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IS NEW YORK
DANGERby
Edward Lyell Fox
331
N O W that unwelcome war is forced
upon us can Germany do any material
harm to our shores? Can
her submarines sink our coastwise
traffic ; blockade our ports ; can her
Hio-h Seas Fleet escape the British cordon,
and bombard our Atlantic Coast cities? Can
her Zeppelins cross the seas, topple over the
Woolworth Building, smash Brooklyn Bridge,
and blow up Wall Street?
These are some of the contingencies that
at the time these lines are written worry our
seacoast cities. In particular is New York
perturbed. Obviously the center of population
and finance would offer a tempting mark.
Germany might do some of these things.
It is extremely improbable that she could do
them all. Her position is too isolated. More
than likely the submarine menace could be
handled effectually by our navy's coast patrols.
The only possible base for the U-boats on this
side of the water would be along the shares of
Mexico or Colombia. A submarine warfare
prosecuted so far from home and under such
hazardous conditions would be hardly effective
so far as our merchant marine is concerned.