A History of the Nations and Em

ution still burned - was in a state of profound peace. The clattering hammers and whirling wheels of industry were everywhere to be heard; g

al hostile sentiments were concerned. All was in motion so far as useful industries demanded service. Europe, America, Asia, and Africa alike had settled down as if to a long holiday from war, and the advocates of universal peace were jubilant

kly the chains are loosened, the winds and waves set free; and the hostile forces of nature rush over earth and sea, spreading terror and devastation in their path. Such energies of hostility are not confined to the elements. They exist in human communities. They underlie the political conditions of the nations,

DDENNESS OF

esee; and as day after day passed on, each day some new nation springing into the terrible arena until practically the whole of Europe was in arms and the Armageddon seemed at hand, the world stood amazed and astounded, wondering what hand had loosed so vast a catastrophe, what deep and secret causes la

hrown wide open and the terrible God of War marched forth, the whole earth trembling beneath his feet. It was the breaking of a mighty storm in a placid sky, the fall of a meteor which spread

COMMERCE

rope trade, industry, commerce all ceased, paralyzed at their sources. No ship of any of the nations concerned except Britain dared venture from port, lest it should fall a prey to the prowling sea dogs of war which made all the

re is potency in this, and also in a variation of Emerson's text which we shall venture to make: "When a great war comes upon the world all things are at risk." Everything which we have looked upon as fixed and stable quakes as if from

EAD INF

es of this kind are not confined to the countries in which the war rages or the cities which conquering column of troops occupy. They go beyond the borders of military activity; they extend to far

from Japan, from Porto Rico, from Africa, from places where

orward mails. If, telephoning in France, you use a single foreign word, even an English one, your wire is cut. Hans the German waiter, Franz the clarinettist in the little street band, is locked up as a possible spy. There are great German b

iles from the field of war to feel its influence. The whole world is the l

OF THE

or more. These, scattered over all sections of Europe, some with money in abundance, some with just enough for a brief journey, capitalists, teachers, students, all were caught in the sudden flurry of the war, their letters of credit useless, transportation difficult or imposs

ilroads were seized for the transportation of troops, leaving many Americans helplessly held in far interior parts, frequently wit

oop train. Most of the arrivals were women; the men were left behind because of lack of space. One hundred women refused to take the train without their husbands; scores struck back for Geneva; others on foot, carrying articles of baggage, started in the direction of Paris, hoping to get trains somewhere. Just why Swiss troops thus occupied themselves is not explained; but in ti

straw hat during the course of the Channel passage while the people were down eating in the saloon. I grabbed the first one on the hatrac

n captive by hostile cruisers. Many of these lay in port in New York, forbidden to sail for fear of capture. These included ships of the Cunard and International Marine lines, the north German Lloyd, the Hamburg-American, the Russian-American, and the French lines, until this port led the world in the congestion of great liners rendered inactive by the war situation abroad. The few that put to sea were utte

heir letters or credit and travelers' checks cashed. Such a measure of relief was necessary, there being people abroad with letters of credit for as much as $5,000 without money enough to buy a meal. One tourist said: "I had to give a Milw

ly penniless. The case was one that called for immediate and adequate solution and the governmental and moneyed interests on this side did their utmost to cope with the situation. Vessels of American register were too few to carry the host applying for

EAN I

ious freight of gold, valued at $10,700,000. The value of the vessel herself added $5,000,000 to this sum. What had become of her and her tempting cargo was for a time unknown. There were rumors that she had been captured by a British cruiser, but this had no better foundation than s

nding. On she went through Saturday and on Sunday ran into a dense fog. Through this she rushed with unchecked speed and in utter silence, not a toot coming from her fog-horn. This was all very well as a measure of secrecy, but it opened the way to serious danger through a p

But to all such proposals Captain Polack turned a deaf ear. He said that his duty was spelled by his

vessels before they came above the horizon. We were undoubtedly in danger on Sunday afternoon. We intercepte

interest of French fisheries. If the captain of either of those vessels should have come out of the fog and foun

lympic, which was supposed to be twenty-four hours ahead of us. There was a certain grim humor in the fact

e large enough to hold the giant liner that had sought safety in its waters. Wireless messages were at once flashed to all parts of the country and the news th

e-mile limit, and to accomplish this the ship would have to be built like a canoe. We have reached an American port in safety and that was more

ndangered the lives of the passengers. I would rather have lost the whole whip and cargo than have assumed any su

from the North German Lloyd in Bremen, and although I am an off

THE STOC

of the war. There were various others of great momen

last big stock market to announce temporary suspension of business. The New York Cotton Exchange closed, following the announcement of the failure of several brokerage firms. Stock Exchanges throughout the United States followed the example

of London requested Premier Asquith to suspend the bank act, and he promised to lay the matter before the Chancellor of the Exchequer. In all the capitals of Europe financial transactions virtually came to a standstil

r. The railroads were similarly denuded of their employees except in so far as they were needed to convey soldiers and military supplies. The customary uses of the railroad were largely suspended and travel went on under great diffic

of multitudes of death-dealing weapons. Food supplies need to be diverted in the same direction, the demands of the soldier being considered first, those of the home people last

E EFFEC

rigandage and devastation. It is horrible to think of the frightful suffering caused by every great battle. Immediate death on the field might reasonably be welcomed as an escape from the suffering arising from wounds, the terrible mu

to them or on whose labor they immediately depend. The harvest of misery arising from this cause it is impossible to estimate. It is not to be seen in the open. It dwells unseen in humble homes, in city, village, or field, borne often uncomplainingly, but not less

lude the ravage of cities by flame or pillage, the loss of splendid works of architecture, the irretrieva

E OF DE

hell and at times sent to the bottom with all on board by the explosion of torpedoes beneath their unprotected lower hulls. The torpedo boat, the submarine, with other agencies of unseen destruction, have com

that was of minor importance and its effects, many of them sanguinary and horrible, were mainly confined to the region in which it occurred. But a war covering nearly a whole continent cannot be confined and circumscribed in its consequences. All the world must feel them in a measure - though diminishing with distance. The vast expanse of water which separates the United States from the European co

lement of cost grows proportionately greater and has in our day become stupendous. Nations may spend in our era more cold cash in a day of war than would have served for a year in the famous days of c

f the nations involved, other billions of dollars must be added to the estimate, due to the crippling of industries. There is also

the expense attached to war and the preparations of European countries for just such contingencies as those that arose in Europe in 1914. The cost of the Panama Canal, one of the most useful aids to the commerc

d by the rivalry to gain precedence in military power? They stand on practically the same basis now that it is all at an end. Would they not be on the same basis if it had never begun? Aside from this is the incentive to

er with the cost of construction in thirteen years, in German

ditures $5,

tion 2,1

rmies 13,

20,933,

same nations in

tain $80,

60,500

25,000

65,000,

40,000,

70,500,

s of actual warfare. The British House of Commons authorized war credits amounting to $1,025,000,000, while the Ge

TURY TO

r extraordinary war expenses and about $100,000,000 was spent on

Europe even on a peace basis is enormous, and it must be vas

army $22

navy 224

army 18

navy 11

army 19

navy 11

army 317

navy 122

army 82

navy 42

$1,618

wondered where the money was to come from. All agreed that, when peace should be declared and the figures were all in, the result financially would be staggering and that the heaviest burden it had ever borne would rest