The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1918-10-29
THE EMBARGO ISSUE

Frank b. Willis objects to making
the war an issue in the campaign fol
governor II is not surprising. Fo,
had Mr.. Willis opinions in 1916 pre-
vailed there would now be no war
Had the Willis position OF 1871.
been sustained by the government,
and people of the United States, Gei
many would in all probability Ions
since have achieved her ambitious
designs. What that would hav,
meant for America Is told in Ambas
sador Gerard's recital.
81 will stand no nonsense from
America" said the German kaiser IL
the diplomatic representative ant
spokesman OF the United States.
In 1915 the question of prohibitin;
the shipment Of arms and nunition.
from America to the European bel
ligerents was being widely discussed
Gexlnan prOpagandists were activ,
everywhere trying to persuade tn,
people Of the United States that fo
this country to sell munitions to tn,
lighting nations WAS unneutral and :
violation Of our declaration of disin
terestedness toward the war.
Mr.. Willis was then. governor O
Ohio. He adopted the view of tn,
German paid propagandists. He call
ed his position one of absolute neu
trality." This was iu 1915. Man,
good Americans agreed with Will
then. The difference between hin
and them is that they hong ago sav
the error OF their thinking on thi
point. Mr.. Willis still insists-a
rleast he did SO insist as recently a.
lasts August that he was right il
1915.
BY his own insistence, then, Franl
b. Willis stands where he did NOR,
than three years ago upon the issu,
OF an embargo on munitions. Now
let US see what obedience to the viii
lis policy would have meant to Amer
lea and to the world.
AS everyone has reason to remenl
ber, Germany had been preparing TO
years for the war into which sh,
plunged Europe In 1914. The demo
cratic allies had been asleep to thei
peril Without ambitions for worIt
conquest themselves, they tacltly con
ceded the same honorable characte
to Germany
Then came the war. Germany, ful
ly armed, with her whole industria
fabric organized to sustain he
armies, all but crushed France be
fore Britain could get into tho fight
But the allies. though i'm dire jeor
ardy on land, controlled the seas
thanks to the British navy. And tn
allied control OF the seas was all tina
saved the world from Prussian dom
nation
For II permitted Great Britain an,
France to buy munitions in the Unit
ed States-munitiOns not Obtainabl
anywhere else in the world and al
sOlutely required to keep the ravae
ing Prussian hOrdcs from winning al
infamous triumph. For the Unite
States then To have closed its port
to this perfectly legal traffic In arm
would have meant German victory
And what German victory wOul
have signified for the United States
even with the United States out q
the war, no intelligent American ca
for moment doubt.
German victory over Great Britai
and France would have been a defea
for the United States. The great II
demnity the kaiser intends to cOlleC
would In no small part have com
from the pockets OF American cit
zens.
A II Is not surprising. therefore. tina
Frank b. Willis prefers to make pr'
hibitlon, the tariff. relief for citie'
vscrkmens compensation anything
rather than the war, the big issue
Ohio this fall. There would now
no war had the Willis of 1915. rea
iirmed by the Willis of 1918, had hi
way.
Ohio cannot afford to elect to tn
governorship at time like this
man whose Judgment upon vital go
ernment issues Is as wabbly as M
Willis judgment was, and is, upO
this embargo question. Big problem
will demand solution In Ohio durin
the term OF the next governor. Go
Cox has proved himself big enough
+, handle them.-Cleveland Plain Dea