TRADING WITH THE HUNS.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 September 1919, Page 12

TRADING WITH THE HUNS.

A SURPRISING ANNOUNCEMENT. SHOCK FOR PATRIOTIC i AMERICANS. j Something akin to a national shock occurred throughout the American Continent when on July 11 it was calmly announced in Washington that trade between the United States and Germany had been authorised for resumption "immediately." Acting-Secretary Polk, of the State Department, made the unexpected announcement. The surprised people of the United States couty scarcely credit the announcement, but confirmation was offered by Mr. Vance McCormick, chairman of the War Trade Board, who said all arrangements for removing restrictions on trading with Germany had been completed so far as the American Government was concerned." In view of the recent tour of the United States and Canada by Mr. Peter Wright, head of the seamen's executive of Great Britain, and by Captain 'flipper, a leader of the mercantile service of the United Kingdom, hundreds of thousands of their hearers pledged themselves to have no "truck or trade" with the Huns for many years to come, in common with the decision in Great Britain, where vengeance was vowed upon the Germans for their inhuman submarine warfare, where hundreds of seafaring men of Great Britain were shelled or otherwise murdered by the sea pirates of Germany. Meetings have been recently held in various parts of America, where mothers of fallen soldiers Jiave vowed vengeance" on the Huns, by pledging never to purchase German goods, even should such unacceptable merchandise be admitted into any United States port. The announcement of the Americarl Government to allow trading with the Germans has come a 9 a most disagreeable surprise to patriotic Americans.

American soldiers are the most outspoken on the subject, and they are wondering what has become of the "democracy" that they were supposed to have fought and" bled for .on the fields .of Flanders and elsewhere.

Naturally, the . main criticism is directed towards the capitalist class on Wall Street, where commercialism must be furthered at any cost of honor or sacrifice of national pride, say the critics. Any disposition on the part of America or Canada to deal with the Huns with a kid-glove hand is being strongly warned against by returning American soldiers, and also by French emissaries, who arc now touring the North American continent in the interests of the Allied nations. It is recognised that kindness is simply wasted on the mili-taristic-mad typical Prussian, and the Doughboys, who have, had contact with this class of German, are enraged when talk is initiated, savouring of forgiving the Hun for some of his barbaric cruelties practised on luckless prisoners who fell into the hands of the Hun.

HUNS ARE PLOTTING REVENGE. Coblenz, July 2. If there is one country that the Germans are determined to get even with it is France. >The Germans still try by every means to foster differences between the Allies. To isolate France, to render the pledge of Great Britain and the United States null and void, is the dominating idea of the individual German serving no impulse but his own. Ose hears talk about the next war, first with Poland and later with France, when financial stability is restored and treaty provisions are forgotten. If all one hears is- true and if all impressions that travellers get from the interior of Germany and the Baltic provinces are founded on fact, it never was more necessary for the Allies to watch Germany closely.