Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-01-10

IoalkanS. no dread OF Russia, no qua rrcI
Win FRANCE or Germany. and no COM
phcations with England.
FIGHTING THEIR BATTLES
ON SOIL OF BELGIUM
Yet 1t Is on her soil that tho mighty
armies of these other powers insist IN
hShtinS their battles; IL is her citiea
! thht they lombard, her villages thar
they sweep away In hurricanes OF fire.
ana her people whom they ruin ana
| murder; whilst, az If all this were moi
enough. the Germans force her to takc
up arms herself in defense of her ma
,iohal honor, and the French and Brit
'sh use her army as an auxiliary force.
ana thrust 1t into the forefront of tho
!! battle to take the first assault OF, the
best prepared belligcrent until they arc
themselves quite ready TO take the field
/ III earnest. If Belgium proudly ac-
ceptcd that peril without q re-
monstrancc. are we to make her ac-
full responsibility I'm the matter?
So far. l have put the position with
strict impartiality az between the two
Delligercnt alliances: for I know quite
we'll how tired tho neutral nations are
OF the endless assurances they receive.
OF the spotless innocence OF the pcopIc
who give the assurances and the aban-
doned vlllalny Of their opponents. But
must now dwell on the services rem
dered TO western democracy by Bel
GUM when she at last had TO take
sides In the conflict. That point was
reached when, after she had vindi-
Gated her honor and proved her mill
tary capacity by her thrilling defense
Oh lieBc, the Germans made Il full ac-
knowledgncnt of her prowcss. and re-
hcwed their offer to pay their way and
respect her national rights. Now there
can be no question that Belgium. hav-
ing done enough for honor. and indeed
astonished Europe by doing much more
than enough. would have been held
justified in accepting Gcrmany's pro-
posal. Many people still think that she
should nave done SO; and they are right
as FAR as her own Immediate interest
was concerned.
But Belgium took n larger view. She
refused the offer I'm the interests OF
democracy. which was the real, Issue
at stake between Prussia and France,
ana thereby placed not only all demo-
cratic Europe, but America us well,
under a sacred obligation to her. II
she had done this at a moment when
she was reinforced by the armies OF
france and Britain. and elated by
prospect OF Immediate triumph for
them. we might have discounted her
action as n mere exercise of prudence.
But she did ii when her position was
desperate: when her enemy was prcss-
ing her with overwhelmingly superior
numbers; and when her friends, who
had quite failed her at Licge were
unable 10 hold their own ground or
even TO resist being swept back almost
10 tie gates OF Paris. Brussels was
dcfencelcss: and Antwerp, the city most
precious to Belgium and most coveted
by Germany, could no longer. after the
tate OF the Liegc forts, imagine itself
impregnablc. Yet Belgium did not hcsi-
tate. She sacrificed Antwerp and saved
Cdiiis. and AL that Calais meant, not
TO her. but to France and England. and
through England to America
BELGIASS MAY GO HUNGRY
WHILE LAPDOGS HAVE PLENTY
II. after this one Belgian goes with
out Il fun meal whilst thousands OF
lapdogs are living In luxury from Can
| tcrDury TO san Francisco and from
biarritz to Venice there is really moth
I 'ng more TO be said for mankind.
Britains duty in the matter is very
clear. She should relieve Holland OF
her ru!nous overload Of Belgian refu-
gees. Hollands hospitality has been
wonderful. but her resources are hope
lessly overtaNed by IL; she cannot pro-
vide for the material wants OF the rcfu-
gees and OF her own now dangerously
overcrowdcd frontier villages and
Z towns. The British government should
quite simply offer 10 transport Belgian
refugees TO the British islands, pre-
ferably TO ireland. q Catholic country,
where there is plenty OF room, and
give them all the advantages enjoyed
by our prisoners OF war without the
loss OF their liberty. II would be fair
20 extend this succor TO refugees I'm
France also. because. as the war Is now
being waged on French SOIL the French
have their own refugees on their
hands Also-thoNGh no Frenchman or
Belgian viii confirm me in this-I am
persuaded that in England, where
, every Belgian is a stranger and a hero.
he will be more comfortable than in
France, where he is not exactly a for
, cigner and not exactly a Frenchmun.
and is. therefore, sometimes a little at
4 disadvantages
NOTHING BETWEEN
BELGIUM AND STARVATION
But All this leaves untouched the
plight Of the Bclgians in Belgium.
The efforts that are being made to help
the Belgians In France and Holland and
England do not reach them. Their
position is desperate. and must remain
so until the Germans are driven out
OF their country. Ia the parts held by
the Germans their plight is bad
enough; for. as the Germans arc in the
position of "A tenant with n very short
lease. they will not spend money OH
the premises. being indeed much more
bent on removing everything that is
not n fixture; and elsewhere all tho
Industries are at standstill because
OF the war.
$500 80 "'S''"'''S hoNh'H6 oct"cCu
them and starvation except the con-
tributions of all citizens Of the world
who realize that if Belgium had done
nothing more than raise tho courage
Of the whole world by her astonishing
feat OF holding up an apparently ir-
resistibly superior force for just long
enough to save French democracy from
humiliation and give the prestige of
Prussian militarsm It's first and most
surprising check, a contribution to the
funds of the Commission for Relief in
Belgium is the payment of debt and
not caprice of charity. have tried
TO show, ! hope successfully. that the
circumstances under which that service
was rendered greatly add to the obli-
cation. and In particular that Belgium,
though first and bravcst in the field Is
the one belligcrent there who cannot
by any possible sophistry be accused
OF having brought about the bloodshed
and destruction from which she has