AMERICA'S ENTRY.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15195, 16 April 1917, Page 6

AMERICA'S ENTRY.

Mr E. Marshall, the well-known American journalist and publicist, interviewed by a Central News representative on the 4th, instant, regarding the rupture between the United States, and Germany, said he rejoiced in the decision President Wilson had arrived at. "America's idealism seems to have been torpedoed," he said. "Well, it won't sink. That determination which in the past lias accomplished such great things will keep it afloat, .will prove its life-preserver. Thousands of my countrymen are suffering from as groat a moral shook as that from which English men and women suffered when you found it necessary to rush to the assistance of Belgium. Thoy are jiware at last of what the German terror really means. No, they will not low; their idealism, for that is part of their psychology; but I hope and firmly believe that they have become convinced that until the Prussian military spirit has been wiped cut for ever their ideals cannot reign. Once convinced of that they will set to work with a will 1o crush it, not laying aside the sword until their purpose has been accomplished cheerfully. I admit that America is not a military Power, but she is far more potent in man fighting force than most people on this side of the Atlantic think . Her navy is of splencid personnel, and should be of great and instantaneous value. As regards '.he sending of men and munitions to Europe, I know the problem of tra.r-port is a great one; but Great Britain las brought her fighters from all parts of her Dominions, defying .vibiriarinos. German submarines will be no greater menace to the troopship : n Hie future than in the past. Rather I am convinced it will be a lesser menace

"But let us admit for th>; mome.it that America is unlikely to s»nd men or be asked to send them, in groat numbers, and therefore assume there will be no great demand for her ships for such a purpose. It must always be remembered -hat the United States is a great financial Power, and, above all, a great mechanical Power. Suppose a definite effort for mobolisatioii of American industry occurs—an effort in effectiveness comparable to that of the Allies—for the purpose of producing munitions for use against Germany. I am r.ot giving away State secrets whe:i I say that I know definitely that plans for such a mobolisatioii have—already been perfected. America's capacity for producing food and munitions for export to the war zone under the scheme which has been prepared by the greatest experts in the country, and placed before the American Government, is beyond belief. There is nothing to touch it in the whole of Europe. The output of munitions and food is, however, but one aspect of the position. Consider what would be the result of a mobilisation of American finance. Think what that would mean for the Allies. America has been the recipient of billions of dollars spent by the Governments of the Allies for supplies. These billions of dollars are still in the country, stacked on other billions which before the war began had made her the richest nation in the world."

Mr Marshall emphasised that he did not scorn the mobilisation of American soldiers and sailors, and declared that if the United States found it necessary to send men to the European war zone she was in a position to send "thousands and thousands of well-trained and perfectly-equipped soldiers.." There is an immense amount of German tonnage tied- up in our ports, which would no doubt be immediately turned to account if war is actually declared. That would be poetic justice, and incidentally very good business. Although America has not been regarded as one of the world'.-; great shipbuilding nations, her shipbuilding yards would come under the scheme of mobilisation, so that if the need arose she could build vessels vcrv much faster than Germany had sunk ships in the past. Seriously. I am not disposed to view with grave apprehension the new submarine menace.

"Tlien there is another point. I speak of it with a good dc-al of hesitation. Little is generally known of the fact that already American inventive genius has been organised and mobilised both for purposes of defence and offence. In the United States Naval Consulting Board, which is under the chairmanship of Mr Thomas Edison, lies perhaps the most powerful weapon of warfare to-day. If America enters the war its immense and carefully-de-veloped machine would at once be at the disposition of the Allien. The work already done by this board and the Naval Department in conjunction with this board will, I think, very greatly decrease the submarine menace. Only a few months ago Mr Edison told me there was no good reason why a ves„sel on the high seas should not be warned mechanically and automatically of the approach of a submarine. "All things considered," concluded Mr Marshall, "America's entrance in the war against Germany would be a very bad thing for the Teutonic Powers."