The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-08-15
WAR ECHOES

ter of pride and satisfaction if Congress or any other agency were able to halt an imitation of food prices as a result of the European war. Already resolu- tions have been introduced in the House. directing the Secretary of Commerce to inquire into higher food prices. and we have little doubt that the result will
 be the production of some interesting and illuminative statistics. with an absence Of any remedy.
 l The European war already has had it's effect on domestic food prices. Meat has taken a big jump. Eggs and but ter surely will follow the same course, and sugar likewise is ascending Every thing that can be exported will suffer a sharp increase in price; if not now. | later. The members who have intro duced the resolutions of inquiry seem to feel, however, that great interests are at work to take advantage of the European war They intimate that something in the nature of conspiracy | is on foot
 The argument that there are no large corporations now and that with boun- tifnl crops there is no excuse for boost ing prices is based upon superficial req soning. It is true that exportations are held up temporarily, but. does any one suppose that this condition will be per mitted to continue, with the whole world now demanding and depending in a very large measure, on the prod ucts of the United States?
 The increase in prices is the result of a natural and unavoidable condition. It is known that Russia's farmers have been called to the front and that the harvesting in nearly all of the big Eu- ropean countries is being done by wom- en and children. There will be a tre- mendous demand for the supplies of the United States, and doubtless this de- mand will be met. The present range of prices simply discounts the future, when the products of the United States will be essential to the very life of Europe.
 Commercial Appeal: = From Vienna comes the news that hundreds of babies are starving to death as a result of the shortage of milk Railroads have been seized for military purposes and the sources of supply shut off This is mere ly an incident of the European war, but it indicates the existing conditions.
 If babies are dying because of lack of milk, men and women will sooner or later suffer for the want of food Men cannot fight and farm at the same time. Soon the food supply of Europe will be exhausted and the powers will have to look elsewhere for bread.
 War has it's horrors. We read of the thousands killed in battle with a shud- der. Men can care for themselves. They know what war means. They know what to expect when they look into the fire of cannon, but babies.s .shelpless and innocent, are being sacrificed. This is even more horrible to think of Great artists have painted vividly the suffer- ing of men on the battlefield the ago. nies of crushed bodies in the hospitals the whitening of souls in starvation, but here is a feature of the war cabled to this country in a message of less than 50 words.
 It is the strongest sort of an argu- ment for peace. It is more powerful than the greatest painting of vereshe- hagin.
 Slender is the thread of life in little baby It does not ask much from the world. It only desires to live. When milk Is denied the baby death must fol
 low. Milk is necessity. It is the vital source of life. It strengthens the ma
 
 depends in utter ignorance upon the adult world to feed it. That hundreds of babies are dying because of the scarcity of milk is plea for peace.
 No minister could describe a greater spiritual tragedy than this.
 Europe wants war Europe has war and Europe must pay the cost. Some will win glory at the expense of thou sands of lives. Another Napoleon may be discovered, but in doing this war will drain Europe of its young man hood War will not spare old men and women. War demands human life at every hand. In the general sweep of war babies are forgotten and left to starve while their mothers weep. That the war god should put his cold and clammy hand into the cradles of innocents is a tragedy bitter and re- volting. as
 In times when the country is red with human blood there is not much time for sentiment. That babies are left to starve goes practically unnoticed.
 Omaha Bee: If Russia is in the fight it will have to thank Japan for invaluable service rendered in rousing that sleepy giant. not only to a realization, but also development of latent powers. 1 Russias unpreparedness for the war with little Japan became proverbial and
 remains historic. But for this condition
 would not have been humiliated before
 the world by power of relatively ]ilipu- | tian size. Since the Portsmouth treaty | Russia has been engaged in husbanding
 its rces-financial, naval and mili- tary. Today it looms an ogre-like terror on the horizon of Europe. Russia's total war strength is 5,500,000 men, exceeding | that of any other power, and she has
 another 5,2o0,0o0 available. but unorgan-
 ized, combining nearly 100000 men, as | compared with Germany's 6,200, ,000 next
 in line In naval strength Great Britain,
 Germany and France outrank Russia, but
 Russia is close on the heels of all but Britain