ON THE EVE OF WAR

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2260, 21 September 1914, Page 6

ON THE EVE OF WAR

EUROPEAN SITUATION REVIEWED ANXIF/TY FOR PEACE ALL EYES ON THE GERMAN EMPEROR. Writing from Paris on July 31, the lans correspondent of tho New York Evening i J o S t" interestingly reviewed the situation then existing iii Europe. 1 wish to describe thy sensations which the near danger of war produces among peaceful peoples. In five days' timo 1 have shared such sensations in J) ranee and in Switzerland with men of many imuds and interests. What 1 may say will come after events have decided whether it is to be peace or war; but it will relate what the cable cannot transmit. Briefly, I have had to go bach; myself to tho Franco-Prussian War of 1870 and to what 1 remember n-oin my childhood during our Civil >\ ar to find anything liko the emotion prevalent here. ' . 13 to 6° from Paris to Lausanne, in' Switzerland—a matter of ten hours by tram—on the day when Austria's ultimatum to Servia expired. There was no immediate alarm as yet, and no skurrymg to and frtf of distracted travellers, as there has been since. The action of Austria exasperated persons of every nationality, because it threatened to disturb their summer plans, and because they were already depressed by tho long stretch of bad weather. But every one, without exception, was honest enough to acknowledge that individual Servians—to put the mildest construction on what lias happened—had been very trying. People had not forgotten the murder of their. King and Queen eleven years ago, nor the assassination of tho heir to the Austro-Hungariau throne, and his wife. If-President Wilson was right in refusing to recognise' Government constituted by assassination in Mexico, thei. Emperor Francis Joseph had the right to .see that Servia does not shelter the assassins of his heir. I have found this ' impression general among _ Frenchmen, who sympathise most with Russia's .desire to prevent the annihilation of Servian independence by Austria-Hungary. ■

Friendship for Russia. A second impression, from the start, has been that Russia cannot yield yet again to the high-handed Austrian methods of- dealing with Servia and Montenegro:/; If the great White Czarcannot protect his brother Slavs against the suppression of their race, then the hour of Russia's abdication in Europe has come. This is not.far-fetched talk to Frenchmen as it may seem to Americans. Without denning, the exact limits of the Franco-Russian alliance, even the niairin the street knows that, if the conflict spreads to war- between Russia and Austria over Servia, it will be all but impossible that Germany and France should .not be drawn into the struggle.

This has workad up the popular consciousness of French and Swiss and Italians to the fact that the peace' of Europe or a general war within a week depends on the will of one man—Kaiser Wilhelm. Because he is an enigma, because he. put' aside—perhaps' very properly—the propos'itions of Sir Edward Grey for an international peace-persuad-ing palaver ; because his Ambassador plainly notified France that any help given to Russia in case of the intervention would find Germany standing beside Austria—it .is because of all this that ■ ev-ary one I see around me, French and Swiss and Italians and Germans themselves, are walking about in what v yesterday's "Secolo," of Milan, calls- "eccitazkme-grandissima."

The German War Lord. The sober, unsensatibnal "Journal do .Genovo". says this with more authority than I can give it:"ln this extremity of danger, all eyes are : turned to ■the' German Emperor.' The 'Novoo Vremya' of St. Petersburg adjures him to hold back Austria—if there is still time— from the act which may set all Europe in flames. The 'Temps'; of Paris puts its hope also in William' tho Second. More than ever before, he is master of the hour.'. Often he has declared that his intentions, are invariably'for peaco ; More than once he has given his proofs,' particularly, in 1913 for the Treaty of Bucharest. Governments : have faith in him —and' the peoples, too. . We'wait foi the gesture from him which can still stop short a catastrophe .that would be little less frightful for the conquerors than for the conquered." •_/ II is a long time.since the chief of any race of men has heard words like that. When this is read, the world will know whether it is to tremble or rejoice at the nod.of .this, new "Alexander. I have never believed much in tho sincerity of Germans who say: "Our Emperor would suit the French better than he does us!"--Of course, they'speak of his character arid' wave Tt is certain that Frenchmen have not- that f

of simple reoulsidn towards him which they always'had for Bismarck.',■.-

Swiss Apprehension. I have found the Swiss more upset by what is going on than the French. All the young men I meet are sure they axe going to war in a week—that is, to march to defend the neutrality of their frontiers. The boots and the porter of the hotel, and the house agent's clerk, from whom I am renting a villa for an American of Paris, all nave the same conviction. They say: "The French army will march.across us to take the offensive against Germany; and Germany is all ready to cross the Rhine into Basel against the Frenoh; and they .will fight their battles in our valleys!''

I have my doubts, though it seems a Swiss general has shown it all in a book. At any rate these young fellows are all resolved to.fight both'parties impartially. . I.ran into a company of engineers who had just marched over from Aarau,at the foot of tho Jura Mountains, where the French soldiers crossed into Switzerland in 1871 to.escape .the German army. The marching uniform, at the fatiguing day's end, seemed to be chiefly a hat, shirt, and trousers, and knapsack, with very proper picks and axes; but the youthful vigour of these Swiss promised much for quick and sure pontoons. The Swiss, of all others,' havo the first and foremost reasons to dread war. They live on summer travel, and the mere threat' of war is driving away their customers. One mountain hotelkeeper says he will have to close in a few days if there is no change. "First, all mv Austrians left together; then tho Germans went; now the French are going,' and the Americans have stopped coming."

Troubles and Perplexities, It is worse than this. If you are in Switzerland, how are you'going-to get hack to Paris? Trains are already held up'-in Lyons, in case they should be needed for mobilisation and transport of troops. And how are you going to get money from Paris? For that matter Swiss banks give out no more gold, but only the big silver five-franc pieces like a. United States dollar. And if you are in Paris, must- you lay in hams and canned goods and such for fear no provisions Will reach the city? Already grocers rofuso .to change your fiftyfranc banknotes (£2)'-unless you buy ten' francs' worth of foodstuffs.

All tins may be tho midsummer madness of a war scare, but it is very real to people on the brink of wai\ Besides the material bother, often equivalent to financial disaster, there are innumerable anxious emotions of flesh and blood. A doctor of tho reserve bids mo good-bye as he leaves for sudden service. An automobilist of tho general staff is waiting orders to join his post. And tho wives are dissolved in tears. If war comes, their husbands may not come back —for, indeed, "War is hell," and pacifism docs not seem to bo of much account,