Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-09-06


The movement to boycott German ships and
German goods in the event of that nations re-
naming the military despotism it is, has assumed
worldwide and wen-dehned proportions. Not only
in Britain, whose seamen sing they toll:
oh never a Fritz shall sail
In a ship that sails with me;
Never a box bale,
That smells of Germany;
Never the like of they
Shall soil the British shore,
Till the seamen OF England say,
Ye have settled the seamen's score
but in Scandinavia as WELL and in France, in Italy,
in South America and in the United States there is
deepening purpose amongst the masses OF the
people TO have no future commerce with Hohen-
zollern Germany. This extraordinary sentiment
manifest in neutral and Allied countries alike is
not the upfare of a passionate moment, but a four
years growth of moral resentment against Prus-
sian crimes, particularly crimes of the sea- Ger
many has demonstrated, and demonstrated SO
plainly that no reasoning mind can doubt 1t, that
if her mitarism should have its way, not only
would the freedom OF the seas beRorever cancelled
but the foundations of all justice amongst nations
and Of liberty for mankind would be destroyed
Quite naturally therefore, the worlds instinct OF
self-preservation as well its outraged moral
common protection against its piratical enemy.
particularly formidable phase of the move
ment toward this end is that represented by the
British Seamen's and Firemen's Union. Mr.. H. G.
Wells tells of a recent interview he had with the
president of that powerful organization the force
full Havelock wilson
'sHe is a very ominous figure indeed for
Germany" writes Mr.. Wells in Current His
tory, because he is a very representative
figure He sits in upper room in Victoria
street twisted and crippled by rheumatism,
scheming to draw together the willing threads
OF a worldwide net against German ships and
trade. He told Of how'the transport work
ers of the world are being drawn into the
plan-how he hopes to bring in the miners so
as to control the cOaling of German ships
how side by side with the Seamen's and Fire
mems Union there grows up the big Merchant
Seamen's League, open to landsmen of all sorts
in sympathy with this plan We are going to .
boycott German goods, he told me, as wen
as German ships and men ANY ship with any
German goods on board will be tainted ship,
and il will neither sail nor unload nor get coal
IL We can prevent it, He began to tell me
story after story-they familiar enough
of murders, deliberate drownings, the mock
cry of wounded and dying men, that has made
the C-boat and the German name loathed
wherever seamen gather. 'D'you think men
going to forget that he asked. Or
that?'
And there is to be no peace?'
Not while Germany elings TO militarism.
No.'"
The same intent, and much the same spirit.
though more deliberately phrased, appears in the
resolutions adopted by the United States Chamber
of Commerce in which it is pointed that care
full analysis OF economic conditions shows that the
size of Germany's future armament will funda-
mentally depend on her after-war receipts of raw
materials and profit from foreign trade" and that
'fn our opinion the American people, for the pur-
nose of preventing an excessive armament, will
assuredly enter into economic combination
against Germany, if Governmental conditions in
Germany make il necessary for self-defense" The
logic and force of this argument cannot be gain
said For the people OF the United States TO re-
sumo commerce with mlitaristc Germany would
be to supply it with the means for launching an
other raid upon civilization and would be to coun-
tenance If not indeed encourage the Prussian S
predatory spirit On what grounds of self-interest
or of moral right could Americans sell iron, copper,
cotton andsother basic war supplies to a Germany
that remained after the war the same misgoverned
and constituencies Power that it is today? Or on
what grounds OF wisdom and justice could af-
ford to help sustain that Power by buying its
chandise?
So long as Germany stands organized against
the world so long must the world stand organized