South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-01-14
ECONOMIC WAR
PLANNED BY
BUSINESS MEN
Warning to Industrial Leaders
of Germany to be Submitted
to Referendum Vote of
American Business Men.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 14-Ameri-
can business men are asked in
referendum submitted Sunday BY
the chamber of commerce of the
United States 10 pass upon a pro-
posed warning to German indus
trial leaders that they cannot hope
10 resume friendly commercial re
latiors with the United States after
the war unless the German govern
ment has become a responsible in
strument of the people
II is proposed that the Germans
be told that the United States, in
common with other nations, sup
LIED raw materials with which
world war and that the lesson has
been learned. Newspapers and bus
mess men of neutral countries will
be relied upon to carry the mes
sage.
To Ask Referendum.
The referendum, suggested by the
Boston chamber of commerce and
now laid before half a million bust
ness men through their commercial
organizations. submits this reSolu-
ton:
Whereas the size OF Germanys
present armament and her militaris-
tic attitude have been due to the
fact that her government is a mill
tary autocracy, not responsible 10
the German people: and
Whereas. the size OF the Ger
man armament after the war will be
the measure of the greatness of the
armament forced on all nations; and
Whereas, careful asalysis of
economic conditions shows that the
size of Germany's future armament
will fundamentally depend on her
after-war receipts of raw materials
and profits from her foreign trade:
and
Plan Economic War.
Whereas. in our opinion that the
American people for the purpose IF
preventing an excessive armament
will assuredly enter an economic
ombination against Germany If
governmental conditions in Germany
make it necessary for self-defense;
and
Whereas. we believe the Ameri-
can people will not join in discrimi-
nation against German goods after
the war if the danger Of excessive
armament has been removed by the
fact that the German government
has i'm reality become a responsible
instrument controlled by the Ger
man people; therefore, be it
Resolved. that the chamber Of
commerce of the United States Of
America earnestly calls the atten-
ton of. the business men of Ger
many to these conditions and urges
them also TO study this situation ana
to cooperate 20 the end that a di-
sastrous economic war may be
avoided and that lasting peace may
be made more certain"
Germany Must Chose.
IF the proposed action carries. q"
says a statement from the cham
ber's headquarters, the industrial
leaders of Germany, who with the
military party constitute the most
powerful caste in Germany, will be
that Germany must choose a re-
sponsible government TO conclude a
just peace or suffer the conse-
quences Of an outlaw after the war.
she will be denied economic in
tercourse with her best customer,
the United States. The message
could not fail Of it's purpose as Ger
many cannot hope for years 10 come
to reestablish satisfa Glory trade re-
France.
mo action by the United States
can be calculated 10 90 further than
this proposed action OF Americas
business men. 1t is more potent IN
its authority, perhaps than any sim
liar warning coming from official
sources. The difference lies in the
fact that Germany might doubt
whether congress would sanction a
treaty with the allies for a trade
boycott Of Germany or that the peo-
pie would abide by such a treaty
were il made. This, on the other
hand. would be direct notice to Ger
man business men that the business
men OF America have taken a con-
certed stand 10 close trade to Ger
many as long as it remains an out
law.
The further fact should be borne
in mind that the proposal TO dis
eliminate against German trade af-
ter the war is not at variance with
the presidents announced policy not
to continue after the war policies
which would engender hatred
among the nations. quite the cor
trary. il might be said % constitute
the second drive 10 compel respOn-
sible government in Germany, the
first being directed 20 the cOnstitu-
tionalists within the empire"
.THREF MEN RELIEVED