The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-09-20

tion of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and should demand and obtain the strip of Dalmatian coast giving them adequate frontage on the Adriatie
 Should This and That Happen
 1T Italy enters the war. I shall ex- pect her to demand payment by the ccssion of the Italian speaking province of Trentino, with the seaport of Trieste
 Russia has already announced the in tention of granting autonomy to Po- land. including the restoration of the ancient boundaries. language and re- 1iSlon. This would involve the cession by Germany and Austria of their re- spective shares of ancient Poland
 If Turkey enters the war and possi- ply in any case whether or not, 1t is reasonable to expect Russia to demand the naturalization of the passage through the Bosphorus and the Darde- nelles and this naturalization could only be, as l see 1t, effective by the destruction of the Qualifications which at present control navigation at these points. It has never been reasonable that Turkey, invading Europe in 1453, a nomadic horde from Asia, should have settled down at Constantinople to ohstruct the commerce of the world with the various nations served by the Black sea and the rivers which empty into 1t. Austria. Hungary Servia. Rou- mania, Russia and Bulgaria are all di- rectly interested in exporting and im- porting products without any Turkish veto on their commerce. If Turkey should become an active factor In the war, I look to see the remainder of its European territory distributed, the mainland between Roumania Ind Bull garia, the islands to Greece and the probable naturalization of the city of Constantfnople, under control of the great powers.
 England will obtain compensation for its sacrifices by the acquisition of Ger mSn East Africa, Togoland and the is lands of the Pacific.
 Japan will obtain satisfaction by the removal of Germanys sphere of action and influence from China.
 As to Belgium
 I am perplexed as to the situation with reference to Belgium. l cannot see just what satisfaction it can ob- tain for its fearful sacrifices. other than financial. and a very heavy in- demnity for this purpose will be neces- sary to be paid by the vanquished. It would not be very surprising to me if, following the death soon to oc- cur of the aged Austrian monarch, the antag gonism between the Germans and the Magyars should result in a split of the Austrian empire. Hungary revert ing to the ancient kingdom and the German speaking part of Austria join ing the German confederation as an Independent member thereof.
 These are all speculations and only the request of the esteemed editor jus tifis my offering them for considera- tiop, with some degree of reluctance, for Germany is supreme at present in the air and may yet burn Paris and London and disable the English fleet with bombs dropped from Zeppelin dirigibles in which case the foregoing slate may be wiped clean and a second lesson written in it's place.
 The Moral Lesson
 Out of all this sorrow and turmoil what good is coming to humanity? May 1t not be possible that the teaching of this war will be that the maintenance of huge armies and growing navies is not a guarantee against war3 The burdens of militarism have become un- bearable in Europe.
 Tn the 15 fiscal years since the open ing of the present century, the eight great powers of the world have ex- pended on military and naval budgets S25,67S,437,5S2, of which $18,043,2 ,2S4.306 has been spent on armies and $7.6S5,- 153,276 on the construction and main tonance of fleets. It Is five-eights tn value of all the farms in the United States, about s40.000, 100000. 1t is five times all the gold and silver mined in the United States since the declaration of independence It is more than twice the total national banking resources of this country
 In Germany alone in 1913 the peace footing of the army was increased from e3S, 900 to SOC, 900, which cost $25O,OOO.- O00, being raised by special tax on large fortunes. Practically 1000 900 men are maintained in idleness by the present warning nations even on the peace footing. If. by mutual consent 90 per cent of these men can be turned lack to the avocations of peace, of up- building. instead of destroying, how great will be the blessing to the world at largei How great the reduction of taxation would become! How money might be <-oured into the development of agriculture, science and educationi How greatly might the comforts of life be multiplied, poverty reliev-A o= averted, If these men could be turned to production and distribution of wealth and The Hague tribunal be sup ported by an international army and navy to enforce its decrees. this being raised by contributions from every na- tion. and to act as an international police force.
 Public sentiment is growing stronger all the time, and no nation in coming years can defy the sentiment of the world as expressed by an international tribunal.
 
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