Europe's War Scare.

New York Times 100 years ago today, March 12, 1913:
Franco-German Jealousy Deprecated as Causeless.
To the Editor of The New York Times:
    If a plague were devastating Europe we would feel an impulse to send help and sympathy. But this increase of armaments by France and Germany means as much loss and misery. It is logical for peace lovers to try to understand the cause of this panic fear, which may be an illusion, a mistrust which need not exist. Why should the birth of a new Balkan nation be a menace to Europe? In families the coming of a new son or daughter does not call for unreasoning jealousy on the part of the elders. Why does not the new State with increasing civilization mean new markets for the rest of the world, new outputs of mining and agriculture to employ the excess of population of other countries?
    There is no antagonism of religion to create warring ideals, as in the case of Turkey. As Italy emerged a new State in the 60s, as Germany in 1870, why should not Graeco-Bulgaria also be welcomed to the Congress of Nations? The food problem, the cost of living problem, is the real difficulty ahead for all nations. This can only be solved by a more highly developed civilization, which would bring better efficiency to individual effort so that more wheat could grow to an acre and inventive genius be applied to labor-saving and comfort-producing.
    Is the fear of Russia to stop all progress, and is the only way to improve the lot of underfed millions to kill them off in wasteful, cruel war? If statesmen of the right calibre would only appear it might instead look forward to a federation of the States of Europe, which would insure the peace of the world and the chance for men to go forward toward the ultimate goal of possible development.
            ANNIE W. GOULD.
            New York, March 8, 1913.