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out how Germans stand like rocks on the soil of their home country,
while England's ruin is already written in the skies.
These were the words of Dr. Karl Helfferich, Secretary of
the German Treasury, the Hindenburg of Finance. And his
words, bearing the ring of truth, convinced the world. For Ger-
many has won immense new territories to justify her expenditures,
while England, in ruin and despair, has lost the life and treasure
that she risked.
iVith specious arguments English statesmen try to conceal this
dreadful truth from their own people. Even Paish, who strove to
inspire his countrymen to resistance against their impending bank-
ruptcy, felt that it was necessary to keep up the fiction of a prospect
of ultimate victory. Positively, in the London S tatist of November
27th, in the midst of lugubrious financial comment, under the head-
ing, “The British Empire's Fighting Strength,” one reads such stuff
as this:
“There is a large British as well as French force attempting to
force the Dardanelles; there is a British expedition assisting the
French in defending Serbia; there is a British army which has just
won a brilliant victory near Bagdad.”
And this on November 27th. Is it not pathetic to read this? For
we know that the force at the Dardanelles has “achieved a success-
ful evacuation.” That the British force in Serbia has lied into
Greece, leaving two Irish battalions to be cut down to a man. That
the British army near Bagdad has been ignominiously defeated by
the Arabs. ,
No, this expenditure of six and one-half billions is money abso-
lutely flung away without result. Hundreds of millions were fired
at the barren hills of Gallipoli. Other hundreds of millions were
and are being expended in sending loaded colliers from Cardiff to
the iEgean, to supply the fleets. Others have been squandered on
the Serbs, whose dearly bought supplies and arms have fallen into
the hands of England’s foes. Still other millions have been spent
in our own country on mules, horses, war supplies and shells.
I shall give one cogent illustration of this squandering of British
billions, which will explain the hysterical reiterations of British
statesmen: “We must reduce the proportion of our orders which
go abroad." It is in the nature of an advertisement, published in
the E'uem'ng. Post, December 1st, by the syndicate managers of the
Poole Engineering and Machine Co., of Delaware, offering $1,000,-
000 stock for sale. The managers say:
“The business of the company is in the hands of experienced and
capable men, who are especially well versed in the manufacture of
war munitions, guns, etc. The plant of the company is at present
equipped to turn out in large quantities 3-inch, 6-inch and 12-inch
shells, also one-pounder, rapid-fire machine guns and shells.
“The company has signed contracts amounting to $17,785,000, on
which the minimum net profits are estimated at $3,000,000, or sufii-
cient to retire the outstanding bonds and leave over 80% available
for the stock. The net projit: of $3,000,000 are figured by us after
entire cost of new machinery and additional plant (which we exti-
matc at $500,000) have been cared for."
A profit of $3,500,000 on a $17,700,000 contract for sliellsl Splen-
did! And who paid the bill? England. And this is only one of
about five hundred munitions plants which she has patronized in
this country. You speak of England's silver bullets? Why they are
lined with gold. Can we wonder after this that she has thrown to
the winds her six and one-half billions?
Can we wonder that Paish, Lloyd George, John Dillon and George
Anderson warned their countrymen that such ruinous transactions
must end?
And, meamvhile, while England squandered her treasure, how
stood it with English trade? From bad to worse‘ has gone the
business of this once great commercial empire. The following fig-
ures have been taken from Paish's London Statist, November 27,
1915:
The Tragedy of Steam Freight Rates
Bound homeward from:
Quoted in shillingsfpence
1915 1913
Alexandria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 3270 976
Australia . .. 9570 3076
Bombay . 7570 1973
Burma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 10570 2276
Calcutta . . . . . . . . . .- . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9370 1870
River Plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 9070 1370
THE FATHERLAND
Bound outwards from Cardiff to:
Port Said River Plate St. Vincent
1915 . . 5570 4070 g 3070
1913 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 879 1573 8[3
VVe see here the toll of terror that has been exacted from English
ships and English cargoes. This it is that primarily struck its death-
blow at the heart of the Empire of Tradesmen. Freights from Aus-
tralia to the United Kingdom, that in 1913 prevailed at thirty shil-
- lings, are now quoted at ninety-five shillings. From Bombay to the
United Kingdom they are seventy-five shillings, compared with nine-
teen shillings, sixpence in 1913. And from Burma the rate has
jumped from twenty-two shillings, sixpence, to 103 shillings. No
greater than that, for ten days after these figures were published.
they had advanced still further, and on December 6th frcights from
the River Plate to the United Kingdom were 115 shillings, while
from Burma to Great Britain they were 120 shillings. Is it coii-
‘ceivable, the jumping of freight rates from 300 to 800 per cent.?
Every ton of foodstuff bound for England must pay this deadly toll.
and every ton of raw material that goes to make up manufactures
for the export trade.
The Tragedy of Food Prices
These prices of wholesale commodities are taken from the same
number of the London Statist:
1915 1913
Indigo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1570 376
Flour, 280 lbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4870 29t6
Oats, quart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3V3 18H
Potatoes, ton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10070 607 0
Rice, cwt. . . . . . . . . . . . . 1870 870
Bacon, Irish, cwt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10570 7770
Hams, cwt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . l10X0 7870
Sugar, cwt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4076 1870
Food prices are high in other countries of Europe, in Germany
also, though essentials such as sugar and potatoes rule far lower
than they do in England. YET ENGLAND BOASTS THAT SHE
CONTROLS THE SEAS. HOVV EMPTY MUST THAT CON-
TROL APPEAR WHEN HER FOODS AND FREIGHT RATES
JUMP HIGHER DAY BY DAY.
Can one wonder that English statesmen issue warnings to their
public, urging the necessity for economy in‘ luxuries, nay, even the
necessaries of life? These figures reveal the sore in the lives of
England's rebellious workmen. And what is the cause? Lack,af
tonnage. Lack of tonnage is the plaint of every English trade re-
port. Yet the British censor still vainly tries to preserve the fiction
”that the German subniarinc campaign. has failed." This contin-
uous reiteration is meant to conceal a terrifying fact.
A“d how Dathetic are the subterfuges used to conceal this fact of
England's economic collapse. VVe even behold the spectacle of lVal-
ter Runciman, President of Englaiid’s Board of Trade, threatening
the ruin of German commerce, to solace his countrymen. And
should the English really make good this empty boast after the war,
they would merely be ruining their best customer.
The reason for the lack of British tonnage may be epitomized by
the following paragraph;
B."ll,"- December 20th (by Wireless to Sayville, L. I.)-Since the
beginning of the war to the end of November last 734 enemy ships,
with a tonnage of 1,447,628, were destroyed.
The greater part of these were British ships. All, in fact, were
engaged in British trade. The initial loss was that of the tonnage.
per 3:. The second was the loss of cargo. Now we see the effect
of the third phase of this loss, the potential loss, causing the fatal
dearth in the means of transportation. And this has struck a fright-
ful blow at England's greatest trahic, her coal trade. I shall quote
here a few extracts from the Iron and Coal Trader’ Review, London,
October 8, 1915:
The Tragedy of the Coal Trade
The returns show how our coal shipping trade has farcd during
Sepfember and thegnin-e months nmv complete of this year. The
many difiiculties which it has had to contend with during that period
03"“ mduced ‘ht: tonnatze of coal, coke and patent fuel. exported
from a total of nearly 57,000,000 tons to 35,000,000, a falling off Of
22.000000 tons. This serious decline is further swollen by the shrink-
age in the quantity of coal supplied as bunkers for the use of ships
engaged In the foreign trade, which is nearly 5,000,000 tons. so that
altogether, this unpartant branch of our bu.n'm'.v.v ii-irh other nation: