HOPES TO CUT OFF ALLIES' SUPPLIES.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 13701, 3 June 1915, Page 3

HOPES TO CUT OFF ALLIES' SUPPLIES.

WHY GERMANY IS WILLING TO ANTAGONISE UNITED STATES. MONTREAL, May 11. In discussing what it describes as "Germany's object m antagonising the United States," the Star publishes an interview with an official of the State, Department at Washington, who was on a visit to Montreal. ■ "Germany," he -said, "is possibly quite willing to exchange the loss of such .. sympathy as is still left her m the United 'States for the assurance that United States manufacturers who are now at work on. tens of millions of dollars worth of ammunition, guns and munitions of war for the Allies will be torced, by the pressure of events, to devote* tlijeir efforts to manufacturing a reserve store for the • United Statles army and navy. "It is no secret that our reserves of ammunition and of stores are very small. A war scare particularly one m which public opinion was largely aroused,, would have, ?te its immediate result, a tremendous demand that these stocks should .be brought tip to a level of eflS-' ciency. It takes months to make soldiers and years to build battleships, out munitions of war can be secured, other things being equal, m fairly short orders. '

"I have no doubt that, if the emergency demanded, it, or seemed to demand it, the Government of the United States would feel, itself justified m 'commandeering' war supplies no matter under what; contracts or for what nations that were being made. With the supply from the United States cut x>ff , the task of the Allies to secure the enormous quantities . of ammunition which they require for the movements long m contemplation would be immensely increased. "I can think Of no other valid reason for Germany's taking .the course she has taken as regards the Lusitania, and which she is : .effusively. . praising through the columns of her official. and semi-official press. The United States has shown no inclination to take Germany's side m this quarrel, on* to sympathise with her claims or condone her actions, and Germany is quite ready to accept the negative evil of the loss of such sentiment as she has m favor of Germany, m order to gain the positive good ,of ,a shortage of her supply' of war material 'for Germany's enemies."