The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-08-01
Causes and Epents of War
Repiewed By c. w. Barron
Cermanys Generation Of Preparation Story Of the
Defense of Pars-Ihe Danger to the United States.
What This Nation Might Accomplish

An address delivered in Boston re
Gently by Mr.. Clarence W. Barron. pub
Usher of the Boston News Bureau, tn,
Philadelphia News Bureau, and the Wal
Street Journal, author Of THE Auda
cious War;" traveller, trained observer
| and student Of affairs, was recognized
by those who had the privilege of hear
| ing as the most notable and authorita
| tive review of the causes leading to the
European war and the significance Of
! events that have since transpired thai
has been presented in this country. Mr.
| Barrons story of the failure Of the Ger.
man advance on Paris and the reasons
he gives are Of absorbing interest. The
Herald reproduces below some Of the
| more striking portions of the address:
His Study in Germany.
In 1913 I went through Germany fol
| the express purpose of studying the
| bank in Berlin, 300 years old. They had
| recently celebrated their 3OOth anniver.
| sary. and a portrait of the Emperor
| hung on the wall. 1t was his gift.
| said. Why have you curtailed in your
expansion over seas and stayed all her
| investments They said. We know not;
| ask the Emperor; We obey orders
Il went to>one of the oldest banks in
| Hamburg. Why no expansion What
are you doing?' The reply was: For
the first time in 192 years this house
does not owe dollar outside of Ger
many. Our portfolio Is here, and it has
German bills, or bills Of short terms
We owe nothing; We hold short credits.
If you want to know. you will have to
ask higher up. We stand STILL L said.
is II peace or war; You can guess
as well as We
In 1912 I had been through Germany,
and I saw all the preparations that I
had seen In ISIS. only stronger and more
Of them, and a more settled determina-
ton of the people for war. l came home
and reported in a couple Of columns.
which some people laughed at. the prep
arations Of Germany for war. and de-
clared there could be no settlement of
this question except by war; that Ger
many was preparing for a great war.
I'm 1918 as l studied the question at
Berlin. I said: This country cannot af-
ford war. 1t would mean the end of
her commerce. and these people are not
fools l asked a friend in Baden
Baden, on the edge Of the Black Forest.
which overlooks Alsace on the other
side of the Rhine. What would the war
do for you in Southern Germany He
II "OuIu wipe OUT tnlS place. ana
the whole of Southern Germany
South Germany is pacific and peace
full. Prussia is the ruler of Germany.
1t is a military state: it is the richest
business concern in the world. II owns
salt mines. iron mines. alkali mines and
the railroads. That railroad system Is
what is depended upon to pay the in
demnity to Belgium by and by.
The Emperor found what he wanted
to know. He found when the British
lion growled because of the Agadir in
cident. that the Triple Entente would
hold. He knew he must make yet great
er preparation for war. Therefore he
took two years more to put his house
in order.
Preparing for q Generation.
You may believe or not, as you
please, that the Kaiser was preparing
for a generation for this war, but fun
damentally and underneath the Kaisers
preparation and the army's preparation
was the preparation of the people for
war. for you know that the philosophy
Of Germany is a very materialistic phil
osophy. 1t holds that the state Is a
different entity or individual from the
individuals composing the state; that
while individuals may have moral quail
ties and responsibilities. the state has
no moral quality and no responsibility.
except tho responsibility to increase the
power of the state. That is the political
religion of Germany; the political faith
of Germany, and, you might almost say.
the religious faith of Germany. It
means the expansion of German COM
merce and German industry. 1t means
that Germany should go forward to her
place in the sun to dominate the worlo.
They believe that England is a nation of
degraded shopkeepers. without principle,
except for pounds. shillings and pence;
that the British empire is about to
perish. and that the duty Of the strong
is to help IL to perish.
Germany knew perfectly we'll that she
could not step upon France. She thought
with the Triple Alliance of Italy, Aus
tria and Germany that she could con-
quer all Europe: but she did not want
England in this time. Therefore she
tried to trade with England. The French
fleet had been called into the Mediter-
ranean. She said. Can we rely on you
not to attack us II we go into France,
If we will agree not to attack the coast
of France The English said, We will
make no bargain of that kind. We are
not in the trading business. 1t depends
on what you do?'
Invasion of Belgium.
What brought England into the
scrimmage was, of course. the invasion
of Belgium. Only six months before
the German Emperor and his suite were
in Belgium, entertained by the King and
Queen. The Germans were most en-
phatic in their promises to Belgium. yet
all the while In the war Office the plans
were going forward and the railroads
were building right up to the frontier
so as to go through Belgium. because
France is undefended on her Belgium
frontier. The treaty. which has been
called a scrap of paper the treaty of
signed by France, Germany
and England, was considered q sufficient
protection to Belgium. But after the
Agadir incident. the French and English
notified the Belgians that the Lord helps
those who help themselves and they
had better raise co., 600 men and get on
q war basis. because a scrap of paper
or q treaty of neutrality might not be
a full defense. So they had a motion
in the Belgian parliament q few years
ago to increase the army to 10000. The
clerical party said, No. Our neutrality
Ia guaranteed, and our safety guaran-
teed by three powerful nations They
on a smaller army of men.
So when the Germans reached the from
tier and gave them twelve hours to
give them free passage, there were only
200, 900 troops In the country. Sixty thou
sand more sprang to- arms. and they
held for three weeks the invading armies
Of Germany.
The Defense OF Parfs.