Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-12-30
LORD FRENCH FORESEES PERIL
TO SMALL NEUTRAL NATIONS
British Field Marshal Thinks the States
Adjacent to Germany Are Likely to
Share the Fate of Bel GUM
BY EDWARD PRICE BELL.

Copyright, 1915. by the Chicago Daily News Coz
LONDON, December 3o.-1 certainly
ihink So" was the most arrestlng
statement made to me today by Field
Marshal Lord French. commander-in-
chief of the home forces, in the course
of a conversation l had with him in
his office overlooking the horse guards
parade. My question had been: Are the
small neutral countries adjacent to
Germany in danger of being overrun
by the Teutonic armies and in their
turn treated as Belgium and other
states have been treated2
II certainly think so,' replied the
brilliant. sympathetic soldier, who,
though almost naked of artillery, held
the Teutonic legions at Ypres. saved
the channel ports and made the vital
turning point in the war.
One of my previous questions had
been:
How much can the central empires
add to their military strength py I'm,
pressing Belgians, Serbians, Poles ana
Rumanians; how many thousands or
scores of thousands Of Teutons may be
thrown into the fighting fronts as the
result of these impressments!
Lord French's Reply.
Speaking with characteristic anima-
ton and directness, Lord French re-
piled:
"Field fortifcations and spadework
are Of far more Importance and value
TODAY than at any previous time in the
history of war. If the manual labor
thus entailed can be carried out by i'm
pressing the popula auons of the coun-
tries that have been subjueated by hos
tile troops, this. Of course, would add
immensely to the strength of the fight
ing fronts. There are many other ways
in which the populations OF the SUB,
jueated countries can be used, ana
principally it is necessary to consider
and determine the military value of i'm
pressed men on the lines of communl-
cation. This also has been much in
creased in Importance in the war today.
1t is difficult to a.s assess TINS extra
IF Germany were to give Holland,
Denmark, Norway and perhaps Sweden
the choice of joining her or of being
Tsubjugated. what would be the effect
upor GermanyrS military position?
THE subjugation of these and other
states will increase Germany's military
power in proportion as her military
strength has been enhanced by i'm
pressing the populations of the smaller
countries she has already ovefrun.
Small States Rated Life Buoys."
"Then all these little states about
Germany are in the nature of life
buovs that she might seize if she We're
sirking?'
Yes, think so.
III there had not been an over
whelming case for charity in Belgium,
what would the allies have done?
The strictly military interests of the
allies as regards Belgium when that
country had been occupied. leaving out
of account all questions of humanity,
would have been to apply the blockade
90 Belgium in the same way as to the
central empires themselves. The right
TO blockade friendly or neutral terri
tory occupied by the enemy is clearly
reco@niZed by The Hague convention,
b. nd this recognition indicates what the
military interests of a belligerent must
be"
what are these military interests
that is to say. what has it cost the
allies to be humane rather than mill
tary in Belgium
.Drhe cost to the allies OF feeding
Belgium may he reckoned as follows:
"f'irst. in money. Britain and France
have contribu" ed to the relief commits
sion for Belgium, not counting what
has been spent for relief in northern
France, something like 22.o00,0o0