Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-06-02
PROBLEM OF FUTURE OF NATION
one OF STUMBLING BLOCKS
TO PEACE.
ALLIES NOT so CONFIDENT
GERMANY WILL LET GO
1eutons Already Taking Steps Looking
to AmaIgamation-Dis to Shut
of Some Of Relief Being Sent by
Amerieans-Most Tragic Problem Of
War.

Especial Correspondence

be annexed permanently to Germany
and is her population doomed to under
go the process of being gradually
amalsamated into the population OF
Germany? Is this small but gallant
nation to lose it's identity and to be
Germanized?
This question, of course, has beer
asked ever since the German troops
overran Belgium. But it is being asked
more seriously than ever lately.
Information from the other side OF
the ocean indicates that there is nc
! longer the sanguine feeling in England
and among the allies which there was
last fall that Germany. as a military
proposition. can be pred loose from
Belgium. This is the statement made
by Americans lately returned from
Europe, who have had exceptional OPP
portunities for sounding the views OF
prominent men in England, and thus
getting an insight into the views of the
/ allies generally.
1 Aims to Germanize 6elsians.
! While this disposition to doubt
whether German troops can be ham
mered out of Belgium seems to be
gaining hold the Germans on the other
hand are taking steps that look in the
direction of the Generalization of the
Belgian people
Some indication OF this is given in
the fact that the Germans are dis
posed to shut off the system whereby
American relief is being given to the
Belgians. 1t Is declared that it is only
matter Of time until the Germans
do shut off this relief The purpose
of such action would be, as explained
IN well-advised quarters, to make the
Belsians take up once more the usual
methods of making livelihood, thus
starting anew the lines of industry in
tcrrnpted by the war. At the same
time. The Germans are seeking to COM
pei Belgians who have left the coun-
! try 10 return and settle down, on pain
Of losing their property thru excess
sive taxation.
Still more than this. those who have
| had opportunity TO study the German
course toward Belgium in recent weeks
I say il is much different from the days
when atrocities were visited on the
! population Evidently in pursuance of
8 plan dictated from Berlin. the Bel
tg!ans ara being treated with moder-
at!o3. even with kindness, in an OBJ
/ riors effort to win them over to Ger
! many
1 Most Tragic Problem Of War.
| Under all the circumstances, the
/, Belgian problem looms up as the most
tragic of the war. Typhus- ridden Ser
/ b!a, stepped in misery, has yet kept the
! fo2 oa lis borders for the most part
ana Will doubtless preserve its indie
/ pendence, What the fate of Belgium
is TO be. can not be predicted
is
| the allies will never halt the war until
Germany's grip is shaken from Bel
GUM. But everybody knows that the
armies in western Europe are dead
locked and have been deadlocked for
months and military men in Washing
ton do not perceive either how the
4 Germans are TO be blown out of their
trenches and forced back to their from
tier or how the Germans are to make
successful advance toward Paris.
| 1t is true the unexpected happens in
war and it may be that Joffre and
/ French have still in reserve a supreme
1 effort which will achieve wonders. But
1t is known that despite the fact near
ly every leading Englishman today de-
clares with seeming confidence the war
| will go on until Germany is beaten,
/ there is much less confidence in Eng
,lish military circles than there was
| earlier in the conflict about a great
drive on the west front being success
full in forcing back the Germans.
! All this looks black for Belgium.
/ Certainly it is not calculated to give
heart to the American sympa thizers for
| the Belgians in their appalling dis
! tress.
All Not Hopeless.
/ Yet it is not true that anything like
/ all hope for Belgium's recovery Of her
autonomy is gone. In fact, there is
substantial ground for hope that she
will yet be rid of her invaders, apart
from any military operations in west
! ern Europe. The war. when 1t ends.
will bring on peace conference
! wherein the representatives OF each
nation will have to put their guns on
a common table. To this peace con-
/ ference, each participant will bring its
trading stock. If Germany is in possess
/ sion CT Belgium when the war ends, it
| is also likely that Germany will be
minus her great territorial possessions.
Already, she has lost much of her val
! liable possessions in Africa. colonies
| that before the war totaled over 900, 900
| square miles. It may we'll be that
J NSA "OuAO SidAiy 6ASC uP poSSSo0
sion of the country of people who are
| bitterly against her for the sake OF
| getting back some Of her colonies.
1t is quite conceivable, too, that altho
German territory in Europe may be in
tact when the war closes, the allies
viii nave made big inroads III Austria
AS military proposition. this seems
much more likely than that the allies
will succeed in getting far inside the
frontiers of Germany. It need hardly
be said that IL the allies do make in
roads in Austria and bring Austria to
her knees, way will be opened for ne
gotiations which will free Belgium.
\ Stumbling Block to Peace.
Another phase OF the situation which
can not be overlooked is this, that sc
long as Germany holds Belgium II
seems out of the question to talk about
long enduring peace In Europe. So
long as Germany occupies it, England
France, Holland. and the Scandinavian
countries will feel themselves menaced
Whether this fact will make Germany
any the more willing to quit Belgium
when the war cl0ses-prOvided she oc-
cnnies it when the war CLOSETS con
jeetural II Berlin feels her people
Ineed a long peace to recuperate, thai