THE PRESENT OUTLOOK by S.

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Feb 12, 1902

THE PRESENT OUTLOOK.

By S.

At the present time there is strife in the following divisions of the earth: South Africa, the Philippine Islands, Colombia, Venezuela, Formosa, and Sumatra; and threatenings of strife, strained relations, or an active jealousy (which may at any time lead to active strife), between Germany and Venezuela, France and Venezuela, Peru and Bolivia, Chile and Argentina, England and Russia, Colombia and Venezuela. At the same time, for selfish reasons, the nations are dissolving alliances and forming new friendships which they hope will be of more advantage to their own interests. Germany is actively cultivating the friendship of the United States, and other nations are doing what they can to show to the latter nation that Germany was not and is not America's sincere friend. At the same time England sought to show that she alone of trans-atlantic nations stood by America at the outbreak of the Spanish war, and prevented the other powers combining against America. Other nations immediately took up the matter to show either that nothing serious was contemplated, or that England was herself concerned in the threatened combination.

Russia now seeks to offset the sudden friendship which has arisen between Germany and the United States by working for an alliance with Austria. By this Russia hopes to counterbalance any influence which Germany might gain from American friendship.

Just now Russia and England are controverting each other's rights to the positions taken on the shores of the Persian Gulf. Both desire to control the gulf terminus of the railroad now building in Asia Minor. To further her plans in this respect, England has given her support to the ruler of Koweyt in renouncing the sovereignty of the Sultan of Turkey, while Russia has been urging Turkey to put down the pretensions of this local ruler, well knowing that otherwise England will have the advantage in the Persian Gulf, and Russia's dream of an outlet there would be long in coming true. So far, in this particular locality, England seems to be in the lead; but Russia has now seized an island in the Persian Gulf; and as the possession of this island might interfere with England's entrance and exit, the latter country is protesting against the seizure as a breach of the statu quo. At the same time it is rumored that Russia is massing troops north of India and that England is quietly preparing to check a threatened invasion from that source. China is just rising from her first encounter with the combined forces of the rest of the world, and is hastening to adopt whatever methods they have that will be a help to her when the time is ripe for the next encounter. Her arsenals are now busy turning out arms and ammunition of the latest pattern, and her generals are preparing for the equipment and support of a large army to be drilled in accordance with modern ideas.

Looking at this picture of unrest, strife, and threatened strife, and coupling with that the universal scramble for the trade of the world with all the germs of strife which it contains, truly the veriest optimist can find little ground for the cry of peace and safety which God's Word declares is to be heard in these very days; and yet in spite of the accumulating strife and threatenings of strife, in spite of all this evidence against the possibility of any peace and safety in this present evil world, the cry goes up just as God has said it would. He has said that while war, preparation for war, strife, jealousies, and great accumulations of wealth would be seen in these last days, men would be deceiving themselves with the cry of peace and safety. They are doing it now; and that very cry in these times is but another witness to the truth of God's Word, and another sign that we are in the end of the world. There never before was a time when the whole world was so ready for a universal war. The conditions now are as tho the god of war had strewn powder over the face of the whole world, and had struck the match to set it off. Every element seems ready for that last great war. That the clock of destiny has not yet struck the hour for the fray, is due to the fact that the angels are still holding the winds of strife. See Rev. 7:1-3. How much longer this will be done, it is not given to man to know; but we do know that we are in the time when it is being done. He who truly realizes that, will live as on the eve of eternity; will put away selfish ambitions, and work as for eternity. May God help us to realize what it means. The time is near; it is near, and hasteth greatly.