Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-04-16
WAR BOYCOTT
U. 5. WEAPON,
HE DECLARES
Germany Even if Victorious,
Would Know We Could
Weld it, Says Sydenham

London. April 16.-Lord Sydenham,
whose advocacy of the employment Of
economic force against Germany has
been detailed in dispatches to New
York, was much interested in the ar
ticle on the same subject by Walter
Wellman recently published in Amer
lea. He said: !.
The article is very good, but Mr..
Wellman does not make his >meaning
perfectly clear. He says: The world
now holds this power over the future,
but does not use it, and he seems to
hint that we could end the war with
out going on with the use of barbaric
weapons. The power he refers to is
the control of the seas by a naval
league of nations. This power can
not be used now
"Supposing the Germans forced the
British army back to the sea, took
would be forced to Il peace which.
like that imposed on Russia. would
contain every economic condition
which Germany desired for the flu
ture. Italy would he treated in the
same way. If. We could be fed, of
course we could hold on, whatever
happened, but U-boats in numbers
based On" channel ports and multi
tudinous airplanes two hours from
~OAsNOh might lohC yOul .lllC dll1IOSI
impossible.
Tha is where the essential differ
ence of The position of America lies.
No German victory could materially
affect America. Her army in France
might be lost. but her home territory
would be secure. That is why the
threat | spoke about might have a
tremendous effect on Germany. The
Germans would Know that America
J WnnJl in apv coSo no n bio ~, Tor ~, ~
out, and, as America is not bound to
, make peace on the same terms as the
Allies and is free to make any terms
she chooses, her position is one Of
peculiar strength and is peculiarly
dangerous to Germany"
A. j. Spender, editor of The West
minister Gazette. is one of those who
believe the economic weapon is one
! of the means the allies should I'M
ploy against Germany, even If it
could have no immediate effect on
the present crisis. He believes it
! would help to encourage and unite
the allies must have an effect
on German resolution.
"But I do not believe" he said,
that 1T will be of any avail against
the militarist rulers of the central
stand commercial necessities and
think only in military terms. I
have reason to believe tina the
commercial and industrial magnates
of Germany thoroughly understand
the immense poWer in the hands of
the allies through their command
of-thc seas n their control of a
large proportion of the raw mate
rails of the world. They are full
German commerce and industry if
the allies agree to boycott them, but
they are power1ess to influence their
government. They have made the
strongest representations to the
kaiser and to Ludendorff. but without
effect. The German militarist party
has no conception of the possibilities
of sea power, and so long as it de-
clines to listen to it's own CONNER
this line will he equally Intellectual.
1t is the German government, not the
German people that we must influ-
ence If we are to accomplish any
thing at the present moment"
Mr.. Spender was doubtful Of the
expediency Of threatening to make
the length of exclusion of Germany
from commercial comfy depend on
the length of German resistance. He
thought it impossible for any govern
mcnt to pledge itself now to a defin-
lite course and action in the future,
con; dering how rapidly and com
pletely it's own condition might
change. Germany would realize that
definite, detailed threats were fu-
tile. and the effect of such action
would be only weakened.
He would, however, have a brief
joint statement from the allies is
sued at> the earliest possible moment
adopting the principle of CONNER
cial non-ihtercourse until Germany
squared herself with the allies idea
Of what a civilized state should be.
He was convinced that this could
never be absent from the calculations
of the German commercial and in
dustrial classes; it would have to
take into account, and although it
would not at the moment bulge the
militarist leaders an inch, it would
put a relentless pressure on the COM
mercial magnates in favor Of reform
and would drive them to renewed eff
forts to change the character of the
government under which they live.
-Duy . Liberty 1ond-
Mon,, Me- WoIlSn,,3