The Daily News. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1917. ECONOMIC BOYCOTT OF GERMANY.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 October 1917, Page 4

The Daily News. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1917. ECONOMIC BOYCOTT OF GERMANY.

The cable message from Rome on Tuesday referring to President Wilson's early peace proposals contains a statement that should cause considerable perturbation in Germany. So far as the proposals themselves are concerned they speak for themselves and might very well have emanated from the Western Allies. It is in the alternative that chief interest centres, and if America is prepared to carry out that drastic course Germany's outlook will be as gloomy as it could possibly be. It may not be advisable to take the message as authoritative but if Germany is bent on continuing her ruthless and barbaric tactics, justice demands adequate punishment. The alternative which America is said to thr.; ?n is to continue the war until the Central Powers are completely exhausted and defeated, and institute an economic boycott for -fifty years after the war. This must eertaialy be a contingency that the Germans never contemplated. It will be remembered that some months back German shippers were vigorously touting for business; even going to the length of stating that the war would be over by August and they were making arrangements accordingly. August came and went, but the war still continues and, unlesß the unforseen happens, will be still going on next year. Probably the German authorities did not pay mulch heed to the Anglo-French decision to boycott German goods after the war, -but with the American market open they felt secure. In 1914 the United States' imports from Germany were valued at 189,919,136 dollars, and the exports from America to Germany totalled in value 344,794/276 dollars. Apart from the profits on the articles included in these figures there were the very considerable gains derived from the carrying trade overseas, in which Germany's hugest vessels were engaged. To have both the industrial and maritime operations swept away by such a boycott as that proposed would cripple Germany beyond all hope of recovery. The German authorities, it is presumed, are well aware of their present financial standing as evidenced by the continuous fall of the mark and the compulsory resort to paper currency. The people have been led to believe that after the war the country will progress by leaps and! bounds, and it is this, probably, mora than their patriotism, that has reconciled them to the hardships they are now enduring. What, then, will be the effect when they learn how illusory are their hopes, and when they realise what an economical boycott by America means? That Germany shall be completely defeated and exhausted is a condition precedent to the boycott, and the prospect, of facing such a crushing blow would justify the people in following Russia's example and striking for freedom. According to the latest cable news the Prussian Junkers are still dominant, and the flamboyant declarations of von Tirpitz arc ringing in their ears in such a way as to make them see red. They refuse to see the writing on the wall that heralds the doom of pan-Geiman-ism. This American proposal should bring them to their senses, for if anything was calculated to shorten the war it ihould be the fear of this drastic

boycott—a fifty years penalty for German crimes. There is, of course, the possibility that the Germans may refuse to believe that such a threat would be carried out, because America would lose thereby, but Germany did not believe that Britain would be 'brought into the war, and when this belief failed, she expressed contempt for the British Army. To-day she is feeling; Britain's action and Britain's might and is squirming under its violence. Moreover she now knows what British determination and resources mean. However brazen may be her effrontery, and however much she may try to prove that she is still master ot the situation, to all intents and purposes she is driving straight and swift to defeat and national bankruptcy. "There must," said/the British 'Premier, "be no next time. A fifty years' boycott by America and the Allies would materially help to make that pronouncement an actual fact, while it should certainly tend to shorten the duration of the military struggle.