The Hawaiian gazette., 1915-02-26


alleviate the, condition Of the Bel.
gian people by reopeping theie indus
tries and commerce, but meet with
many difficulties owing TO the passive
resistance shown by the inhabitants
at the instigation OF the Belgian COY.
eminent at lie Havre.
Z cit is hardly necessary TO contra
dict the statement of the Belgian lady,
that Belgian prisoners have been
forced by the Germans TO Sight in the
German ranks against their own com
Itrymen, this being too silly to require
special reply. The only action Of
this. nature which has come to my
knowledge, was perpetfated by an
English aviator, who forced Ger.
man prisoner, insuffieiently clad, to ac4
company him during a fight in order to
peIray the positions Oh the German
amy, Fortunately his scheme failed
entirely, the aviator having been oblig-
ed to land amongst the enemy. '''' ~"
Germany fT1oposition a~s .
'fNo nntigR Tregrets more, than Ger
many, that EthA German government, in
order to foIestall similar action on
the part of France, found II Imperative
as matter Of life and death, to dis
regard Belgian neutrality, after the
Belgian government, instigated, by Sir
Edward Grey, had refused to accept
the weifknown proposition ,of Ger
many, under which Belgium would
have been fully compensated for any
damage caused by the German troops
# allowed to pass through Belgian
fnErfNAEwg "a Z
chat Gsrrksny had good reason to
since been clearly demonstrated by the
fact, that already before August LIST,
1914, French troops have crossed the
.'eah frontier and by the disclosures,
officially published In Berlin, from ths
r5elgian archives at Brussels, showing,
that as long ago as 1909, Belgium en-.
tered into a secret agreement with
England, providing for the landing Of
a large army ON the Continent for this
purpose Of operating jointly with the
! Belgian army in case of French Ger
/ man war. During recent years this
, agreement, which was strongly object.
ed to by Baron Greinllf the former
! Belgian envoy at Berlin, had been com,
pIeted in every detail .,..., &5s..s.., W.
War. Of Revenge ,,. l. 49,
| ."Germany Is in no way responsible
| for the outbreak Of the European war,
which has been threateninP for many
years. As Is well known, rance has
strained every nerve duFiRg the last
forty years, to prepare herself for the
great war Of revenge for the defeat suf-
fered in 1870, and has especially dur,
ing recent years taken o more threat
ening attitude; for this same purpose
she has allied herself with. the most
antocratic power of Europe and has
lent Russia more than five billion dol.
lars on condition that a part Of this
must be used for increasing the already
large Russian, army and for construct
ing strategieal lines of railway towards
the German boundary, ..EhbM+
Russia Policy ~. x -
/ 4" For abOut ten years Russia's policy
since her defeat by japan has been
| ostehsibly devoted TO STRENGTHENING the
Balkan States and TO weaken and de-
stroy Turkey and Austria. Hungary, the
latter being the only reliable ally of
iGermany. England commenced 10 join
France and Russia in 1904, after she
had decided upon threatening atti-
Jude against Germany aud under the
lead of King Edward started her well
known policy Of surrounding Germany
by as many enemies as possible
(Einkreisung) in which she has only
too well succeeded, having even drawn
little Belgium and POOR Portugal into
this circle by special agreements.
THUS Germany being threatened
from three sides was bound to keep
her army and navy in the most effec,
tive condition in order TO protect the
Fathefland from inyasions, And can
in 70 wise be blamed for this Kind OF
militarism. ..s ..s...
'Youfs faithfully
-. II. HACKFELD.