The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-02-28
Liberal Viewpoint
-Rv DIR. HARRY ELMER BARNES

TINE tragic death and impressive funeral OF
| i King Albert of Belgium brought sharply to
our attention the career of a model conSttu-
| tional monarch brave soldier and humane
gentleman. He deserved the tribute which has
been paid to him.
The saddest day of his reign came on Aug. 3,
1914 when the German cannon opened fire on
the Belgian Notifications after Albert coura-
geously had refused to abdicate the sovereign
power of the Belgian state and permit the Ger
mans to march through his country in their
campaign against France.
Today, the European war-makers once again
menace the peace and well-being of the world
It will be we'll to point out how we may effec-
lively utilize the unhappy Belgian experience OF
1914 to dscredt in advance such policies as those
followed by both Germany and the allies in 1914
The Germans knew in 1914 that they were
violating international law by going through
Belgium and would have to reckon with world
opinion Yet, they believed this better than
concentrating on Russia or facing the impregna-
BILE French forts
In the end, they found that they were sadly
mistaken We now know full well that, if Ger
many had rested content to defend herself
against France on her western frontier and had
thrown all her forces against Russia, she would
have obliterated the tSarS armies in a few
weeks and then proceeded leisurely to crush
France.
~
L. Germans did crush Russia within less than
two months. Had Germany not invaded Bel
GUM, it would have been desperately difficult fOT
England to have come in against her in spite of
Grey. Russia and France alone would have been
easy picking" for Germany.
BY defying treaties and world opinion, Ger
many paid the penalty in defeat depression,
revolution, and, worst Of all, Hitlerism The way
of the treaty vioator like that of the proverbial
transgressor, proved hard Let eager, would-be
war-makers take heed today.
The Allied procedure in regard to Belgium
may prove equally instructive to U.S. 1t is an
eloquent warning 10 be on our guard against
clever hypocriteS.
1t should forewarn us to be cautious and
skeptical, lest we may be deceived by those who
enter war from the most sordid considerations
of self-interest and then throw dust in the eyes
of the world by bogus plea of high moral pur-
pose.
The reason for Englands entry into the
World war, as set forth for public consumption,
was well stated by Prime Minister Asquith
1T is impossible for people of our blood and
history to be content to stand by and help keep
ring, while big bully sets to work to thrash
and trample to the ground a victim who has
gwen MIN no provocaClon and who is his equal
in everything but size and physical strength"
The facts as have been proved to the hilt
tlme ana again by eminent British scholars was
SCaCed with remarkable accuracy and succinct-
ness by great British scholar, DR. Frederick
Cor1lwaIlS Conybeare when he wrote:
CREY was doubtless as much of hvpocrite
~ in the week before the war as he had been
Tor eight years before that We attacked Ger
many for three reasons: % To down her navy
before 1t got any larger; (2) to capture her
trade, and CD to take her colonies"
Englishmen, among them Sir Arthur Nichol-
son. VINO was GreyS chief assistant in 1914 have
admitted that Britain and France long had
planned to invade Belgium if Germany was not
stupid enough to act first and so remove the
onus from France and England
Indeed Grey himself tells us that the Ger
man ambassador suggested that Germany and
Britain enter into an agreement whereby Ger
many would not invade Belgium and England
would remain neutral. But Grey refused even
to discuss the proposition.
Lord Morleys famous Memorandum proves
that Grey had decided upon war before the
Germans had taken a step toward Belgium and
before the Belgian question had been discussed
in the British cabinet
1t is proved to the hilt from the documents
that Grey eagerly awaited the invasion of Bel
GUM in order to use it as a means of persuad-
ing parliament and people to follow his bellicose
plans. Grey has further confessed that he
would have tried to put Britain into the war
whether Belgium had been invaded or not
Thus faded the most colossal bit Of hypocrisy
during the whole war period Let us not be
played for sucker when the next world war
breaks out in Europe.
1t has been popular to contend that Britain
could not have been neutral in 1914. She could
have done So and had she made it clear that
she intended to, the war might have been avert
ed. AS great English editor wrote on Aug. l,
1914
I'VE can save Europe from war even at this
last moment. But We can only save it by tell
ing the tSar that he must fight his own battles
and take the consequences of his own action.
If the British government does this, it will do
the greatest service to humanity in history. If
it does not do it, it will have brought the great
est curse to humanity in history. The youngest
Of US will not live to see the end of its crime"