This