of the Near East. A railway from Berlin to Bagdad had long been treated
as a primary article in that creed of German _Welt-politik_ which the
war was to make prevail. For a time the plan promised excellently. The
Turkish alliance with the Central Empires seemed to bring Asia Minor
securely under German sway. The railway route was saved.
The Kaiser and his advisers prematurely regarded Russia as an extinct
volcano, which was incapable of thwarting their Oriental policy.
Disillusionment came quickly. The German tourist who foresaw an
unimpeded road through Prussia to Persia was suddenly confronted with an
impassable barrier. The Russian Army of the Caucasus swept through
Armenia and occupied the Turkish citadel of Erzerum, which commanded the
line of travel at its most critical point. Small are the chances of
retrieving the lost foothold. The whole design is doomed beyond recall.
It is the habit of our arch-foe to count his chickens before they are
hatched.
SIDNEY LEE.
[Illustration]
_The Bloomersdijk_
In this cartoon the artist symbolizes with drastic irony the
powerlessness of Holland to claim respect for her rights or to maintain
her national prestige. If the fair Dutch flag stands in the way of the
Teutonic bully, he just tears it down and tramples it underfoot. In the
view of Germany the time is long past when a little community of human
beings could sustain independent existence if its policy interfered in
the smallest degree with the convenience of the great German tyranny.
This is at once the humiliation of countries like Holland, and their
claim on the active sympathy of the Allies. What can the nice little boy
in the picture do to protect himself against the fists and the boots of
the huge man in a Prussian helmet? Manifestly, nothing! His only chance
is that his big brethren may succeed in thrashing the selfish, powerful
brute as he deserves.
The attitude of Germany toward the little sovereign states of Europe was
laid down two years ago, with ineffable assurance, by Herr von Jägow. He
said: “In the transformation of Europe to the profit of the Teutonic
Powers, the little surrounding States must no longer presume to lead the
independent existence which at present feeds their vanity. They are all
destined to disappear in the orbit of the German Empire.” In other
words, as the rest of Germany has been subjugated by Prussia, so
Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Montenegro, and Serbia must make up their
minds to be melted into the Central Empire of _Kultur_. Not one of them
is rich enough to maintain its existence. In the meantime, if Prussia
finds it convenient to sink a _Bloomersdijk_, so much the worse for
Holland, who would do well to swallow the injury in silence. And all
that the civilized and cultured little countries can do is, through the
tears of their exasperation, to cry aloud to God, “How long, O Lord, how
long?”
EDMUND GOSSE.
[Illustration]
_The “U” Boats off the American Coast_
There is a grim persistency with which Raemaekers pursues the power
which, in the first terrible weeks of the war, he recognized as the
enemy of European civilization. Time has not lessened the intensity of
that vision, which came to him--a neutral--with no prepossessions in
favor of England and her allies, and which is, indeed, the whole
significance of the fine work he has done for our cause throughout the
world. Less steadfast folk of our own blood begin to wonder if, after
all, it be quite worth while, seeing that the burglar is so strong, to
go on with our opposition to him; and whether it would not be better to
hand our valuables--freedom, mercy, and other trifling gewgaws--into his
safe keeping.
Raemaekers sees in this relatively mild adventure of German
frightfulness, the torpedoing of unarmed ships in the American zone
under cover of American warships which, by saving the jettisoned crews,
were able to keep the pirate within the letter of his pledge--he sees
this as what it is, an act of intolerable brigandage and insolence. The
insolence, indeed, is so colossal as to be almost admirable. Officers of
the fleet do not talk for publication; but it would be illuminating to
hear the comments of the American naval messes on the retriever work to
which they were set by our friend the enemy.
JOSEPH THORP.
[Illustration]
_To the Peace Woman_
The cartoonist has devoted several of his drawings to the work of
exhibiting to the world at large and the pacifist in particular the
egregious folly of “peace talk” and “gentleness toward the Huns” while a
world war is being waged, and as yet all the ideals for which we are
fighting in company with our Allies hang in the balance.
How necessary such cartoons really are is shown by the mere fact that
there can be found men and women who are anxious on every possible
occasion to “mouth wordy platitudes concerning peace,” and even to
sacrifice to the Moloch of Prussianism the ideals and the amenities of
national conduct upon which the basis of happiness and peace in reality
rests.
The old legend of St. George and the Dragon has been skilfully and
effectively adapted by Raemaekers to the purposes of the lesson he would
teach. The peace woman is shown on her knees before the dragon of
Prussianism, not in terror at the fate which is impending for her, but
obsessed by the idea that the dragon is not so bad as it has been
painted and that it may be wicked to kill dragons. I confess that I have
not been able to penetrate the labyrinth of distorted ideas which has
produced the attitude of mind toward the Hun adopted by the pacifist,
male and female. But the most charitable among us may be forgiven,
perhaps, if we assume that this state of mind has been brought about by
a wrong-headed conception of the facts and the Hun himself, rather than
by any original liking for bloody deeds of rapine, the slaughter of
innocents, and wholesale and wanton destruction of beautiful, holy, and
gracious things.
There are many who believe that the peace woman, who will be more and
more evident as the war drags along, is no imagined menace. It is well
therefore that this cartoon should have been drawn and published and
that its message, “to save the peace women despite themselves,” should
be driven home.
The spirit of St. George of England and of the saints of God, who fought
tyrants and died in past ages that the fragrant and essential truths
should live, is not dead, and while this can be said there is hope for
the world, for surely God Who had these in His keeping is yet in His
heaven.
CLIVE HOLLAND.
[Illustration]
_The Wolf Bleats_
This ranks as one of Raemaekers’ happiest cartoons. That wolf’s mask is
a clever travesty of the “All-Highest’s” best studio face. Better still
is the quip, “’Tis time all this bloodshed should cease,” as a summary
of all the peace suggestions which with discreet persistence have been
floated out from Berlin since the great game, as envisaged by the
challengers, was seen to be up.
It would not readily occur to the German mind that the time when the
shepherds were just coming over the hill with axe, bill, and bludgeon
was the most appropriate time for the wolf to suggest that nothing
should be said of the unfortunate mistakes of the past.
“See!” quoth the wolf, “there are already three corpses. Is that not
enough to satisfy the most bloodthirsty? Why drag in a fourth? Surely
even you who have not our advantages can see so plain an argument?” The
answer is in the negative. But let no one ever again accuse the Teuton
of not being a humorist.
It is worth noting that it is a bonneted Highlander that here wields the
British club. Compensation at last to the sensitive Scot who so
desperately hates being lumped in with the English!
JOSEPH THORP.
[Illustration]
_Strict Neutrality_
The historian of the future will attempt, probably, to deal adequately
with the complex questions which inform every line of this cartoon. It
is, indeed, a passionate note of interrogation. In a stupendous fight
upon the clearly defined issues of Right and Might, how comes it to pass
that any self-respecting nation remains neutral? Why, for example, did
not Uncle Sam sever diplomatic relations with the Huns the very moment
that Belgium was invaded and outraged?
Americans, true citizens of the Land of the Free and the Home of the
Brave, have raised this question already and some have answered it.
Other Americans have answered them cleverly and speciously. Time alone
will decide upon the merits and demerits of all and sundry. We owe much
to the States euphemistically styled “United.” They have supplied us in
our hour of sorest need with a never-ceasing stream of munitions
percolating everywhere; they have sent us money, sympathy, and advice.
But the fact remains--_Uncle Sam was too proud to fight!_ And yet, each
day it is becoming more and more certain that every stout blow struck by
the Allies, every gallant life that is sacrificed, is a contribution to
the cause of Civilization and Christianity. We are fighting desperately
for our own salvation, and that salvation includes the salvation of
Holland, Denmark, Switzerland, and the United States. At the beginning
of the war the Neutral Countries missed a tremendous opportunity.
Together, acting under the ægis of Uncle Sam, with his hundred million
children, they could have protested in no uncertain terms against
Prussianism and the violation of every principle dear to and honored by
them. Prompt action, upon the heels of such a protest, would have ended
the war in three weeks. Germany, swollen with insolence and beer, has
perpetrated blunders in strategy and policy of which she now is reaping
the fruits, but with all her crass, pig-headed, brutal assurance she
would not have fought a whole world in arms against her.
It is not for us to throw stones at others. We are far too busy hurling
shells at our enemy. But the question will be answered some day:
“Why were the Neutrals too proud to fight?”
HORACE ANNESLEY VACHELL.
[Illustration]