shly nationalist, and the masses which had not the
courage to fight for their rights under Kaiser Bebel are now
slaughtering their French and English brethren, and are meekly
enlisted in the legions of Kaiser William.

The "Anglo-German Problem," written by a writer of Belgian origin who
foresaw the catastrophe threatening his native country, will be
followed up shortly by another book on the "Reconstruction of
Belgium." Belgium has been not only the champion of European freedom;
she has also been the innocent victim of the old order. It is only in
the fitness of things that after the war Belgium shall become the
keystone of the new International Order. The whole of Europe is
ultimately responsible for the Belgian tragedy. The whole of Europe
must therefore be interested in and pledged to the restoration of
Belgium and to the liberation of the Belgian people, now crushed and
bleeding under the heel of the Teutonic invader.

CHAPTER II

MY FORECASTS OF 1906 AND 1912[4]

[4] This chapter is entirely made up of extracts taken from
my pamphlet, "The Baghdad Railway," _published in_ 1906, and
from my book, "The Anglo-German Problem," published in 1912.

I.--WE ARE DRIFTING INTO WAR.

"Europe is drifting slowly but steadily towards an awful catastrophe,
which, if it does happen, will throw back civilization for the coming
generation, as the war of 1870 threw back civilization for the
generation which followed and which inherited its dire legacy of evil.
For the last ten years two great Western Powers and two kindred races
have become increasingly estranged, and have been engaging in military
preparations which are taxing to the utmost the resources of the
people, and are paralyzing social and political reform in both
countries. A combination of many causes, moral and political, has bred
suspicion and distrust, and the fallacious assumption of conflicting
interests has turned suspicion into hatred. Only a year ago England
and Germany stood on the brink of war. If, after the _coup_ of Agadir,
Germany had persisted in her policy, the conflagration would have
ensued, the storm would have burst out. The war-cloud has temporarily
lifted, but it has not passed away. The danger is as acute as it
was, because the causes which produced the recent outburst are still
with us, and the malignant passions are gathering strength with each
passing day.

This formidable evil is threatening England, but it does not