The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-11-30

q While men eYeFJWHsA9t 81 y - S e-S =
figure out who, is going to win the
great war. an anonymous pamphlet
printed in England four years ago and
later enlarged into book Is making
more and more OF stir in the world
n is 1.-THE Great Illusion" by Norman
Angel, who went from California 70
London and rose to journalistic lame
under Lord Northcliffe.
The ILLUSION" is simply this-that
no nation can possibly win war; that
in any war, all nations lose.
No nation can conquer" another
any more, and all tho seeming benefits
of conquest are rllusory. In olden days
n victor could carry away the wealth
of nation, its cattle gold and house
hold goods. Now the Conqueror would
have to carry away mines and tacto
rles and railroads, which Is difficult
rroceedIng. He cannot take the stocks
and bonds, for confiscation would rem
der them worthless. II be loots the
banks, he prccipitates an international
manic in which his own country SUI
fcrs, and his own bank denies him
credit.
indemnity" ~,
every WE'LL" replies &r. Angel. III
he collects the indemnity in goods, he
ruins the Industries Of his own coun
try II he collects It in money, he
must either use that money to pay toE
goods at home, which raises prices
correspondingly and benefits nobody
or he spends 1t sor foreign goods, anu
thereby irnpairs his own country
prosperity and destroys its wealth
through hurtful competition"
The author points out that ten years
after tho Franco.prusslan war, whcE
France had paid Germany thousand
million dollars and "lost" Aisace AM
Lorraine, she was in better financla
position than Germany.
The taking OF territory is more III
tile than iudcmnities. After the i3oe'
war, he reminds us, when England hat
added to the gold folds OF the WORT
to her possessions" she was so badly
off that British bonds dropped y
points. After the Spanish-AmericaF
var when Spain had lost her colonies
Spanish securities doubled In value
After Japan defeated Russia she wa
nearly bankrupt, and the Russian
budget. for the first time in twenty
years, showed surplus.
II Germany nnnexes Belgium, whal
GOOD cali it possibly do Germany II
prosperity, which is the real test! Ev
cry property owner in Belgium VII
stin own his property. Not gotc
mine changed hands in South Afrtca
MS a result of the Boer war.
",rrlmte?" Conqucrors long age
found out that periodic tribute or eX
tortionatc taxation discourages pro
duction and hurts the conquering na
tton's own trade.
A conqueror cannot exact economic
Advantage. II Germany "took" Can
ada. what would she gain that she ha;
not already got? England herself
cannot control Canada's trade.
Germany has built up a great WORT
commerce that is not based at all OF
a colonial system.
Naval ornaments, the author insists
are worthless In the creation OF com
n,ercial empire. Switzerland has
hiE international commerce. and not
warship, or even a merchantmen. Sci
GUM, Holland, Norway, Sweden, Den
Tnnrk. they all have moro than hell
their own in the worlds markets with
cut nayles, and their population Ii
,Icher ner capita than tho population
ri any Of tho great powers.
Increase of territory and populatlor
that goes with it arc apparently det
imcnt. The finance Of the little ma
rims is souuder. When the book II
question was written, Belgian three
ner cents were quoted at 9G, and thosa
of powerful Germany at 80. Greal
Russia could only get 81 for her BONDS
while Norway got lO2.
In only one way, he explains car
colonization prove beneficial Tha'
IN in tho case Of country like India
which needs policing 10 be made or
Derby and therefore productive. The
whole world, however, shares tho ben
eft. 1t would he silly to quarrel oYel
who should DO the policeman.
Thus It would do no good for Ger
many to take Englands colonies, AM
Impose big fine on her, or vice
versa, The allies could not destro!
Germany without destroying them
seIves-their commerce and credit
their own means Of making a living.
That being the case, wherefore al
The fighting? If statements reasons
are punctured like tissue paper, ant
90 900 900 men arc destroying eact
c:hor and the worlds wealth to NJ
rnTnose, war is assuredly 1.-THE Greai