THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 1918. WAR ON AMERICAN SOIL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16760, 29 January 1918, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 1918. WAR ON AMERICAN SOIL.

For nearly a year Germany's agents in America have held their hands. Within a few hours after the declaration of war against the merchant shipping of the world every German and Austrian vessel interned in American harbours was disabled, in accordance with orders issued by the notorious Bernstorff. Germany and its agents in Washington had no doubt that America would be drawn into the war, and the destruction of shipping was intended to deprive the Allies of the use of 117 vessels representing 770,000 tons. The scheme did not wholly succeed, for repairs, which it was estimated in Germany would take 18 months, have been completed, and the whole fleet is employed in the Allied service. Now another attempt has been made to prevent America's participation in the war. Germany has waited until America is straining every effort to carry assistance to the Allies, in men, munitions, and foodstuffs, until the untrammelled movement of shipping across the Atlantic has become vitally important to the development of America's army in Europe and to the prosecution of the Allied military plans. Cable messages published to-day describe a " fire offensive," extending from shipping and harbour equipment to factories engaged in the production of munitions, and convey an official warning of a determined submarine attack on the transport of American troops. The campaign of incendiarism adds another chapter to the criminal record of German subjects, who from the shelter of American protection before last April, and of American citizenship since Mr. Wilson signed the declaration of war, have carried out the orders of their masters in Berlin. In connection with America's intervention there is a Congressional report setting forth twenty-one crimes or unfriendly acts committed upon American soil with the connivance of the German Government during the first two and a-half years of war. Plots to excite rebellion in India, to destroy munition factories, railways, and .canals in Canada, to manufacture and to place bombs on Allied shipping, the organisation of espionage in Britain and in Canada, the equipment and provisioning of German commerce raiders, and attempts -to involve America in war with Mexico, were among the activities which the German Embassy in Washington diligently engineered for the assistance of the Central Alliance and the embarrassment of the Entente. The entry of America into the war temporarily disorganised the German plans. Many of the principal agents had already been arrested, and the dismissal of the German Ambassador deprived the organisation of its controlling head. Moreover, such crimes were automatically removed from the category of offences against American neutrality laws to that of treason against the United States, with punishment by death.

Professions of loyalty from the German - American spokesmen appear to have created a false sense of security. The risk of offending the large section of the population directly drawn from the peoples of the Central Empires has been so obvious that it is possible measures for the elimination of a great menace to America's military effort have not been carried out with the vigour that would, in other circumstances, have been considered necessary. In his speech to the war session of Congress, Mr. Wilson appealed for the maintenance of friendship towards the millions of men and women of German birth and native sympathy," and two months later an official statement was made that it had been necessary to intern only about 125 German citizens. Up till that time there had been no appearance of organised interference with the war preparations, beyond the effort to hamper recruiting and to influence public opinion by veiled or open pro-German propaganda. This form of intrigue was easily answered, and had no appreciable effect. Yet the position was probably more accurately portrayed by the Cologne Gazette than by the American press, which joined in protesting the loyalty of German-Americans to the land of their adoption rather than to that of their birth. " Our best allies will continue 'to be the Ger-man-Americans, whose services to the German cause can be underestimated only by crass ignorance of American conditions," the Cologne paper declared. Good Americans, as of course they are, our fellow countrymen do not constitute any self-contained national group in the political life of the Union. All the greater, however, is consequently their indirect influence, because all

classes, all professions, and all political and other circles are leavened in the strongest measure with German-Amcricans. The Ger-man-Americans constitute a sound-ing-board for the German propaganda, such as exists in no other enemy country. We can be certain now they will be at their posts." There is ample evidence that among the millions to whom Mr. Wilson referred there are many who place America first in their patriotism, but those who are still "fellowcountrymen " at heart, with Gorman hopes and German methods, present a problem demanding the most prudent consideration by the American authorities.