OCR Text |
Show H WW uncut "3.: By CONDE DE ROMANONES LE monde de la civilisation attend avec anxiété les re'sultats de ces terribles événements, qui lui feront connaitre 10 sort reserve a la Belgique. Cette petite nation, petite jusqu'au jour de son malheur, et de son abattement, mais aujourd'hui d'une grandeur morale qui n'a jamais éte' surpassée dans l'histoire, ne pourra pas disparaitre. ne pourra pas perdre sa souverainete'. Si cela venait a arriver, i1 faudrait admettre que le bon droit et la justice ne sont plus de nos jours les principes de l'existence des peuples civilise's; ce serait, en plus, une terrible lecon que ceuX-ci ne pourraient jamais oublier. Pourquoi tant de sollicitudes, tant d'énergies depensées a accroitre les forces morales et materielles d'un petit territoire, pour le transformer en une nation modele, digne de tous les respects, de toutes les considerations! Pourquoi tant d'eflorts pour avancer sur la voie du progres, de la liberté. du respect aux droits d'autrui, si le droit du plus fort doit primer en dernier lieu ! ll vaudrait mieux vivre cette vie d'indépendance sauvage des peuples qui sont encore en dehors dc toute civilisation. TRANSqu TION by Florence Simmonds The world of rir'ihration awaits with anxiety the results of the terrible event: which will make known the fate rexert'ed for Belgium. Thix little nation, small until the day of her dirarter and ot'erthrow, energy be expended in increasing the moral and nzate~ rialforces ofa small territory, and tranrforming it into a model nation, worthy of all rerpect and consideration-why should melt eflort: be made to further it; but now possessing a moral greatnexx unsurpassed in advance on the path of progress, liberty, rerpect for history, cannot disappear, eammt lose her sovereignty. the rights of others, if in the [art resort the right of If :ueh a thing (nu/d happen, we should hate to the strongert is to prevail? admit that Right and juxtice are no longer the In thir [are it would be better to live the life of sawge prine/ples of exixtence among eit‘ilised peoples ; it independence proper to people as yet outside the pale would further he a terrilile lesson that these could of civilisation. never forget. Why should so much care, to much 4?, K (9‘ , By DR. LYMAN ABBOTT WHATEVER may be our various opinions respecting the merits of this terrible war in Europe there can be no question that Belgium, which so far has been perhaps the Chief sufferer, is absolutely innocent of any offence. The war has swept over her land, cities have been destroyed, homes desolated and thousands of Belgians killed, because she refused to disregard her own promise but chose rather to battle bravely in a desperate endeavour to maintain that neutrality to which she and the Powers of Europe were pledged. The needs of the Belgians appeal to all lovers of their fellow-men whatever their race, their religious creed, or their sympathies in this war. , l , l r |