(99 100) THE sieged city. Clocks have been set forward one hour to favor earlier rising and earlier retiring, thus effecting the saving of petroleum, Great suffering and distress is reported from the warzone—Lelgium, Northern Franee, Western Russia, Eastern Germany and the Curpathian and Balkan Mountains, ‘These war-swept districts have suffered terribly—the fortunes of war sometimes sweeping one way, sometimes the other, but always with terrible severity, not only as respects the soldiers, but also the Inhabitants of the districts. Conditions in Servia are said to be terrible also. The DardancHes, controled by Turkey, constitute a new war area. Great Britain has long upheld the Turkish Government and hindered Russia from gaining access to the Mediterranean Sea and the world hy water, Russia long ago would have devoured Turkey at great cost; for Constantinople would have given her one of the most important sea-ports in the world. Now England and France must help their ally, Russia, Since they cannot utilize Constantinople themselves, they are anxious that Russia shall not have it. They will propose that the Dardanelles be maintained a free waterway, like the Suez Canal and the Panama Canal, Whether or not this will satisfy Russia is doubtful; and a quarrel amongst the Allies may result. If a quarrel seem unavoidable, it may he determined that the Dardanelles are impregnable and Turkey he allowed to hold on to her possession. Meantime the Allies are seeking for further assistance to blockade thoroughly and starve out Germany. To this end Ttaly and Greece are being urged to join in the war, the inducement being that in the settlement Italy shall receive certain Austrian Provinees and Greece be allowed to take over a Jarge share of Turkey’s domain—to keep Russia out. Selfishness, statecraft, fear of each other and ambition for world-power are thus seen to he the moving principles, so far as the world is concerned in the present war. Switzerland, Holland and Scandinavia are in fear and know not what to do. The interests of the great belligerents may force war upon them, although they are striving to the best of their ability to remain neutral. RELIGIOUS INFLUENCES AND THE WAR At first, the influence of the war upon the people of Furope was terrifving. In their distress they were inclined to become more religious. With the progress of the war this spirit of fear and looking to the Lord for help is passing away, giving place to colder sentiments and greater selfconfidence. War is becoming the business of life to those engaged in it. Each of the nations involved sees matters from its own viewpoint, Each honestly believes that it is right. Rach has the courage of its convictions and is ready to die for them, The Germans hold that the Allies, jealous of their frugality and prosperity and thoroughness, have long been preparing to crush them, to annihilate them. They claim that if they had waited until the French army had been mobilized on their western frontier, and the Russian army on their eastern frontier it would have been too late for Germany to successfully defend herself; that it was necessary for her to take the steps she did take and to take them with the promptness with which she took them, in order to strike first at France and then at Russia, whose soldiers represented double the number of her own. The Germans feel a special bitterness toward the British, believing that they are at the bottom of the Alliance and its schemes for the destruction of Germany. The Kaiser is evidently sincere in the thought that he and his people are God’s ordained agencies for the propagation of system, law, cconomy and prosperity throughout the world, The Germans believe their cause to be just and that surely they will suceeed, It is freely declared by them that, should they not succeed, they would altogether doubt the existence of God. The Allies. also, feel that God is for them. Germany’s preparation of a great army. they claim, was not in selfdefense and to protect her life, but for aggressive warfare upon her neighbors. They claim that Germany stands for militarism and that its successful military rule throughout the world, the rule of force, would be much more injurious than the rule of naval foree, Whatever the leaders think and know as respects motives for the war, and whatever their conclusions respecting how it must end in the annihilation of Germany, the public undoubtedly believe that the cause of the Allies is every way just and must surely have God’s favor and blessing. The Russians, we are told, are content that they are serving God while obeying the commands of the “Little Father,” the Czar. They are content to die. They refer to going to the front and into the tomb as “Off for America.” In other words, having a glimmering of a future life and WATCH TOWER Brookniyn, N.Y, refusing to take the doctrine of eternal torture seriously, they conclude that dying is like setting sail for an unseen country. The French soldiers are taking the matter of warfare as light-heartedly as possible—much as one might take to a hunting expedition where the chances were recognized to be rather doubtful, The great generals of the war are saying freely that the war is only beginning; that the Winter time has interfered with operations and that as soon as the Spring floods are past, the bitterest warfare ever yet known to the world may be expected. Meantime, Japan finds the present a favorable opportunity for gaining the mastery of the yellow race—of mastcring China. Her Allies, of course, would not approve of this course, but Japan well knows that they are powerless to interfere. As to the objections of the United States, they will not he worthy of consideration; for the distance across the Pacific is so great and the Japanese navy is more than a match for what United States war vessels could be spared for Far Eastern waters, It would, indeed, tickle Japanese pride to have a confliet with the United States navy in Kastern waters, where they would be so far from fuel and other supplies as to be defeated. It would put Japan in the front rank of “Christian Nations” and the Philippines could be her reward. The Allies probably would be pleased to see the United States humiliated and sharer with them in the weakening influences of the present warfare. Undouhtedty Germany also would be glad to see the United States involved in war, as it would hinder further supplies of war materials going to the Allies. If the United States shall keep clear of entanglements under all these conditions it will be marvelous, almost indicating a divine supervision of its affairs. “MEN'S HEARTS FAILING THEM FOR FEAR’’ As it is, the United States, indeed all the countries of America, North and South, and all the world except the warring nations, are expericncing most peculiar conditions because of the financial disruption created by the war, Not only Canada, but also Central and Sonth America, China, Australasia and India, have been financed in the past by the nations now at war; especially by Creat Britain. Their bank balances and loans are all interfered with by the war and by the necessity on the part of the warring nations of using their capital at home. The United States is not financially powerful enough to meet the conditions and supply money to the remainder of the world, previously dependent on Europe. Indeed stocks and bonds to the amount of five thousand millions of dollars are held in Europe against Amorican improvements, ete. As the war progresses and Europeans need money, they may he expected to sell these American securities in American Exchanges. We have not the money to thus piy our unmatured obligations, Already our banks are full to overflowing with stocks and bonds—some excellent, some medium value, some werthless, Consequently gold will probably go to a premium in the United States as it is already at a premium in Canada. This will bring great distress everywhere, in connection with the liquidation of maturing obligations, bonds, mortgages, ete. No wonder financiers are perplexed—‘“men’s hearts failing them for fear and for looking forward to those things coming on the earth’?!—Luke 21:26. THE WORLD’S DEBTS NEVER TO BE PAID The London Economist roughly estimates the debts of the warring nations at the close of February as follows, in millions of Pounds Sterling. For a rough estimate in dollars, multiply by five: (Expressed in Millions) Debt Lossof ‘Total Old New Revenue Debt £ £ £ £ Great Britain ......... 661 312 nil 973 France... cee eee eee 1,315 363 50 1,728 Russia 2... ... eee eee ee 890 520 50 1,460 Germany .... 6... eee ee 240 520 50 810 Austria-Hungary ..... 490 363 50 903 Servia .... eee eee ee 26 26 4 56 Belgium ..........4-. 148 26 74 The article says: “In the case of the five leading belligerents, we take the National Debt before the war, and add our estimate of the war expenditure, and also an estimate of the loss of ordinary revenue, which must, of course, be added to the debt. The figures for Servia and Belgium are guesswork, and may be very wide of the mark, The figures for the belligerents will, we fear, prove well within the mark. Both the old and the new debts are a mortgage on the future industry of Europe. A population which will have lost a large percentage of its best workers will have to find much [5658]
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