ESTABLISHED 1866. The Marlborough Express PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. SATURDAY, JUNE 12, 1915. AMERICA AND GERMANY.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIX, Issue 137, 12 June 1915, Page 4

ESTABLISHED 1866. The Marlborough Express PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. SATURDAY, JUNE 12, 1915. AMERICA AND GERMANY.

Anything more positively childish than Mr Bryan's idea of submitting American differences with Germany to an "Interactional Commission" for "arbitration" could- not well be imagined. But the ex-Secretary of St'ajte was .always very muchi more a dreamer and an idealist than a practical politician, and for true statesmanship .he ihias never exhibited the slightest capacity. It had long been recognised by the Democratic party bhnt "Bryan, for President" was an utterly impossible proposition; but Bryan had a large popular, following in iblie Middle Wesjfcern States, and although in the far Western States his "free silver" coinage scheme had. for some time past been accepted as liopeless. still the elector,^ remembered his hard work in their behalf, and it was generally understood, when the Democratic Convention selected Woodrow Wilson as its candidate, that should Wilson succeed he should appoint Bryan as his ■chief lieutenant. This was done ; but in 3iis. official and'administrative capacity the. eloquent idealist proved, as so many idealists do in similar circumstances, a complete failure. The utter lack of dignity of which he gave a. notorious instance when ho accepted engagements for halfihour lecturettes in connection with wiia-fc was nothing more or less tlian a vaudeville enter tainmenrfc, greatly disgusted the better-class Americans, and in connection with, the Mexican troubles he Kej-imisly embarrassed tho President and hi s party •by m.')ki?ig speot-hes the sentiments expressed in whicflij were by no mean's in keeoing A\-ifch the settled polity of tiho Cabinet. i

As to Mr Bryan's attitude on the Lusitania case «.ml ui>on the submarine war generally as conducted by Germany, it is so supremely, stupid as to hn hardly A\orthi considering. Whore did Mr Bi-ynn hope to get. at tho present juncture, nn unprejudiced and competent "International Cbmjuirsion" to uhieh America's dispute with Germany could ho submitted For arbitration? To wait until after the war, jjr by one cablp.i>;i'am*would seem to bo Mr Kiya..i'« su^ostion, is equally impossible. Such opinions us Mr

Bi-yan expressed—-opinions practically j inA rolviiig the taking up of the attitude that tho United States should calmly sit down and. let her citizens j bo blown to pieces or drowned, and i American vessels be destroyed, with- , out doing more than make empty protests, and accept all this as not to be objected to because Germany had first given a warning as to the bloekiad'e — may be Mr Bry4n's idea of what a great nation should do. But fortuna<tely,' his mania, for peace at any price, even at the price of national dishonor, i s not-—-apparently, at least —shared by President Wilson and Mr Bryan's colleagues in.the Cabinet. Ttie resignation of the Secretary of Sitato should clear the way for a much more decider?, policy with regard-to the war tlian has yet been adopted at Washington. We may not be justified in assuming that even,if the last American .Note which' km been sent to Germany receives iw> favorable consideration Vat Berlin,' tho United States Government-, will immediately proceed to declare a . sta,to' of w^ar between America ,an,d \ .'Gerjn-any, To avoid war President Wilson will exhaust every possible means consistent with respect for the American national honor. It is difficult, however, to see how a deliberate refusal on. tlia part-, of Germany to accept the American proposals as toi dhe only way the United State could agree *to *v blockade of neutral ships being carried on, in the "war zcxne" could l>a followed by any-, thing short of a rupture of diplomatic relations.. For. that would be the first step to.war itself. > , And if Ih'e United States did drift into war -with Germany, what then ? As to what would happen, and particularly upon the most important point of all— namoly, Would' there be aaiy diminution -im tho supplies of .arms and ammunition .now being purchased by the Allies from AmericaV -—there may be some difference of opinion. Many people fear that the i entranc*) of America i 1 the war would be rathei to the disadvantage I than to,vfcho advantage of the Allies, the ' fcirgiinient being..-.•. that America 1 'vould be so o.ccupied vr\tli her own military aiul naval oi'ganisation that shipments of munitions to Europe wbuld, cease. This, we believe, is an erroneous assumption. , Germany couM not send ?a ■,«k>ldier across the Atlantic. Lev . J<h.e« simple -'reason that •her. . ships dare riot, or cannot leave the'harbors where they are so snugly and safely.- sheltered from a British onslaught. It is most .improbable that America would send an axpedi-tioniaa-y force to Europe to assist the Allies, for not only has she no army; worth oaMuug a.n,>trmy, ready, to send or likely to be ready .to send for many lang months to come, but American public opinion would be, we think,, strpngjly opposed to any such project. iWhat, then, could America do against the nation which would become her enemy P la what way could she in jure her enemy without herself .'running11 ain.y risk? The answer is simple enOugJi; She lias immense manufacturing resources at her disposal, and by placing, these, even very partially^ at the command qi the Allies, byi quadrupling the supply of armsK and ammunition already being regularly sent across the Atl'.mtic, she ■ coiild most substantially assist the i Allies, whilst sit tho samo time not :oinly ; incurring no Joss but actdaljy ;.reaping a very 'materiaVfiiiancis!l..peilofit.' And this would be by no.means: an xwipotential consideraiiioii ' our cousins of "The Laiwl of the .Almighty Dollar." How, the latest American Note will be received we caiiiiot, of course, foretell; out the fact that American warships ■prde fr i ed, i '4o '■-;fche Pacific are how being, retained or. the Atlantic station is of certain significance. Perhaps,-.after- all,, it mo.y be found that there is more: backbone 'aiid gritin President Wilson that ho has hitherto been credited with possess.in£- , .-'--■;-" . ;i,'- ■: .'J: