The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-08-19
AMONG THE wolves
SMALL BUFFER" STATES face
DEATH At ANY TINE
Big nations WANT THEM

Belgium, The Netherlands and Lux
emburg are the Possible Prey of
All the Large Countries in the War
They Lessen the Danger of Acct
dental Warfare.
In the situation of the moment in
the European wa- presented by the
buffer" states of Belgium, Holland
and LuxemburS the skeleton in the
family closet of the kings stalks
forth and rattles his bones before all
the world.
a buffer in general parlance is any
cushion-like article which takes
away the force Of blow. In rail-
way carriages it is the apparatus at
the ends which when driven in
springs out again and so prevents
injury to the carriages if they come
in contact.
The buffer states of Europe are
small stretches of territory, insight
fcant in Importance when compared
to the dominions unler the sovereign
ty of the great powers, if one counts
wealth and population, but which
protect these sovereigns from too
close contact with one another, the
close contact which brings war and
with it death and destruction. And
they. the buffer states, are of price
less value in containing within their
narrow boundaries the magician S
keys to unlock the treasures Of con-
quest in Europe which the kings so
eagerly desire, the magician's keys
to the paradise of universal power
The buffer states have been al
lowed to exist in their insignifcance,
helpless little lambs sleeping peace
fully by the side of the rapacious
wolves, because each wolf wanted
and still wants-to eat them up.
What is prey for all is allowed to
none. The wolves watch each other,
ready to spring at each others
throats at the slightest movement to-
ward the little lambs whose tender
limbs would make such luscious
England declared war because the
neutrality of Belgium has been yio-
lated by Germany. The German wolf
has sprung at. the little lamb, and
the English wolf must keep the lamb
from being devoured by any but her
self.
The rulers of the buffer states
have but small prestige in the eyes of
the great kings. When the German
Kaiser, a year or so ago, assembled
beneath the roof of his imperial pal
ace in Berlin the illustrious guests at
the wedding feast of his only daugh-
ter, one heard nothing about King
Albert of Belgium, Queen Wilhel-
nina of Holland, or the Grand Ouch
ess Marie Adelaide Of Luxembourg.
Their presence was not sought; there
was no room for them at this BAN
quetting table of might kings. Cou-
sin George of Great Britain was very
much in evidence. Cousin Nicholas
of Russia was entreated to come.
Kaiser William was eager to well
come him beside his board. Will,
liam, George and Nicholas wife are
cousins, all grandchildren of Queen
Victoria. Nicholas and George are
cousins too, with mothers who are
sisters and beloved companions to
each other.
It is scarcely a month ago that
George was planning a magnificent
feast honoring the SEVENTEEN birth
day Of his mother, Queen Alexandra.
William and Nicholas, with their
wives and their children, were COM
ing to the celebration They must
give up, for the present, any thought
of that festive gathering. William
has broken loose. He stands in the
middle OF Europe, his mailed fists"
clinched, making grimaces of def
ance at Cousin Nicholas in one direc-
ton and toward Cousin George in
the opposite way. Cousin George
and Cousin Nicholas are still friend
ly for the once. But who would be
if they began to make
faces at each other too?
The Forgotten Common People.
Meanwhile, the common people,
the plain, sir'ple folk, who do most
of the worlds work in time of peace,
who, in the United States are
their own rulers and have none but
themselves to blame for the political
"OSS Will W ulCu LuCy al z Acll clSoSN
the common people can take heart
If grace and look for relief in Eu-
rope now that the family skeleton
hangs in its ghastly grin before their
Eyes. Abraham Lincoln said that the
Lord must have especially loved the
common people because he made so
many of them. And the Lord must
lave intended to protect and succor
hem in the lands of the kings when
le has allowed the kings to grow so
,nvious one of the other, so quarrel
ome among themselves. Their am
,ition is dividing them to the doom
II downfall and extinction. 1t will
pread peace in the end among the
Millions of common folk, who have
sovereignty for so many gen.
rations that they have grown docile
nd submissive to its commands, and
earful of throwing it off. Greed,
elfishness, collosal lust for gain will
;e the instrument of Fate, making
or freedom and the right to live,