The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1914-11-06
A Liberty-Loving People
Starving to Death.


mines Of Belgium. That land, scarcely
as large as West Tennessee, teemed with
life and activity.
The miniature kingdom mirrored
everything that was useful and beauti-
full. Belgian commerce extended into
the four quarters OF the world. Belgian
manufacturers and farmers excelled in
applying scientific knowledge to their
labor.
Belgian writers, poets and musicians
went out oftheir country and made richer
France aud England and Germany and
America with the prose OF Maeterlinck
aud with the tone and color poems Of
musicians and painters.
The Belgians bad developed the science
OF government into high state of ex-
ceIlence. Millions OF the Belgians we're
poor, but in that country it had been so
arranged that there was work for every
body at wage sufficient to provide for
the man and his family, with surplus
for old age.
In Belgium the spirit OF brotherhood
was broad 1t manifested itself in fra
ternities, in business associations and in
cooperative societies OF workingmen.
To-day Belgium has been over
whelmed by an army that furnished for
invasion ten soldiers to each defender.
The colossal foot of the Prussian covers
all the land except the marshes near
Dunkirk and Ostend..
The seat OF the government is in
France. The heart of the government
is in the little army that is standing
faithful along the canals OF West Fland-
ers. The king divides his time between
his army and the temporary capital.
1t is said that 5000, 900 Belgians are
homeless. A million Belgians are in
exile. The nation is starving to death.
All the sophsms about the Belgians
in any way being responsible for the war
is the most arrant hypocrisy. Germany
invaded Belgium because Belgium was
small and Germany was giant, and
through Belgium was az apparently open
road to Paris.
A treaty existed between France and
Germany and Great Britain which sol
EMMY guaranteed the integrity and
neutrality OF the kingdom.
The French have built up line of
forts along their frontier which until to-
day the flower OF the German army has
not been able to break through. Belgium
was an easier path.
i Belgium found the Germans over her
frontier. They resisted as a brave peo-
pie or as brave man will resist when
one attacks his home.
Had the Germans been content to beat
their armies and then march through
the county the present horror might not
exist. The Germans not only killed
their soldiers but ate the food OF the
civilians and laid a tribute upon the
Belgian cities. The Germans, after
beating their armies, devoured their
substance. II the Germans had left the
Belgian food supply intact for the Bel
gian people the Belgians might not now
be an object OF charity. 1t is the duty
of the Germans TO supply the Belgians
in the conquered provinces with food,
but the Germans do not discharge that
duty.
What matters it if 1000, 900 people
starye when the propaganda for German
culture is on?
The king OF Belgium has made an
appeal to the American people in be-
half OF his starving subjects.
How vain is that foreign charity which
expends money for the well-belng Of the
soldiers of France and the soldiers of
/
when old men and women aud children
are starving because Of this war, with
which they had nothing to DO.
The German people are behind the Ger
man armies. The French and the Eng
lish deliberately accepted the kaiser's
war challenge. All three warning ma
tions knew the direful results that would
follow. They elected to accept them.
They then should be prepared to care
for their own wounded aud their own
civilian destitute.
/ Every dollar that is to go from this
country for European relief ought to go
first to Belgium. Seven million Bell
gians should be kept from starvation
before the work of relief goes to any
other nation.
| We are told that in the scheme OF
Germanic expansion Belgium is to be