St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1914-09-09


600 dead" is the terse and tragic mes
sage sent by a correspondent of an
English newspaper from Copen-
hagen. One hundred thousand of
the best trained military men, the
most efficient fighters of all time,
men in the prime of life with almost
unlimited possibilities before them
are lying cold and helpless along the
route of battle. This is the record
of the victors to date and the losses
of those who have been steadily and
swiftly driven back to the fortifica-
tions of Paris are still unknown.
Probably their loss has not been so
heavy as the plan of the allies APP
parently has been to kill as many
Of the invaders as possible and re-
treat to the strongest Notifications
to make their final resistance. But
even in it's most favorable light it is
evident the loss of life in this single
campaign has already exceeded the
total male population of the state of
Vermont. 1t cannot be hoped that
the loss of life along the eastern and
southern frontiers of Germany and
Austria has been less and apparently
the fighting has only begun. What
the final totals will be is a matter
of hideous conjecture.
Aside from the human element
little Belgium is hopelessly ravished.
France, the beautiful, is deeply
Scared by long and wide trail of
destruction and desolation, its gov
eminent a fugitive and millions are
pouring from its metropolis in panic
and terror; Germany has lost it's pos
sessions in Africa and in the Pacific
and is doomed to lose its military
stronghold on the coast of China,
and with a wide breach in its eastern
frontier is being overrun by the Rus
sian hordes fired with fury of re-
venge and cupidity, its immense
fleet bottled up in it's harbors by the
mightier naval forces of relentless
England and the seas stripped of its
great fleet of merchantmen; Austria
held in leash by the outraged Servi-
ans-these are some of the results
already accomplished.
Outside the actual contestants
Turkey is mobilizing it's forces to
strike in behalf of Germany, Italy is
ready to unleash the dogs of war as
soon as Turkey acts. Greece has its
treasure of manhood massed along
it's frontiers ready to assan the Turk
and the little Balkan powers so re-
Gently devastated by war stand ready
to join the struggle and probably
carry the war into the Caucasus,
Persia, Egypt and India.
Meanwhile the fighting continues
with almost incomprehensible de-
struction and sacrifice and that part
of civilization not already involved
inquiries with bated breath what the
result is to be. Here is a prediction
by Roger w. Babson, a widely
known statistician. If checked and
faced by defeat he believes Emper-
or William of Germany simply needs
to say to Russia, England, Belgium
and Japan:
Push me to the wall if you wish,
but if you do it means the end of
my reign and the formation of re-
public in Germany. Moreover, a re-
public in Germany means the end
of monarchical power for the rest of
Europe. In other words, gentlemen,
you will only be cutting your own
thToats by making me acknowledge
defeat. We can call the war a draw
and each give and take, in which
case can go back to my people and
continue my reign, and the govern
ments of Europe need not be disturb
ed. If. however, l cannot do this,
the days are numbered for us all"
Such an ending would mean only
a stay in hostilities, a reopening OF
war as soon as some emperor
sought to display his power or seize
the possession Of a rival power. Such
an ending would be calamitous for
civilization of the future. This war
can never be the benefit it should
be unless the privileges and power of
thrones be hopelessly crushed. That
the war viii be pushed to such
conclusion. no matter how great the
sacrifice. is the hope of all who de-
sire permanent peace and the en-
thronement Of individual right anc
justice.