Evening star., 1915-01-10

foreigners and cheating them owe" their
bills.
Most unfortunately for Belgium. 1t
has Oeen almost impossible hitherto 10
acknowledgement of this obligation or
fair statement of her case.
The horror inspired by war Is SO
great that all the belligerent nations
began by insisting that they were en-,
gagged in defensive war. They would
have it that they We're the innocent
victims of an unscrupulous and uheA-
pected aggression. Germany protests
that she is defending her frontiers from
conspiracy of France with RUSSIA
and England to destroy her.
None Admit Responsibility.
England, until very recently. claimed d
that she had been rudely awakened
from a dream OF perpetual peace by
Gerlnanys violation of the treaty OF
1888, guaranteeing the neutrality OF
Belgium. Austria was ayenginS an as
sassination. Russia WIS rcsculnS Il
gallant little Slavonic nation from
Teutonic Imperialism. France was
wrestling with wantop invasion.
None of them would admit any respon-
sibilty for the war Consequently
none Of them would admit any respon-
sibiiity for the devastation of Rclgiur;
sympathy Compliments 10 her hero
ism? Yes. dithyrambs galore. Rein
fo-cemcntS" by all means: the British
and French guns are raining shells on
Belgian villages and towns as Nberaily
a., the Gcrrnans: in fact. they now
boast of having established a superb
ority in artillery. which means that TO
German can live within range of their
howit1ers and of the famous soiNante
quinze. Splendid. but no belgian can
live within that range either; and the
net result is that there are 1.G0O, 900
Belgians deprived of their means of
livelihood in their own country (not
counting refugees who have left it)
who must perish OF simple starvation
unless G1.G00.000 a month, or $5.000.-
600. or o",600,000 francs are forthcom-
ing to feed them.
Treatment of Germans.
And where is the Belgian govern
ment to find those millions when it is
eXiled ana ruined? Mr. Partridge's fine
cartoon shows us King Albert facing
the kaiser with his country ravaged
but his honor intact: but King Albert
cannot pawn his honor for a million a
month. nor can his people live on car
toons. The very Germans themselves
are treating Belgium better than the
allies; for they at least assume charge
of the cities they have seized. and, by
treating them as German cities by
right of conquest, accept responsibility
for the inhabitants
The allies shake their fists and cry,
we shall come and lombard you and
drive You out and run up the Belgian
flag presently; just you wait and see"
which is all very martial and proper in
its way; but look at it from the point
OF view of a hungry child and the par
ents to Whom it is crying in vain for
bread and deny, If you can or dare,
that there is something more impera-
tive in that child's call to the justice of
providence, more terrible and sacred
IN Its appeal to Your OWE conscience.
and more aGonizing in the grip it lays
on your very entrails. than all the
all the detiances, all the car
rage and the glory and the crosses,
Iron and Victoria and Legion (the only
sort of crosses worshiped in war
time), and all the laundering explo-
slons that drown every groan and
every cry except that curious, magical
cry that penctrates everything-th
cry OF the hungry child.