Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-08-26
BELGIUM 70 Be- USED
As TRADING STOCK
FATE OF LITTLE NATION HANGS
in BALANCE AS RESULT OF
EUROPEAN WAR.
GERMANY WILL TRY TO
HOLD TERRITORY ovERRUN
Great Britain to Resist to End Any
Effort to Give Germany Port on
North sea-kaiser May Be Permitted
to Hold South African Possession. in
Return For Belgian Territory.
Especial correspondence

Washington. Aug .6.--lt looks as ii
unhappy Belgium would be made the
trading stock of The German Austrian
alliance in the conferences which are
To come when the European war is
over and the great nations underta Ike
the business of rearranging the map
Nothing could better Illustrate the
injus tees and horrors of war than the
fate of Belgium. In supposed!
neutral position war is barely declared
before her territory is invaded by Ger
many. Heavy sacrifices of Belgian life
and property follow the efforts OF the
Belgian government To defend its
neutrality. the government driven
from Brussels. the capital. an enor-
nous war tax is laid on the inhabitants
of Brussels and on Liege.
Germans Will Try to Hold It.
But this is only part of the trouble
for Belgium. For the present. the indi-
GATORS are he Germans will overrun
it, They will then continue to Try 70
hold il. even If beaten in their object OF
trying to force a way thru 20 Poris
IL long war. II the fortune of sue
cess plays back and forth between the
allies and the Germans Belgium is al
most certain 70 be put in the position
of the border states in the civil war.
The armies OF both contending forces
Will tranp,e back and forth over Bel
gian territory Not merely her soldiery
bui he. peopIe VIII suffer from all the
ravages tha, follow in the wake of war
Just ~ this time II looks much as If
th. Germans would no; only spread
ove- Be,-;iun, but would keep posses
sior Of +; and would have control Of
th, port % ostcnd just across the
channel fron. England. II is, of course
true that The allies might drive the
Germans out cf Belgium by o success
ful offensive nu the chances are great
81, that if the Germans can seize the
territory they can defend it.
England Will Dominate.
Suppose the war ends and a peace
conference is held with the German
armies IN control of Belgium and hold
ing Os.end. On the other hand. sup
pose. as will probably happen. Ger
many is stripped of her territories ir
Africa and the Kiao chau region o.
china
In such situation, no particular i'm
gina ton is required TO forsee VIVA
would happen England dominated tht
formation of the ring Of steel" abo;f
Germany. England will in all prob
ability dominate when il comes TO ih'
peace conference.
Germany, 1t can hardly be supposed
NH retain Belgium but ii may also Ut
assumed. unless Germany is seSerei,
crushed that she will insist on 'soiIl'
recomDense for giving mp Belgium
providing always her armies continue
to hold il England can not afford Il
have Germany in possession of por
- close to Lor don as Ostend II may
he expected that Germany viii he siveI
certain compensation for getting OF
0. Belgium and that she may be al
loved TO keep much. il not all, of he
territory in Africa.
Political Results Paramount.
The political results from the occu
patton Of Belgium. therefore. are likel.
10 he even more important than III
military results. 1t may we'll be tina
! 1t will be the instrument of causin
/ the map OF the world. when the war
( over. to be little changed. Cfrcum
stances may arise. too. which wil
throw the land of Holland into tn
/ scales when the peace of conference
comes Germany thus far has no
Violated the territory of the Neither
lands but the government is living j
constant fear lest one of the other o
the combatants do so. If Holland soe
into The war she will doubtless go il
against Germany since to do o'herWis
would expose her East Indian posses
sions TO capture by the Anglo Japanes
forces.
OF Course.
Earrex Iohelap Father Healey'S ser