The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-09
WAR ECHOES

Rochester Democrat AMI Chronicle: rs
1t possible that intelligent people in Amer
lea or even in England %believe me
capable of stealing pictures or art treas
ures or permitting the looting of French
homes?" This question was asked by the
German crown prince of an American to
whom he recently granted an interview.
II number of Americans have believed
such improbable reports it is because the
character and disposition of the crown
prince are almost totally unknown in this
country by the non-German speaking pop
ulation, and IL Americans credit men of
the Bernhard type with having more In
fluence on the German people than is
really the case, it is because German
newspapers have not been permitted to
turn the searchlight of publicity on the
affairs of the German nation.
The crown prince admits that the war
has taught the German government a les
son regarding the value of the press
Perhaps he would also be willing 10 adj
NIT that the German people, successful
and self sufficing, have kept too much
by themselves. Their social. intellectual
and political activities are much less
known in this country than those of Eng
land and France. There is no lack of
books on Germany, but their effect is in
no way comparable to the influence of
free efficient and informing press like
that of the United States.
An American observer has said that in
one year the German armies will be de-
feated, and in 80 years Germany will be
the dominating nation of Europe. This
apparently paradoxical statement may
have sound common sense concealed in it,
IT, when peace comes, the German press
is given a free hand and If the govern
ment manifests a more tolerant and SYM
pathetic spirit toward other nations. Ger
man thoroughness and serious mindedness
may subtly but surely make themselves
felt throughout Europe When Germany
ceases to be feared and misunderstood
and begins to be liked and trusted, then
her "Kultur'' will indeed begin to play an
important part in the worlds affairs.
New York World: The detailed report
of Chairman Hoover of the American
commission for relief in Belgium reveals
the appalling condition of 100000 people
surrounded by a ring of steel and utterly
unable by any conceivable effort of their
own to save themselves
Brussels ordinarily used 5000 sacks of
flour day There were 921 sacks when
the first relief reached the city. Out of
$4,000 people remaining there, 21S0oO adults
and $1,000 children under years are ON the
canteen. If this is the condition in Grus-
sells, the military capital of a conquered
province, a city that was once a minia
ture Paris, what must be the fate of the
people in the little towns, behind their
ruined roads and broken canals?
We are told by DR.. Dernburg that Ger
many proposes to make of Belgium a pro-
tectorate over which it shall have GUS
toms and military control, and that this
opinion Is shared by almost everybody in
Germany" But Germany does nothing
for it's new subjects. 1t has taken steps
to relieve suffering in that part of Russian
Poland which it occupies, because no one
else will or can. 1t has not taken such
steps in Belgium, and according to Mr..
Hoover, will not because it holds that
of food, which would in effect help feed
Germany. On the other hand it does not
interfere with the relief work of the COM
mission
| The Belgian people are. as Mr.. Hoover
says, ground between two gigantic mill
stones in a situation for which he does
not know that history presents any
parallel