XXIV.

EUROPE IN THE GRIP OF INTERNATIONAL

FINANCIERS

The World War, terrible as it was, did not decide definitely the issues therein involved. The Central Powers, it is true, were defeated in the military sense; but the military defeat of those Powers was not the basic purpose in the World War. The basic purpose in the World War was to obtain for the Triple Entente's international financiers the absolute control of the international commerce and finance of Europe and of Asia, if not also that of the United States of America. Despite the military defeat of the Central Powers,--despite the division of Europe and Asia among the victorious European countries and their vassals, such as Poland, Czechoslovakia, Roumania and Jugoslavia,--despite the bartering of millions of human beings, as if they were dumb animals, the primary object of the World War has not been achieved. Europe is in chaos. The world has no peace; and certain groups of international financiers are preying upon helpless Europe. Europe now is a fruitful field for those international leeches.

We shall now proceed to give a brief summary of the activities of the international financiers in Europe after the Paris Peace Conference had delivered Europe to them. In November, 1922, a few international financiers betook themselves to London and there, in a luxuriously furnished office, sitting in comfortable chairs, undisturbed by the roars of cannon and by the heartrending moans of the dying, they attempted to settle the very question which four years of terrible war could not settle.

The question at that meeting in London was not, whether or not the world was made "safe for democracy." The only question there was, "How and under what arrangement the Berlin-Bagdad Railroad might be completed?" It may be remembered that the Berlin-Bagdad Railroad is a cold business proposition, and it has no connection with the idea of making the world "safe for democracy." The completion of the Berlin-Bagdad Railroad irrefutably means the control of the greatest part of the international commerce of the world.

The Cleveland Press, on December 2, 1921, two years after the end of the war, editorially made the following comment with reference to that meeting:

"HUMAN"

"When Germany went to war the main thing she wanted was to complete the Berlin-Bagdad Railroad. Seven years elapse. The curtain rises on Act 3: Hugo Stinnes, Walter Rathenau and other big Germans visit London. It leaks out that they are arranging to complete the railroad from Berlin to Bagdad.

"That is the usual way. After the war is over, both sides settle the original argument peacefully. No wonder the late B. L. T. referred to us as 'the so-called human race.'"

The meeting in London was not successful. The Berlin-Bagdad Railroad was not completed. The world remained in chaos; dissatisfaction was clamoring everywhere. There was no peace, though the whole world cried for peace. To quiet the world the "Disarmament Conference" was called to Washington, where President Harding pleaded with the delegates to make a "peace by understanding."

Referring to the chaos and misery into which the world was thrown as the result of the world war, President Harding, in the course of his speech, said:

"How can humanity justify or God forgive? Human hate demands no such toll; ambition and greed must be denied it. If misunderstanding must take the blame, then let us banish it, and let understanding rule and god-will regnant everywhere. All of us demand liberty and justice. There can not be one without the other, and they must be held the unquestioned possession of all peoples. Inherent rights are of God, and the tragedies of the world originate in their attempted denial. The world today is infringing their enjoyment by arming to defend or deny, when simple sanity calls for their recognition through common understanding."

What a sermon those words contain! Yet the victorious part of the world, the members of the League of Nations, refused to disarm and have a "peace by understanding." The world remained in chaos.

Under the pretext to remedy the ills of the world, another conference was called to Genoa, Italy. The conference ended in a fiasco, because its aim was not to find a permanent foundation for a durable peace but to apportion the vast Russian oil fields among the various financial interests who were the real power behind the conference. While the conference was held ostensibly by politicians and diplomats, the real and controlling power was in the hands of international financiers in whose interest and for whose sole advantage the conference was called and held.

It was a conference of politicians and international financiers. Among them was "M. Poincaré, President of the French Republic, who is not only a very clever and very dangerous Bismarckian politician; but he is also a lawyer who for twenty years was the legal agent of the most powerful financial and industrial groups in France, including the Iron Combine, dominated by M. Schneider, of the Creusot armament works, the Coal Combine, the Chemical Combine and the Schneider Bank. These great financial interests control a large part of the Paris press which has very peculiar ways of earning a living. It is these interests which brought M. Poincaré to the presidency in 1913, and it is these interests which have been behind him ever since." {"Current Opinion" for July, 1922. "Plain Words to France," quoting M. P. Noyes in "New York World."}

The financiers were represented at the conference by "the unofficial Committee of Bankers, among whom sat J. Pierpont Morgan of New York; Sir Robert Kindersley of the Bank of England, and M. Sergent of France." {Ibid.} It was claimed that "the objective of the Bankers' conference has been simply an arrangement for a loan to Germany."

Despite any claim of a lofty aim and purpose for which the conference of Genoa was called, it is now clear that its purpose was not the establishment of peace, but the apportionment of the Russian oil fields among financial interests. Throughout the conference not one word was spoken, nor was there one earnest step taken toward basing Europe on the foundation of peace. The entire time of the conference was consumed by working out adroit schemes whereby the Russian oil fields might be divided among insatiable financial interests. Human interest was lacking; and an earnest desire for peace was absent; the predatory financial interests were struggling among themselves and with Russia; and consequently, the whole conference was reduced to a mad scramble for oil. The natural and logical result, therefore, was that the conference ended in a fiasco, or, as M. Rene Pinon, a French writer states: "The conference which began as a congress of diplomatists is ending in a melee between the great oil companies." {Quoted in "American Review of Reviews," July, 1922, p. 105.}

The truth of the assertion of M. R. Pinon is strengthened by the description of the conference given by not less a personage than Lloyd George, Premier of England, who officially summoned the conference, and who appeared "in his familiar role of the heroic fireman turning the hose on his own conflagration." {"Current Opinion," July, 1922, p. 25.} After the conference had ended, Lloyd George returned to England to rest his weary head. To administer unto the edification of his own soul he went to church to listen to a "Welsh sermon." An old man greeted him and, desirous to obtain first hand information, he asked Lloyd George how things were getting along in "Gehenna," of course, having in mind Genoa. Lloyd George quickly replied, that there was but a slight partition between Gehenna and Genoa; and the partition wall was so thin, that, at times, it seemed he could smell the very fumes rising from Gehenna. To this vivid description the premier added that, in his opinion, based upon his experiences at Genoa, "It is only the religion of Jesus Christ that can save the world from another catastrophe." {"Cleveland Plain Dealer," June 6, 1922.}

The call of warning for another war has been sent out from London. Under date of May 13, 1922, Sir Hall Caine, a noted British author, has broadcasted the prognostication that there will be another war into which America "will be as surely swept by the torrents now as she was before." This "noted author" evidently was close to the official forecasters of wars; he was near the seat of International Finance and International Commerce. These buccaneers wanted to obtain control over certain Russian oil fields, but they did not succeed. Then they began to cry war. The platitude that "the money aim can lead only to war--a war without a soul, a war against the despairing Germany, with a famishing Russia behind it," was announced.

Sir Hall Caine further warned: "The war for four years shook the world to its foundation. Everything was sacrificed to it. Its material consequences knew no limits. Its spiritual penalties were universal. The agony of it entered every household, the irony of it into every soul. At length the awful thing came to a close and in the first triumphant hours of peace the world cried: "Never again. The reign of brute force is at an end. Let there be no more war."

"Victors and vanquished appeared to be of one mind about that, and if there had been a nation strong enough and pure enough and detached enough and with hands clean enough, to give humanity a lead toward lasting peace, perhaps the salvation of the world might have been assured.

"If the Conference of Genoa breaks down utterly, the consequences will be war. If the war cloud bursts, it will give short warning. The flood of it will overwhelm the world. America across her ocean, although she has stood apart, will be as surely swept by the torrents now as she was before. 'Stand by France and Belgium,' sounds like a brave slogan--but for mercy's sake let us know what it means. It means that for the sake of money, of private property, of reparation for the past war, we will risk a war in the future--a war that can have no ideals behind it, no thrill of heart, no inspiration, no consolation, no sense of victory in defect that shall be strong enough to conquer loss and death."

The threat that "if the Conference of Genoa breaks down utterly, the consequences will be war," if interpreted correctly, really meant that, unless the international financiers and predatory concession hunters succeeded in compelling Russia to turn her oil fields over to the international financiers, the peoples of the world would be pitted against one another again, and another bloody war would be fought. But, if the predatory interests expected that the people of the world would rise again, and at the sound of drums and under the inspiring strain of national airs, would march smilingly onto the battlefields to offer up their lives in order to obtain concessions in the oil fields of Russia for the benefit of the international financiers--if that was what they expected, then the international financiers met with a keen disappointment.

The newspapers in the United States of America frankly warned the people against "this propaganda" which came "from interests desirous of obtaining American aid in some affair of Europe." {"The Cleveland Sunday Leader-News," May 26th, 1922.} At the same time "those Washington gentlemen" were warned that they "may make their little agreements; but if they ever come around with another conscription list, ordering men to pack up and sail, the result would surprise them uncomfortably." {"The Cleveland Sunday Leader-News," January 1, 1922.} The result of this wholesome warning was that the uncrowned rulers of Europe had no moral courage to order the people of the world into another mortal conflict. The war scare failed; and there was no world war.

But the insane desire for more wealth spurred the international financiers to further action. They did not want peace in Europe. They wanted a large piece of the oil territory of Russia. Since they could not have obtained at Genoa what they wanted, they ordered another conference to be held at the Hague.

Accordingly, the conference to the Hague was called and held. There the fiasco of Genoa was repeated. The international financiers were fighting for the oil territory of Russia. But they did not obtain what they desired. The conference ended, and Europe was left where she had been ever since the lamentable Peace Conference of Paris left its unhallowed footprints in the quicksand of international dishonesty.

After the fiasco at the Hague, another conference was called to London, England, where another attempt was made by the invisible rulers of the world to carry out their plan of world control. The "official" title of the conference was the "Conference on Reparation." But it made no attempt at reparation. The international financiers and their hirelings (politicians and diplomats) sought control of certain German mines and forests. It was evident, therefore, that the Conference sought to carry further the plan of complete destruction and subjugation of Europe. However, the Conference "broke up without reaching a conclusion, the main difficulty being over the control of German mines and forests." {"The Manchester Guardian Weekly," August 18, 1922.} Again, the international financiers had failed in the furtherance of their plan. They now wanted German mines and forests, but they got neither of them. Europe, however, remained in chaos.

To follow closely the tireless scheming of the world destructionists, namely the international financiers, it is significant to note that the "Reparation Conference" at London "broke up" on August 14, 1922. At the news of the failure of that Conference to extend its destructive hands to a more complete degeneration of Europe, civilized mankind might have breathed easier and lived in the chimerical hope that the arch fiends of the world had found the further destruction of the world and the enslavement of the people impossible.

But the motto of the international financiers and their hirelings is: "If you don't succeed, try again." Immediately after the London fiasco, the world woke up to the fact that James M. Cox, the presidential nominee of 1920 of the Democratic party, was traveling in Europe and was giving out interviews as to what should be done there. Colonel E. M. House was also, at that time, in Europe, and was lavish in his advice. So that on August 29, 1922, that is, fifteen days after the London fiasco, the United News sent broadcast and published in America the advice given by James M. Cox and Colonel E. M. House.

If the reader expects the advice of Colonel House to have been based upon any trace of democratic principles, he is mistaken. If he expects that advice to have been based upon any human principle, or that it is calculated to work out international justice, he will be much disappointed; for in his advice Colonel House ignores the right of the people of the world to say under what conditions they can live together peacefully. He advises with cynical boldness the "reconvening of the International Bankers' Conference to take up the whole reparations and European situations simultaneously." {"Cleveland Press," August 29, 1922.} In brief, Colonel House would have us believe that the people of the world have nothing further to say as to how the world's affairs should be conducted. His advice seems to indicate that if the international financiers have not skinned the people of all countries sufficiently, those vultures should be given another chance to complete the skinning of the world to the seventh skin.

That the reader may get the full significance of and the apparent reason for the advice of Colonel House, he should remember that the international financiers were present at every conference held since the Paris Peace Conference had left its unhallowed memory in the mind of mankind. At these conferences the international financiers had "already declared their willingness to say on what condition a loan would be feasible." {"The Manchester Guardian Weekly," August 18, 1922.}

The reader should also understand the full significance of this declaration. The international bankers did not "declare" that they would lend their money so that mankind may be benefited by it; but they "declare" that they are "willing" to tell the world "on what conditions" they will lend money. The "conditions" have not been stated openly as yet; but it is now common knowledge that ever since the armistice was signed, during the Paris Peace Conference and during all the conferences, the international financiers wanted the ores, coal, oil, land and table salt of Hungary, all the oil fields of Russia and Poland and, finally, the "mines and forests" of Germany.

It is, therefore, logical to conclude that the international financiers are willing to make a loan to keep the people of Europe from starvation, provided Europe will turn over to them all the mines, forests, oil fields, tillable land, and subject themselves and their children's children to everlasting economic and political slavery.

In addition to the undemocratic advice of Colonel House, we have the advice of James M. Cox, the defeated Democratic candidate for the presidency of the United States of America. Of course, he endorses the advice of Colonel House and adds that Herbert Hoover should go over to Europe and umpire the game of the international financiers. Herbert Hoover, however, characteristically replies: "If you have killed the cow, you cannot milk it." Which, being interpreted, means that if you destroy the world and kill off the people, you have nobody left to rob.

It is evident that the international financiers now seek the aid of certain political leaders in the United States of America. Here we have another bid again to mislead the American people and obtain their aid in the complete annihilation of Europe and of the whole world. But will the American people go into another agony to "make the world safe for democracy," and to give the international financiers another chance to complete their plan of world slavery? The American people answered this question in 1920, and the indications are that that answer will stand.

But the international financiers continued their plotting. They evidently expected the American people to rush to Europe to help milk the cow which has already been butchered by the international financiers. As if encouraged by the interviews of James M. Cox and Colonel House and by other events, the international financiers sent out a statement from Germany, where the two aforementioned Americans were then sojourning. The statement had the same date that the interviews of Cox and House had, namely August 29th, 1922. That statement throws full light upon the caliber and plan of the international financiers. That this statement came from Germany should not surprise the reader, because the international financiers have no country, in the patriotic meaning of the word. An international financier in Germany is just as bad as in France, England and in the United States of America. He is a leech wherever he is found.

The statement broadcasted by the "United Press" sets forth that "the four richest men in Germany--Stinnes, Voegeler, Kirdors and Thyssen--gathered today in an attempt to save their country from ruin." The millionaires met with Chancellor Wirth to discuss the grave economic crisis brought about by the unprecedented slump of the mark.

These millionaires had their plans as to how to "save" Germany "from ruin"; and the following was the plan:

"They presented details of their plan to underwrite the fatherland's ability to pay reparations, in case a moratorium was granted by the allies." And to that end they were to draw up a "plan of treaties between the wealthy industrials of Belgium and France." {"The Cleveland Press," August 29, 1922.}

The full and unmistakable meaning of the foregoing statement is that "the four richest men in Germany" are able to pay all the German debt which seventy millions of Germans are unable to pay. It means further that the "wealthy industrialists of Germany, France and Belgium" are on quite friendly terms and are drawing up "treaties" among themselves. It means that the international financiers have now full control not only of Germany, but of the whole world. It means that a few men who control the wealth of the world can pay all the debts of all the nations of the world; while all the people of the whole world are unable to pay their national debt. It means further that until Christian civilization will stay the hands of these tyrants, the people of the world shall suffer unprecedented hardships.

How pitiably helpless the world has become as against the international financiers is vividly stated by "The New Age," a weekly paper published in London, England. It is no longer the question what the French, German, English, American or other people want or desire. The peoples of any of these countries are just as helpless as the peoples of the other countries. The international financiers recognize no people; it makes no difference what the people want. So far as the international financiers are concerned, the important matter is to obtain all they want. On this point, "The New Age" says in its editorial:

"France cannot, without changing her financial system, avoid bankruptcy. At the same time she cannot change her financial system, because the international financial dictatorship will not let her. Here we have the key to the situation, not only of France, but of all the world that accepts a financial system imposed on it by the ring of private financiers."

"Actually, there is no bankruptcy, in the strict economic sense, in France or, for the matter of that, in Germany either. Actually, equally, neither England nor America is poor or unable to forego or pay debts. The actual wealth of all these countries is immeasurable. But owing to the idiocy which allows this actual wealth to be measured by money over which a few private individuals have complete control, any one of these countries, though actually wealthy, can be declared and made bankrupt at the discretion of Wall Street (New York), Threadneedle Street (London), and the Banks of France and Germany.

"But so long as this super-communist dictatorship of the civilized world continues, anarchy is always next door to us; not a single nation can do as its people pleases, and one country is no more responsible for any given situation than another. We agree that the French policy appears to be that of a lunatic; so, too, do the policies of the other countries of Europe and America. But the initial cause lies not in the details, but in the plan; and that plan, we repeat, is imposed by the existing financial system which itself is the work of arch-lunatics." {Quoted in the "Dearborn Independent," August 26, 1922. In commenting upon the above editorial, the "Dearborn Independent" charges that: "Here in the United States, Bolshevism has been traced directly to the door of certain bankers, who are financing for racial or business reason the downfall of huge sections of humanity." What are the American people going to do about it?}

In spite of the fact that the international financiers have obtained the upper hand in the control of the world, it is apparent that humanity was reluctant to sink and to submit to the yoke prepared by the arch enemies of civilization. But even this reluctance has comparatively little effect upon the plan of the international financiers. They have declared a new type of war to revenge themselves upon the people of Europe, if not upon the whole world. This new type of war is intended and waged to reduce a part of Europe to beggary and starvation; and, then, to force the people into submission.

This new method of warfare is purely financial. It is more terrible than a war of steel, poison gas and liquid fire; for in a war of steel, gas and fire, the worst that can happen to a warrior is to be killed, his body returned to dust and his soul to his Maker; but in a financial war the physical bodies of men, women and innocent children are subjected to all the tortures of hell, and their souls killed in the mad scramble for the necessaries of life.

The purpose of this financial war is to destroy the exchange value of the currency of the defeated countries, and thereby render those countries economically helpless. When those countries shall have been hurled into an economic bankruptcy, then an international loan will be forced upon them. And when a huge international loan shall have been fastened upon their shoulders, those debtor peoples immediately will become and remain forever abject slaves of International Commerce and International Finance.

International loan is a more effective means of subjugating a nation than explosive bombs, poison gas and liquid fire. Under the present condition, in order to destroy a nation, it is not absolutely necessary to train your cannon against, and manipulate them to belch forth liquid fire upon, that nation. You can kill a nation by forcing upon it an international loan. These loans, of course, are made by international bankers, behind whom stand the armies and navies of the nations which they happen to control. Besides, with the loan goes the right to control politically and economically the country to which the loan is made. And may God, in His infinite mercy, have pity upon the nation which is owned, body and soul, by international financiers!

The terrible financial war waged by the international financiers has wrecked the finance of Germany, Austria and Hungary and, as a consequence, has hurled Europe, if not also the whole world, into economic chaos. The international commercial relation of the world is in a chaotic condition. One-third of the world being in financial bankruptcy, the other two-thirds is unable to do business with the bankrupt one-third. To use Herbert Hoover's simile, the cow that has been killed cannot be milked.

In addition to the financial war conducted in Europe by the international financiers, Greece was induced to make war on Turkey. The pretext for that war was that the "Turks mistreated the Christians at Smyrna." The fact, however, as every one knows, was that the object of the war against Turkey was to force her into submission. Subsequent developments have shown that the international financiers were aiming at obtaining oil concessions in the rich oil fields of Turkey. The war has resulted in a disaster to Greece. The concession-hunter financiers did not succeed in forcing Turkey to give them concessions.

After the Graeco-Turkish war fiasco, the "Near East Conference" was called. The subject of the Conference was not the alleged mistreatment of the "Christians at Smyrna" by the Turks; it was Oil. The British, the French and the American oil interests were on the spot and fighting not to "make the world safe for democracy," but for oil concessions in Turkey.

The "Near East Conference" held at Lausanne had developed into a three cornered fight among the British, the French and the American oil interests for oil. The "Anglo-Persian" oil interests "with their Jewish bankers in the Dutch Shell," an English corporation; the Royal Dutch Petroleum Company, a Holland corporation; the Shell Transport and Standard Oil Company and other American oil interests were in line to obtain oil concessions. Their interests were centered in oil and not in the "Christians of Smyrna."

"Back of the Royal Dutch are said to be the great Jewish bankers of Germany and of France,--back of the Shell are Jewish interests of England, the Rothschilds and, openly, the house of Sir Marcus Samuel, now Lord Bearstead . . . . It is the great Jewish banking power which dominates the Dutch Shell with which the Standard and the Anglo-Persian companies are the principal competitors." {See Wallace Thompson's article, "World Oil--War or Entente?" in "Asia," May, 1923, pp. 236-238.} At the head of the Dutch Shell is Sir Henry, a Hollander by birth, a Jew by race, a British subject by adoption, and a knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire by creation of King George."

"The greatest financial interests in the world--the Jewish bankers of Europe," as Mr. Thompson calls them, were working hard to squeeze out the American oil interests from Turkey. But the Americans had succeeded in obtaining concessions from Turkey. The result was that, for a time being, England, France and the United

This is the way the French army of occupation makes the world "safe for democracy" in the Ruhr Valley. Friedrich Lallman, bookkeeper for a workers' organization, innocent of any wrong doing, was flogged with horse whips, made of wire, by French soldiers in the High School cellar at Bochum. The doctor ascertained 72 welts, each averaging 74 centimeters. (Reprinted by permission from "The American Monthly," Feb., 1924.)

States of America, were heading toward war, not--we beg to repeat--"to make the world safe for democracy," not to help "the Christians of Smyrna," but to obtain OIL concessions from Turkey!

In addition to that mad scramble for oil, the invasion of the Ruhr Valley by the French took place. The Ruhr Valley contains the coal and iron supply of Central Europe. The admitted purpose of the invasion was to obtain control of that coal and iron supply of Central Europe. It is to be noted that those groups of international financiers who shall control the coal and iron supply of Central Europe shall also control economically and politically all of Central Europe. There is no national issue, there is no question of human rights, there is no question of the world's safety or unsafety "for democracy" in the invasion of the Ruhr Valley. The sole question is: "Who shall control the iron and coal supply of Central Europe?"

As the result of the mad scramble of the various groups of international financiers for more wealth, power and world control, there is a wild chaos in Europe. Europe is on the verge of another war. If that war should ever break out, Christian civilization in Europe would be in grave danger of annihilation. It is so predicted by Lloyd George who knows whereof he speaks. Christian civilization, therefore, is being put to a crucial test. The trend of world events are fully supporting the warning of Lloyd George, that: "The religion of Jesus Christ is the only thing that will save the world from another catastrophe."

By this warning Lloyd George undoubtedly means that if another catastrophe is to be avoided, the war profiteers of Europe must recognize the God-given right of all the peoples of Europe to life, liberty and to the pursuit of happiness. The war profiteers must learn the difference between "meum et tuum" (mine and thine), to take and keep only that to which they are rightly and justly entitled and, at the same time, let the people have and hold all that which is rightly and justly theirs.

This, we believe, is, at least in part, the religion of Jesus Christ. It is of very compelling importance that the international financiers be converted to, and then compelled to keep and devoutly practice, this religion. Thus alone shall the world be saved from another catastrophe.