The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-26
O.W.UNDERWOOD, JR.
 BACK FROM EUROPE TALKS OF THE WAR
Thinks It Will Last Two Years at Least and Maybe Much
 Longer

That the American should assume.
 with confidence. that the European
 war will last at least two years, was
 the opinion vouchsafed here yesterday
 by Oscar w Underwood, Jr., who has
 spent nearly two years In Paris and
 whose articles from tho French capital
 In The Age-Herald indicated such
 clear insight into tho political and
 economic conditions that led up to the present conflict.
 MT Underwood returned home yes
 terday but has been in America sev-
 eral weeks. He visited his father. Sen
 ator-clect O. w. Underwood, in Wash
 ington and later in Hot Springs Va and reached here 70 visit his grand
 mother and other relatives. MT. Under
 wood was yesterday inclined to say
 that he would begin the practice of law
 In his home town bu' has made no decision In that matter up to the pres ent time.
 My opinion about the war and the | conditions in Europe are simply those of one man and anyone has the right
 to his opinion which muy ciffer from miie,' said MT. Underwood yesterday. "l would not have yon lay too much stress upon the hnroitan of my words or my opinion as nc one can | safely say what tho outcome in Flu rope will be. In ny opinion, however | this country and tho world should as- l sume that the Wa, will last quite q l long tiyne. In Paris it was believed al | the ltsinning that the var would last oi ly few months. It turned out that ha cfa tod In length of time. As l size up the situa- 1 ton at this time the war will last quite | n long time. l should say offhand that fl will last two, three or may be, oven five years. It Is quite impossible for ] anyone to say how long it will last "rhe war Is one simply for commer- l eial supremacy. 1t is more or less l light between England and Germany I for supremacy In commercial activities 1 The Trench people were drawn into if | by reason of the old hatred they have fer the Germans. The French have pevef gotten over the loss of Alsace- I Lorraine. Again England, through its marvellous diplomatic negotiations, was abe to promIse France more than any
 one else The result was that France l was pulled into this affair. The All satian territory is Lite important to l the Germans from a stratcgicai stand point but that Is not all that has en- 1 gineered the desire of France to re- | claim that territory,
 ',Ihe war is nat .raily of such trs nendous conseduence and so vast in
 it's oestruction that we can scarcely | conceive of the results that gre being obtained. Tho armies of all the coun- tries ara terrible ant tremendously de- structivs. do not subscribe to the opinior tt at the allies defeated Ger many when the latter failed on its marc. to Paris believe the Germans have slightly the best of the fight at this time measuring the entire proposi- ten by the results obtained. However. IT cannot believe that Germany will whip the remainder of Europe. which is
 essentially what 1t means. It is nass of a big and little brother being at tackled by the remainder of the neigh
 borhood.
 "In the meantime think that Amer lea will profit immensely on account of the war. Vast demands will be made on this country for what. for steel, iron. I foodstuffs for the armies and for horses and motor vehicles. This line of comm odities wili, be easily sold. think that American agricultuiists | should begin to plant the crops which | will produce foodstuffs and which wilt be in great demand from the allied | and German armies. I think also that the people of America should stop llnnting cotton and other commodities I that are not in demand and which are | unlikely to be in big demand soon Il Ut is after all struggle that Is awful While 1t could not be helped } and had to come at the same time If
 surprises the understanding Of the or ! dinary person. This country snouio therefore be extremely thankful today on this Thanksgiving day that wise
 sovernment has maintained the peace of this country