a | wild of rists Presence BROOKLYN, N. Y., JANUARY 1, 1917 Vou. XXXVITI VIEWS FROM THE WATCH TOWER God’s children appreciate the fact that his Word is a “light unto their feet, and a lantern unto their pathway.” To the divine Word and providence they look for guidance, instruction and comfort. They believe the Word of God_and rely upon it, and thus walk by faith. They view current events in the light of divine prophecy. For several years Bible students have been expecting a great international war, followed by revolution and anarchy. (1 Kings 19:11-13) They expect the great ecclesiastical systems, conceived in sin, born in iniquity and operated in fraud and deceit, to be swept away with a great besom of destruction. (Revelation 18:5-21) They have looked for the governments of earth, built upon false and unrighteous foundations, to crumble away amidst a great storm of human passion. (Psalm 18:7-19; Jeremiah 25:8-38) They have expected q dark night just preceding the ushering in of the glorious kingdom of Messiah. (Isaiah 21:11, 12) They expect these things because the Bible says so. God’s Word is true. For the encouragement of his followers, the great Master said, “When these things begin to come to pass, then look up and lift up your heads, for your deliverance draweth nigh.” (Luke 21:28) “Be patient, therefore, brethren”; the kingdom of Messiah is at the door.’ EXPECTATIONS BEING REALIZED Current events confirm our expectations. The new year dawns amidst great strife, turmoil and bloodshed. Fort nearly two and one-half years a mighty conflict hag raged amongst the European nations, and the storm of destruction continues unabated. In that time more than a dozen kingdoms and nations have been involved; and upwards of thirty millions of men, armed with the most deadly weapons known to modern science, have engaged in wholesale destruction of human life and property. Approximately seven millions of men have been killed, and many more millionga are insane or nervous wrecks by reason of the indescribable experiences through which they have sed. Jehovah, through his Prophet, foretold the coming of this great storm, describing it as a “great and strong wind which rent the mountains and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord.” The Bible deals largely in symbols, “Wind” is a symbol of war; “mountains,” a symbol of kingdoms or governments, and “rocks” a symbol of the solid or more stable parts of the governments. In this picture, therefore, the rocks would very fitly represent the financial strongholds of the governments, When the financial strength of a government is gone, the government itself is practically gone. It is apparent to all observing ones that the warring nations are on the verge of bankruptcy. Fer the purpose of procuring money with which to conduct the war, the belligerents have borrowed fabulous amounts, for which they have issued bonds, treasury notes and other promises to pay. The amount of bonded indebtedness of the warring nations is now 80 enormous that there is not enough money in all the earth to pay the interest on that indebtedness. How then, will it ever be possible to pay the principal? Great Britain and her Allies have borrowed heavily from Americans through the instrumentality of certain American financiers. These nations are desperately attempting to negotiate other loans through the same channels. As an evidence of the desperation to which these nations are driven, we cite the recent attempt of Great Britain to borrow from American [6025 } investors one billion dolHars upon unsecured treasury notes, which have no basis for issue and are strictly fiat money. Some time prior to this attempt, the British government obtained credits in the United States to the amount of $1,100,000,000. About one-half of this amount was obtained upon unsecured paper, and was taken largely by munition manufacturers and other large creditors who expected to make enough profit out of the sale of munitions to cover any loss that might occur. About the first of December last, the President of the United States became aware of the attempt of the British government, through its American agents, to sell to American investors a billion dollars of flat credits, designated as “short time treasury notes.” Foreseeing the uncertainty of the payment of such notes, President Wilson and the Federal Reserve board exposed this dangerous scheme by warning American investors against the purchase of these. Discussing this question editorially, one of the leading American dailies recently said: “When the British government came back for more eredit and wanted a real loan in Wall Street, then Wall Street was not so certain of the value of the treasury notes. It wanted security in the shape of American stocks and bonds, and insisted upon having it. “The British government has no American stocks and bonds and not a great deal of gold to spare. After having taken care of Wall Street’s preferred loans, still it wants more American money on credit. So certain English agents among American bankers attempted to persuade American investors, through American banks, to buy one billion dollars of unsecured treasury notes, when Wall Street, was unwilling to lend half that amount against a year ago without additional collateral American security. “It is probable that these Anglo-American bankers, whose prestige ia very great, would have carried this disagtrous scheme through without a hitch had not the President and the Federal Reserve Board interferred with their warning. ‘These notes are unsecured, and are subject to the hazard of defeat in war, of national bankruptcy through prolongation of war, and of repudiation in case of social revolution after war. “They have no gold basis; for the British government has already outstanding more of their promises to — more of this fiat money, in fact, than all the gold that has been produced since the Christian era began could redeem. “There is not gold enough in all the countries of Europe combined to pay ten cents on the dollar of the paper fiat treasury notes that have already been issued by Great Britain.” Financiers everywhere are trembling, and “men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth.” (Luke 21:26) All these things that we see are but the beginning of greater sorrows. The end shall be “a time of trouble such as was not since the beginning of the world.” Each warring nation has hoped for victory, but it has not come. Discouraged and dismayed at the utter failure to deal a crushing blow, the rulers of some of the nations have imipreased their strongest men, that mightier efforts might be put forth. In desperation, government officials have resigned their positions; and others have been asked to take their places. (3-4)
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