Semi-weekly herald., 1915-06-14
DIFFICULT TO BE
NEUTRAL AFTER ONE
LOOKS AT BELGIUM
By LAFAYETTE YOUNG.

i
believe it would be well if every cor
respondent left the field and visited
the home plate every three months
l think that now | have been in
the field too long. scarcely know
what phase of the subject would in
tetest my readers.
This is especially true since the
sinking Of the Lusitania, which / fan.
cv has given new cast to every
thing ut home. "A man may do as
he likes in this war field, but he
will get some prejudices and ideas
which others might possibly not get.
Possibly as my first work was in
Belgium the things ! saw there have
haunted me and influenced me in
degree in considering the general
phases of the war. The crushing of
Belgium would prejudice anyone.
have attempted, however, to keep an
open mind.
First of all the problem comes 20
me, what is to become of Europe and
European civilization? The peace Of
Europe cen be preserved in two ways.
first, hy the practice of the genuine
Christian spirit. If these European
government would not seek to wrong
each other the case would be very
different.
Holy Alliance" Failed.
a century ago the Holy Alliance
was organized to preserve the peace
of Europe, and everyone knows the
Z fate of the Holy Alliance, which did
not survive to fulfill it purpose. A
holy alliance is not required if every
man who has to do with public af-
fairs is what Roosevelt calls square
man." who is willing to do right and
to do no injustice to any man. That
would be one way of preserving
peace.
The other way is for the strongest
nation or combination of nations 70
srbjupate and in great measure TO
control all the others. This latter
might be called the violent method
or the method of force, and it may
come to this at the end of the present
wars The principal nations now ut
war are strong, they have plenty Of
men and good credit which would en-
able them to buy supplies.
People Are Loyal.
In every country engaged in the war
the people are loyal to their govern
ments, Thus it is that the people in
vest lheir money in government secur-
ities. Whenever bonds are offered
IN the market the peoples of the sew
eral countries buy them, and the
money thus obtained is paid out for
military supplies, bought from the
people. In this way the money goes
back to the people and thus makes an
endless chain of collection and ex-
penditure, which can be continued for
long time. The Germans are pour
ing cut their money for governmental
Securities. S The masses of Germans
have been economical and they all
have little money. The banks Co
operate in every scheme to finance
the government, and these same con-
ditions prevail in France In France
there is no complaint as to any diff
ficulty in getting money for the gov
ernment, in fact the securities are
taken up so rapidly that he public
hears nothing about Frances method
Of financing her part of the war.
French Peasants Thrifty.
The French peasants are noted for
their thrift, and in the present war
they are devoted to the cause. These
conditions are duplicated in Austria,
although Austria is the weakest #
the four principal nations at war. She
is somewhat insecure on account of
the variety of peoples under her own
government, still the contributions Of
money, jewelry and every kind of
metal testify to the determination
upon the part of Austria to do her
part.
Then we come to Great Britain.
where there has been much local dis
-to-d. and where it has been difficult
tn harmonize and bring everything
to n. patriotic head. Still no one
doubts the ability of England to Sc
cure both men and money. Her col
cnicc are responsive, and although it
is rix weeks since I was in England,
] imagine from reading the London
newspapers that patriotic fervor is
At it's height
England and Her Navy.
England evidently at krst thought
cf relying upon her navy, but the
Germans have done much toward neu-
tralizinr the navy, and the battle
ships and cruisers Of the British en-
lirc have not ventured very far at
~ This has been the work of the
f.crnsn .1ubnnarises and their mines.