The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-07-30
THE W0RlD's Most
AWFUL THREE YEARS
NEAR THEIR CLOSE
wednesday Next Is Third Anniversary
OF Fateful Day on which
Germany Declared War.
VAST CHANGES In EVERY
WALK AND WORK OF LIFE
Governments More Active Than Ever
Before in Caring for Lives of Their
People While Death Stalks Abroad
in Battle. g.

Correspondent
New York, July 2s.-The three most
awful years in the worlds history are
rawing to a close.
Three years ago next Wednesday. |
August /. Germany declared war on
Russia, precipitating a conflict which |
has killed five million soldiers and |
certainly over million civilians-per-
haps many more; cost directly be- |
tween seventy-five and hundred bill |
lion dollars. and piled up a sum in |
human woe entirely incalculable and
incomprehensible.
Not a corner OF the earth has been |
too remote to feel the effect of the |
forty million or more men who have
gone forth to war. Not an intelligent |
being but has been stirred to his
depths BY the dreadful, wasteful flre |
that has scourged the globe.
From a petty Balkan quarrel, re-
sulting in the seizure of Bosnia and
Herzegovina Austria and -inlthe I
ASA fascination of the heir to the throne
of the dual monarchy and his consort
by recentful Jugo- Slavs, the confiagra- |
| ton has spread to every continent
and every land. Most of the world |
| is directly involved in war. and in the
mon -helligerent countries questions
stirred UP by the conflict are the sub |
! ject OF intense and constant domestic
differences
Vast Human Changes. /
What changes ION the map" the
war will make still await the great
peace conference to be told; but al
| ready human society has been altered
with such swiftness as can scarcely
he paralleied even in the era OF the
| French revolution.
| Russia has changed from the great.
est example of an absolute and bur-
1 a a,,yrx So l-a
est and most liberal democracy. with
its eyes set on ideals as high as the
stars.
The people rule in Russia after CEN
turies of oppression. and, in many
other nations the bonds forged by
birth and privilege are giving way
GERMANY has its first imperial chan
cellor without a won" to his name
a small. uncertain step toward democ-l
4 racy, vet ray of hope. The junkers
and the niitarists are still in the sad
die, but their faithful, carefully nour-
ished slaves for the first time have
Them worried.
government has increased. The CEN
trial authority has had to take over
powers 1t never possessed or wished
before. The peoples are thinking more
about their governments, selfish
Thoughts perhaps. for their leaders
mean more than formerly.
Governments More Active.
| The British government has taken
over thousands of great industrial
plants to run on war work. while
similar changes OF revolutionary char
lacter have taken place in France,
fIsaiy and Germany. Even the United
STATES has Communicated all the ship
them up, and will undoubtedly take
lover more and more lines of pro-
.duction as the conflict wears on.
Through the vast pressure OF war
business. won,an's place in the COM
munity everywhere has increased In
importance. The wives and sweet
hearts must labor while their men
fare on the field OF battle. And this
prominence tot the fair acK has ce-
Esulted Ia the promise OF equal suf-
ifrage to women in Great Britain and
will undoubtedly give greater politi-
car rights to women in many other
lands.
The dignity of work has received
recognition such as was never accord
, ed before Germany has forced by
, law perhaps million persons into in
dustry. France would have put Z
lsiraslar measure into effect had the
entrance of the United States into the
war not made this unnecessary. The
Estate OF West Virginia has passed =
, statute making It crime to be idle
In war time. and the sentiment which
Twas behind this law Ia felt through
lout the world.
Human IAfe's Worth.
For their working millions the gov
Arnments are caring as never before.
Their health and their lives are the
objects of solicitude. The value OF
!, standpoint. of productivity, IL realixed.
IThe we'll learned lesson, that It pays
Ito conserve human life and energy
will be remembered and will un-
: idoubtedly. some day. when this war
!. Its over, result In making the world a
better place to live in.
. Mems brains have been busy these
three years of war. But, IL we take
Thomas A. Edison's word for it, the
} results In new inventions have been
Surprisingly small. And still smaller
: have these results been from the point
: of view OF human benefit. Most ol
! the new devices are means to stay and
. MAIN,
In two directions. however. the
world has progressed In ways to be
utilized In peace time. The conquest
LOT the air has gone forward rapidly;
aeroplanes fly vast distances at enor-
nous speeds in comparative safety
Second. in the enormous, melancholy
war hospitals. the surgeons have de-
badly wounded. moulding new faces
i. on dishgured unfortunates, prevent
ing the suppuration OF injured tissues
touring severe burns and doing many
fother marvels-
Widespread Destruction.
The worlds possessions have beer
destroyed at MOST alarming rate
Scores of great cities. hundreds OIL
towns and thousands of villages liz
lin crumhling brick and mortar. NIL.
lions OF homes have been devastated
New enterprises. new railroads
bridges, schools. colleges, and q myr-
lad other works OF peace have failed
Ito be built as they would have beer
in the normal development Of the
|, nations Instead. the old equipment
I has been wearing out. Railroads II
the warning nations have steadily de-
!. Perforated for lack of men to repair
!, and replace them. Everything tina
does not serve the immediate purpose
; lof war has been neglected.
Somewhere between seven and ter
!, million tons OF ocean shipping lies a
! the bottom OF the ocean, the pre-,
of the submarine. the mine and tn
i Trading crtliaar II will ms ~