The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-04-18

phase OF life IN the United States. and
turn their attention TO foreign affairs the
first question that occurs TO them IS as to
whether England and Germany are going
10 war with one another. and il so. when,
Il is a question which furnishes a fertile
and absorbing topic OF discussion. This
being the case the following points in
connection Herewith may be deemed
worthy OF consideration.
Accepting for a moment the hypothesis,
so general in the dominions Of the Kaiser
and in those Of his uncle. King Edward.
that war Is imminent. the very natural
inquiry occurs as TO whether there are
really no means Of avertins the conflict.
Il Is perfectly true that in both countries
young people are being educated TO the
belief that conflict OF this kind is bound
70 take place sooner or later; the sooner
the better
In all ranks of the armies and navies
OF the two empires the same ideas pre-
vail and the training and instruction
which men and officers receive and the
preparations which they are called upon
10 make are in view Of the promised
struggle.
German and British newspapers. too.
even the most reputable and weighty
organs Of the press, such as the Times in
London and the Cologne Gazette. on the
other side Of the channel. are contribut-
ing in their daily issues to fomenting hos
tility between the two nations by melting
popular sentiment one against the other.
They seem TO devote all their energies to
the task Of awakening dormant patriot
ism, an object which would be wholly
commendable were It not for the fact that
with them patriotism spells not peace,
but war.
But war demands money on q colossal
scale, more so nowadays than ever be-
fore. So enormous, indeed, is the cost
entailed by all the new methods of de-
Tense and destruction that even the huge
reserves OF gold boarded by Germany.
Austria Italy France, and even little
Switzerland and withdrawn from circula-
ton 10 serve as a war treasure would not
suffice 10 defray more than the prelini-
nary expenses Of mobilization. Yet the
possession OF specie is imperative, since
the outbreak OF war is calculated to az
feet. If not arrest, credit.
How potent is the role OF money in war
Is strikingly shown in the recent connict
between Russia and Japan. The latter
had defeated Russia in every battle. both
on land and at sea. and was victorious all
along the line. Why. then, was she com
PEELED TO halt the onward march OF her
armies and TO submit to the imposition or
a peace at Portsmouth which robbed her
OF almost all. If not OF the whole. Of the
fruits Of her military and naval sue
ceSses2 Il was because she had reached
the end Of her money and Of her credit.
Count Witte. the Russians plenipOtenti-
any at Portsmouth. was hailed at first on
his return from the United States as a
statesman OF wonderful cleverness who,
by dint OF diplomacy. had saved his coun-
try. though defeated, from the payment
of any war indemnity and from the loss
OF any territory Yet to-day he Is re-
garded. both at home and abroad. as hav-
ing injured rather than benefited his coun-
try by the terms which he secured at
Portsmouth.
Not only Russia, but likewise the world
at large. have learned that the japanese
had at the time OF the peace congress on
the New Hampshire coast come to the
very end of their financial tether and
were in consequence thereof quite incapa-
Russia, who by that time had succeeded
in pouring almost a million soldiers into
Manchuria. was in position 20 continue
the struggle with all the odds in her IA
Vor and TO recover all the laurels Of vic
tory that she had lost up TO that time.
To-day, indeed, there is hardly a Russian
who does not deplore the peace Of Ports
mouth as an injury rather than an ad-
vantage 10 Russian interests.
Since money is so Indispensable to war
which, as 1 have just shown. cannot be
conducted without funds in profusion-it
viii naturally occur to thoughtful people
that it is the money kings who really hold
the keys 10 the doors Of the temple Of
Janus The wealth of the universe-and
By that I mean current money. without
reference TO the incalculable boards con-
cealed everywhere in India and through
out the length and breadth Of Asia. In
haTems. beneath the soil OF Zenana gar
dens, and in tombs-may be said 70 be
concentrated in the hands Of relatively
rev mulu-milliOnaires and great financial
dynastles. II Is unnecessary 10 enumer-
ate them here. Their names viii occur
10 every newspaper reader. Possibly
there are not more than two dozen OF
them. 1T any rate, OF those who are able
20 dominate the monetary markets. to
determine credit. and 10 arrest or 10
loosen the outgo OF gold
Indeed. I have sometimes been tempted
70 point out 20 my good friend Andrew
Carnegie that he would further the cause
OF peace far more effectively II instead of
promoting peace congresses composed Of
government delegates and plenipotenti-
a p
efforts 20 the organization OF an interna-
tonal council of these two dozen money
kings, who, assembling periodically.
would determine among themselves the
measures to be adopted in order 10 avert
war. Their concerted action upon the
money markets and government funds OF
any one nation would quickly bring its
government quietly and effectively to rea-
son and stay it from embarking upon any
policy calculated TO provoke a conflict.
II was these money kings who al the
time Of the Franco-German crisis on the
subject OF Morocco some four years ago.
when Emperor William virtually threw
down the gauntlet 10 the French nation.
prevented the outbreak Of hostilities.
Delcasse, who was then minister of for
eiSn affairs 90 Paris. was in favor Of &C
cepting the challenge. Of calling the EN-
peror's bluff, and or Tesorting, II neces-
sary 10 war rather than to submit to the
more or less Notifying demands put for
ward by Germany
At the last minute. however. the lead
ing nnanciers or Paris, acting not only on
their own initiative. but also at the insti-
CATION OF their associates and partners in
other capitals Of Europe and in New
York. interviewed declared that there
should be no war, and thar rather than
have a conflict Germany should be pIa-
Gated. They impressed their views upon
the then minister OF finance, Senator
RouVler. whom fhev may he sofi to hn,.o