A war! How
terrible! It must be stopped."

The soldier, who is wise enough to prefer armour-plate even to a shield
provided by substantially built peace women clad in white, looks on
amused. The thinking world as a whole so looks on at "Arks" launched by
American millionaire motor manufacturers, and at Pacifist Conferences
held whilst the decision as to whether civilization or savagery shall
triumph, and might be greater than right, yet hangs in the balance.
There must be no thought of peace otherwise than as the ultimate reward
of gallant men fighting in a just cause, and until with it can come
permanent security from the "Iron Fist" of Prussian Militarism and
aggression, and the precepts of Bernhardi and his kind are shown to be
false. Those who talk of peace in the midst of "frightfulness," of
piracy, of reckless carnage and colossal sacrifices of human life which
are the fruits of an attempt to save by military glory a crapulous
dynasty, however good their intention, lack both mental and moral
perspective.

CLIVE HOLLAND.

[Illustration:

THE PEACE WOMAN: "We will march in white before our sons."

THE NEUTRAL SOLDIER: "Madam, we would prefer the protection of an
armour-plate."]

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THE SELF-SATISFIED BURGHER

The artist has depicted the ordinary attitude of a self-satisfied
burgher not only in Holland but in other countries also. "What does it
matter if we are annexed afterwards, so long as we remain neutral now?"
That is the sort of speech made by selfish merchants in some of the
neutral countries, especially those of Scandinavian origin. It is really
a variety of the old text: "Let us eat, drink, and be merry; for
to-morrow we die." Why not, it is urged, make the best of present
facilities? As long as we are left alone we can pursue our ordinary
industrialism. We can heap up our percentages and profits. Our trade is
in a fairly flourishing condition, and we are making money. No one knows
what the future may bring; why, therefore, worry about it? Besides, if
the worst comes to the worst and Germany annexes us, are we quite sure
that we shall be in a much worse condition than we are now? It will be
to the interest of Berlin that we should carry on our usual industrial
occupations. Our present liberty will probably not be interfered with,
and a change of masters does not always mean