Of course, they would suffer for a while; but so do the commercial interests of competing railroads when they begin to cut rates.

Cutting rates is war--commercial war: but it is often carried on, nevertheless, and at tremendous cost.
Just now, Great Britain does not wish to crush us; but it is certain that she can.

It is certain that the richest country in the world lies defenseless against the most powerful; and that we could not alter this condition in ten years, even if we started to build an adequate navy now.
Yet even if the degree of probability of war with Great Britain, within say ten years, seems so small that we need not consider her, are there no other great Powers with whom the degree of probability of war is great enough to make it wise for us to consider them?
Before answering this question, let us realize clearly that one of the strongest reasons that leads a country to abstain from war, even to seek relief from wrongs, actual or imagined, is a doubt of success; and that that reason disappears if another country, sufficiently powerful to assure success, is ready to help her, either by joining openly with her, or by seeking war herself at the same time with the same country.

As we all know, cases like this have happened in the past.

Great Britain knows it; and the main secret of her wealth is that she has always been strong enough to fight any two countries.
It is plain that a coalition of two countries against us is possible now.