p. 896 | A Seething Caldron by F. M. W.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 18, 1913

"A Seething Caldron"

By F. M. W.

Long years ago the prophet foresaw and foretold the political conditions which would characterize the last days of earth's history. He predicted that the industries of peace would be made to contribute to carnage and bloodshed, that the heathen would be awakened, and with the other nations of earth engage in the last great conflict immediately preceding the second coming of Christ.

“Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong. Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord. Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down: for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the Lord will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.” Joel 3:9-16.

That this prediction is in rapid course of fulfilment before our very eyes is too plainly and too painfully evident. To the ordinary reader the citation of statistics is unnecessary to prove that we have reached a period of great national preparation for coming conflict.

A strenuous competitive struggle exists between the nations as between their individual factors. It is a strife for national existence and expansion. In every mart of commerce and trade are found the flags of the nations. Commercial interests are in conflict. It is a struggle for supremacy.

The promotion and protection of these interests require the creation of armies and navies. That nation possessing the swiftest and most-destructive war-ships, the most-efficient and best-drilled armies, is regarded the most secure. This equipment can be obtained only by the investment of immense sums of money, wrung by burdensome taxation from an already-overburdened people. National rivalry, jealousy, intrigue, unpaid scores—all contribute to the intensity of the situation.

The end of it all will be Armageddon. This is conceded by those who know little of the prophetic utterances of Holy Writ. What the Scriptures declare will come, many careful students of the present situation say is inevitably coming. Men in leading governmental positions see clearly the outcome, and seeing it, tremble, but are powerless to stay the on-sweeping flood.

In an article contributed to Leslie’s of August 28, ex-Senator Chauncey M. Depew speaks of the present political situation in the Old World. Under the heading “All Europe a Seething Caldron,” he says in part:—

More than at any time since Waterloo, Europe is an armed camp. The talk of the clubs, the articles in the press, are all of peace, and preparations for war. Germany is making what is practically a supertax on her people to raise $250,000,000 to increase her army to near a million of men, and France is straining to the limit of her ability with her smaller population to meet the invasion which may come any day and without notice.

The ethics of present-day warfare as illustrated in the internecine struggle among the Balkan allies, is to attack first and without notice, hoping to find the friend of last night, but the enemy of the next morning, unprepared. If the invasion is successful, the declaration of war and the reasons for it come in the terms imposed on the vanquished. If the adversary is ready and the assault repulsed, then come apologies and repudiation of the commanding general. Under these circumstances even the Socialists admit that the only safety for any of the great powers is to be armed to the teeth.

Sir Edward Grey, the British foreign minister, said in the House of Commons the other day that a general European war was averted only at the last minute and that the future is uncertain, while Lloyd George, speaking for the government, was anything but optimistic unless his country was too strong to be attacked. It is generally admitted that peace depends on the entente, or understanding, between England and America, Russia remaining stronger than if bound by treaties and therefore able to prevent the triple alliance of Germany, Austria, and Italy from consummating their ambitions to alter the map of Europe. France by this entente comes again to the front in European councils. England's fleet, with that of France, commands the sea, and Russia's countless millions of possible soldiers, combined with the army of France (in better condition now than at any time since the third republic) gives to France prestige, position, and safety.

An old word has acquired a new and sinister meaning in Old World diplomacy. It is “compensation.” When either of the great powers covets territory another possesses, it claims that it has not its fair share and wants “compensation.” Germany complained that that portion of France in Morocco gave France undue prominence, and forced France to surrender half of her territory in Africa as “compensation.” France in turn did the same to Spain in Morocco. Austria did the same when she took Bosnia and Herzegovina from Turkey; and Italy went to war and took Tripoli from Turkey to be “compensated.” That word is playing the mischief with The Hague Tribunal.

I attended the debate in the House of Commons recently on the naval budget. Winston Churchill, first lord of the Admiralty, equivalent to our Secretary of the Navy, made a brilliant speech for “the two-power” or a navy equal to double that of any other nation. While he talked of a cruiser to be launched every thirty days, and a superdreadnaught in size, power, and cost every forty-five days, for the next twelve months, and the opposition took him fiercely to task for neglecting to provide against the increasing navies of Austria and Italy as well as Germany, I could not help contrasting this feverish preparation with our endless debates whether we shall have one battle-ship or two.

The Scriptures also foretell that while the nations are engaged in this preparation for warfare, many will be making earnest efforts for peace. Read Isa. 2:1-5. But these efforts to maintain peace will prove unavailing. This peace-and-safety cry proves but a siren song to lull people into the sleep of a carnal security, leading them to disregard the plain warnings of the day of wrath which have been given. 1 Thess. 5:1-4

Heeding the times and the seasons, we need not walk in darkness. With unruffled

measured steps the day of wrath is approaching. We have opportunity now to prepare our hearts to stand in that fearful time. Christ will prove the refuge of his people. May we find in him a shelter from the coming storm.

F. M. W.