IN a speech on lord mayor's day, Lord Kitchener said: "The British Empire is now fighting for its existence. I want every statesman to understand this cardinal fact." On the same occasion, Premier Asquith said, referring to Turkey plunging into the war, "The Turkish Empire has dug its grave and committed suicide," and that it meant "the death knell to Ottoman domination, not only in Europe but in Asia."
These speeches from the leading men of England will be read by thousands in the Turkish Empire. They will be urged upon their attention by those who are interested in having Turkey make the strongest possible fight. Turkey, from these threats of destruction, will readily consider that she also is fighting for her existence.
Obviously Belgium's existence as a nation is at stake. France too is fighting with the same incentive of self-preservation. The word has gone out again and again that Germany and German militarism must be crushed. The defense of their fatherland is the governing thought of the German armies. Both Austria-Hungary and Servia are fighting with the necessity in mind of self-preservation.
So from every conceivable source, ingredients have entered into this war that make it one of the bitterest and most destructive. By referring to the map on the front page of last week's issue, the reader will see at a glance that a very large part of the world is already involved in the conflict. How long it will last, the infinite God alone can tell. But while it lasts, it must be excessively bitter, for the reason that every principal nation engaged, believes that it is fighting for its existence.
While Russia may not consider that her existence is involved, yet she is fighting for one of her great ambitions, and there is even now talk that she will concentrate the greater part of her efforts upon the Turks, because now, while the rest of Europe is embroiled in war, would seem to her to be the opportune time to strike them down.
With conditions of this kind in the world, and such animosities rankling in the hearts of the people of these various nationalities, how can any one, even from the human standpoint, expect to see peace spring up?
As we have frequently pointed out, these hostilities must cease, for God has a great message of the second coming of His Son to be given to this world; but during the interim of peace between the war now raging and the Armageddon that lies beyond, these hatreds will tend to grow and deepen, and consequently the next war will be even more furious than this one.
We realize that this presentation of the situation is out of harmony with the great mass of human theory, but it is nevertheless in harmony with the actual facts, and more important still, with the word of God, which very clearly tells us that the spirit of war and not the spirit of peace will dominate the angry nations in these closing years of time.
