Springfield weekly Republican. [volume], September 17, 1914, Page 14, Image 14

About Springfield weekly Republican. [volume] (Springfield, Mass.) 1851-1946

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14
THE TURKISH ABROGATION
EXPLANATION BY RUSTEM BEY
SOVEREIGNTY OF THE PORTE
Embassador Says That American Mis
sions and Schools Will Be Pro
tected by Ottoman Law.
The Turkish embassador. A. Rustem
Bey. explained in detail to Secretary
Bryan Friday at Washington the mean
ing of Turkey’s abrogation of all conven
tions and capitulations restricting the
sovereignty of the Porte. The embassador
made it clear that American missions and
schools would continue to be protected by
Ottoman law. although American citizens
would lose their extraterritorial rights in
civil and judicial cases. The capitulation
which had been abrogated, he said, would
not affect the existance of the missions,
which had been recognized previously by
Turkish law.
As Turkey’s notification was of a gen
eral character, without specifying special
treaties, officers had not been sure of the
extent of the action. They were inclined
to believe, however, that as the special
privileges granted by Turkey were woven
in most agreements, its effect would be
to break off Turkey’s treaty relations
with the entire world.
That view was confirmed in Turkey's
notification that the Ottoman government
had adopted “as the basis of its relations
with other powers the general principles
of international law.’’
Officials at Washington believe the ef
fect of Turkey's action will be as fol
lows: Americans and other foreigners who
have had the right of trial in civil and
criminal cases by their own diplomatic
and consular courts now will be subject
entirely to Ottoman law. Turkey will be
able to increase or reduce her customs
duties without the consent of the powers.
Americans and other foreigners who
hitherto have been exempt from the pay
ment of professional taxes can be required
to pay the same. The religious freedom
of Christians will not be interfered with
except that the tax which Mohammedan
rule imposes on all who are not of that
faith may have to be paid by Christians,
if the Turkish government so desires.
Although the status of American mis
sions and schools is not changed by Tur
key’s action, there was much discussion
here as to the possible effect on the mis
sionaries. who had eome to look on extra
territorial rights as their chief fortification
against religious oppression. While the
right of the missions to exist is not threat
ened. officials would not say just how far
their seeuritv might be in. jeopardy, es
pecially in view of a possible outbreak of
hostilities.
Many Americans, especially the Jews in
Palestine, who have inherited rights of
American citizenship by living in what
are known as the ex-territorial communi
ties of Turkey, will not be able to beetow
the rights of American citizenship upon
their children born in those communities.
The action of Turkey will not affect
Egypt, according to officials, as that coun
try. since 1873. has enjoyed the right to
make separate commercial treaties with
foreign governments.
STRAUS ON TURKEY’S AST.
Sees a European Hand in tile Matter
History of the Capitulation*—The
Turkish Temper.
That Turkey's action in abrogating the
series of conventions, treaties and spe
cial privileges through which foreigners
were exempted from local jurisdiction in
civil and criminal cases must have been
taken in accordance with an underetand
mg with one or more European powers
was asserted Friday at New York by
Oscar S. Straus, ex-embassaJor ot the
United States at Constantinople. Mr
Straus talked freely of Turkey's effort to
establish complete sovereignty within her
borders.
In view of the crisis in Europe. Mr
Straus said, it was not surprising that
Turkey should seize an opportunity to
cast off the trammels upon her freedom
as a nation. Whether good or ill was to
come of it, he added, would depend upon
Turkey alone; it was conceivable that
good might accrue, if the government made
enlightened use ox this added sovereignty
by placing the administration of justice
upon a modern plane, by protecting the
Christians and other non-Mohammedan
peoples in the enjoyment of their full
rights. Mr Straus did not care to fore
cast the outcome of Turkey’s move, but
he did say that the government under the
new parliamentary regime, was in a far
better position to expect success than when
Abdul Hamid ruled.
Our Interests in Turkey.
While this abrogation of extra-terri
torial rights may have been made with
the knowledge and encouragement, if not
the assistance, of European powers, Mr
Straus, had no idea that the United
States was involved. American interests,
be pointed out. were large and important
in a “huffian and educational way.” "We
have.” he said, “about 550 institutions
of various sorts there and several colleges.
Speaking roughly and without exact facts
in hand, I should say our trade with
Turkej' does not amount to more than
$20,000,000 both ways, annually. On the
other hand onr concern in anything af
fecting foreigners resident in Turkey must
be keen. Of course, it is not for me to
say whet the United States will do or say,
if anything.
“But I will say this: I think no one
who is familiar with Turkey and her af
fairs will begrudge her the right to be
••ome Borereign in her own land provided
she will conduct herself to justify re
liance upon her courts, provided she will
not use her power to oppress those liv
ing in the country who are of religious
faith other than Mohammedan. It is,
indeed, not to be wondered at that the
Turk should seek to free himself from
the trammels, which the various nations,
with more or less persistency, have in
stated upon maintaining up Turkish
sovereignty, not- -and I wish you would
understand this clearly-—because of a
desire to browbeat or oppress Turkey,
but because of lack of reliance upon her
judicial system. This system for the
past 100 years has been nominally based
upon the code Napoleon, but only nomi
nally. The administrative system of Tur
key, in truth, was archaic and medieval
—it was based upon the Koranic law,
but did not breather the true Koranic
spirit.”
The Effect on Mlasiona.
Turkey’s decision to abolish the capitu
lations is one of the most momentous re
sults of the world war, according to Dr
Abram W. Halsey of the Presbyterian
board of foreign missions, who is one of
the trustees of Robert college. He
made a trip to the various centers
of missionary activity in Turkey last
spring. Dr Halsey considers that, logically
speaking, Turkey’s action is not only
easily understood, but is justified. At
the same time, he does not hesitate to
say that he is exceedingly dubious of the
manner in which Turkey will observe the
obligations of justice toward foreigners
which she now takes upon her own
shoulders.
"There can be no queetion that the
present leaders in Turkey.” he said, “are
men of very progressive leanings, broad
minded and liberal in their views. Most
of them are graduates of Robert college
or the other American missionary schools.
1 talked with many of them during my
last visit, and I found that they were
honest in their desire to reconstitute Islam
nnd make her truly independent. But
I the great question is whether these men
I can stem the tide of the vast majority of
Mohammedans, who hate all foreigners
with an unreasoning hatred, and who look
upon this as an opportunity to cast off
whatever restraint has been imposed upon
them by fear of the western powers.
When I was in Beirut last May it was
impossible for an American to walk the
streets after dark. When we wished to
go out we had to take a cab. and even
then it was frequently necessary for the
driver to lash out at men who cursed us.
and actually tried to attack us.
Turks Fear Warships.
'Despite the marvelous strides which
Turkey has made in the last five years,
the veneer of orientalism has scarcely
been scratched. Constantinople has been
cleared of its dogs and many of its smells:
you find trolly cars and telegraph wires
everywhere. But it is a mistake to sup
pose that the days of massacres of Chris
tians are ended. You have only to look
in the faces of the Mohammedan mobs
to perceive the hatred and cruelty light
ing up their eyes at sight of a white man
or woman. I am very glad that the
cruiser North Carolina is on her way to
Turkey, and I should not be surprised if
it became necessary for our government
to send more warships to Turkish waters.
Warships are one thing the Turks fear.
“Conditions in Asia Minor have gone
from bad to worse in the last few weeks,
judging from the information we receive in
letters from our missionaries there. Of
course, these letters were all written before
the most sensational developments in west
ern Europe. But even then the orders for
mobilization of Turkish reserves had been
issued, all young men were being seized in
the streets, and at Beirut alone, more than
15,000 people, with their horses, cattle and
household goods, had fled to the hills to
escape the necessity of military service.
Financial conditions in Turkey are espe
cially bad.
"We have deposits there and our word is
as good as our bond : but the people will
not accept the paper money, which is the
only currency in circulation—and this
despite a special order from the sultan
threatening with death whoever refuses to
accept the paper money as legal tender for
gold. The North Carolina carries SIO,OOO
in gold for our people, and I am fairly
certain that we shall have to send more
before we are through. In fact, we have
already given the authorities at Washing
ton to understand that we expect such a
contingency.
"As to what oppressive measures the
Turks may take against foreigners, now
that they have freed themselves from the
restrictions imposed by the capitulations,
it is difficult to say. I do not think that
the government officially will take any
directly oppressive measures. They fear
this country too much. But I do believe
that we shall hereafter be afflicted with
any number of petty annoyances and legal
impositions under the Turkish law—a law
which is absolutely corrupt, and which is
administered through courts which know
no other influence than the influence of
money. An American without first-hand
information cannot understand the cor
ruption of the Turkish judicial system. Fur
thermore, its hardship upon Christians is
strengthened by the tact that it is based
on the Koran and is bound up closely
with the Mohammedan ecclesiastics.
Hatred of the Moslem Maases to Be
Feared.
“What w have to fear most, it seems
to me, is the violent hatred of the Moslem
masses. I question very strongly whether
the better Turkish leaders will be able to
keep these masses in check. And, of
course, if anything like this should happen,
it would Inevitably mean the crushing of
Turkey. England and Russia could easily
do it after they have finished with Ger
many. Rut what is much more likely is
that Bulgaria, Rumania and Greece will
combine forces to do it at the instigation
of Russia. I hope for Turkey’s sake that
she will avoid violence.
"In some ways, it is perfectly under
standable to any man who loves his own
country that the progressive Turks should
wish to free their country from restraints
which practically interfere with self-gov
ernment Broadly speaking, the position
of Turkey in this light is one inspired by
patriotism and a proper spirit of self
respect But as I have said, the leaven of
civilization has not had sufficient time to
permeate the Ottoman empire, and what
is to be feared is a sudden revulsion to the
ruthless, fanatical savagery which we ex
pected from Turkey up to 10 years ago.
It is true, as the Turkish embassador says,
that this war is Turkey’s opportunity. But
she had better not have availed herself of
it at all, if she cannot avail herself of it
temperately.'*
THE TURKISH CAPITULATIONS.
Corrupt Courts Urged as a Reason for
the Need of Exterritoriality for Fer
elg-ners in Turkey.
To the Editor of The Republican
Your note of Sunday on the Turkish
capitulations, while defensible in the let
ter, gives a wrong impression of their ori
gin and purpose, and leaves their contin
uing necessity unstated. They were obvi
ously not “humiliating concessions” or a
"privileged position” at the outset, for
some were inherited from the autocratic
Roman empire, and the greater part ac
corded in the flush of Turkish power and
expansion. 16tb-17th centuries. In fact,
they were the exact reverse —exclusion of
foreigners from advantages of local citi
eenship and attendant local law. and
throwing on them the burden of support
ing their own courts and defending their
own prosperity and position.
With the vast advance of western civili
zation. while Turkey (before the late revo
lution. at least) had only progressed from
an aggravated hell to an aggravated purga
tory. these concessions, it is true, have be
come the one security for outsiders having
any safe existence at all The Turks them
selves are ill enough off. for the one wit
ness of competent observers is that their
courts are very corrupt and not very com
petent: but foreigners at their mercy would
have virtually the position of medieval
Jews—outlaws precariously existing by
buying favors, and never sure even of
doing that. That these privileges help
make Turkish administration a muddle
and scientific reform difficult, is true; they
are not alone, for there is a Moslem sa
cred law based on the Koran and its com
mentators. which adds to the chaos.
But what are the prospects of any early
scientific reform if these were out of the
way. and meantime what are foreigners
to do? The practical questions for gov
ernments. and the fair-minded who stand
back of them, are three. First. Will the
abolition by itself lift up Turkish courts
into honesty and ability, so that foreign
rights will be safe under them? I see
no cause, rather the reverse. Second.
Are the courts already improving under
the new regime, or is any scheme of re
form under way or soon probable, so that
early prospects of their rivaling western
systems enough for security are good? No
such evidence has been given even by
philo-Turks; counterwise, the testimony
is that the badness of the courts is based
on a public apathy which neither expects
them to he just, nor. indeed, is willing to
have them so at the cost of westernizing
society asd government Third, and deep
est. Are the family of mutually acknowl
edged dvffized states bound to accept the
terms under which less civilized ones ad
mit their citizens to live, and debar or dis
avow emigration else, or have they a moral
right to insist on these worse ones sharing
in world intercourse and comity on terms
fixed by the general sense of the higher?
I do not expect The Republican, whose
consistent attitude on international right
and ethics has my beat-ty respect and gen
eral concordance, to agret with me on this
crucial point. 1 know it is the fixed
-THE SPKLNGMELD V\LLKL¥ REPUBLICAN: THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1914.
i though unjust implication of our champi
j ons that the whole subject has but one
; phase, that of sheer physical dominance:
: that the claim of the superior civiliza
* tion to dictate to the inferior is on a par
with that of the inferior to dictate to the
: superior, as it rests in each case on mere
assertion of fact, as it were, with child
and parent or scholar and boor; that the
right of Holland to colonize Sumatra, or
France to rule Algeria, or Japan to ad
minister Korea, or the United States to
corral the Apaches, has not the least bet
■ ter moral basis than would be that of
I Germany to control the courts of Den
i mark or this country to annex Newfound
। land.
1 know. too. that under color of this
richt of civilized tutelage, much sheer brig
andage. much brutal wrong, much well
i meant, but most harmful, mastery and re
> pression hare been exercised. None the
I less I believe that there is a right of the
I common voice of accepted civilization to
: supremacy to bring the hermits of ignor
ance and brute prejudice into society, to
say that men shall go where the world's
work and progress need, and to enforce
such safeguards as are needful to protect
I them in doing it. When Turkish courts
are reliable instruments of justice for all,
the capitulations will be mere nuisances,
and will be abolished with general good
will; till then they are requisite, and will
I not be abolished if force is available to
i sustain them
Fobbest Mobsan.
Hartford, September IS, 1911.
ENCYCLICAL BY THE POPE.
Benedict IV Hopes tor Peace With
the Beginning of His Pontificate.
The Osservatore Romano, the official
organ of the Vatican, Thursday night pub
lished a pastoral letter from Pope Bene
dict XV in the form of an encyclical to
the episcopacy of the world. It contains
the program for the pontificate of Pope
Benedict which, summarized, calls for re
newed efforts to spread religion through
out the world and urges peace and brother
hood among peoples and nations in fear
of God.
The encyclical, which is addressed to
the universal Catholic world, deals chiefly
with the European war. “Looking out
upon the flock intrusted to our care,”
Pope Benedict says, “the immense spec
tacle of a general war has struck us with
unutterable horror and sadness. When we
see such a considerable portion of Europe
devastated by fire and sword and drenched
with the blood of Christians, it is incum
bent upon us to embrace all without dis
tinction. lambs and sheep, in the arms of
paternal charity.”
The pope implores intercession for peace
to the Virgin whose nativity has just been
celebrated, and then continues: “We ex
hort most earnestly those who govern the
destiny of the nations that they should
bring themselves to a frame of mind
whereby they may put aside all dissensions
contrary to the welfare of humanity. Let
them realize that there already is too much
suffering and sorrow attached to this mor
tal life, and that it should not be rendered
more wretched or more sorrowful; let them
realize how much ruin and disaster already
has been wrought and how much human
blood already has been shed.”
Addressing the heads of the nations, the
pope says: “Hasten, therefore, to enter
into a council of peace. Grasp the right
hand of friendship and receive a special
reward from God. for yourselves ana your
nations and earn the greatest praise from
the brotherhood of man.”
The encyclical ends by the pope ex
pressing the hope that the beginning of
his pontificate will see the end of wars.
A Rome dispatch to the Havas agency,
Paris, says that the pope works daily on
a document, which will appear soon, set
ting forth the pontiff’s ideas regarding a
solution for European peace.
In a dispatch from Rome the corre
spondent of the London Exchange tele
graph company says that the pope baa re
quested the embassadors of the nations at
present at war, which recognize the holy
see, to ascertain the sentiment of their re
spective governments with regard to a
papal peace appeal.
The pope says: “We exhort most
earnestly those who govern the destiny
of the nations that they should bring
themselves to a frame of mind whereby
they may put aside all dissensions con
trary to the welfare of humanity.”
Memorial to Jahn Flake at Athol.
Sunday afternoon the memorial to John
Fiske, the historian, which was placed
in position during the week, was unveiled
in the presence of the family and a large
number of friends. The ceremony was
preceded by a service in the Unitarian
church, from which pulpit the late Dr
Fiske had first given some of his ad
dresses. Rev R. G. Douthit, the minister,
read selections from Dr Fiske's writings,
which outlined his teaching in regard to
the evolution of humanity, the progress
of civilization and the ultimate destiny
of man. He also read the poem on Peters
ham written some years ago by the son,
Ralph Fiske. Rev Mr Douthit spoke on
the life and writings of Dr Fiske, his
love for Petersham and referred to the
fact that it was the 13th of September,
53 years ago, that John Fiske first came
to the town. Following the ceremony
in the ehurch the company proceeded to
the cemetery, where the monument was
unveiled by the grandson of John Fiske,
who bears his name. The benediction
was pronounced by Mr Douthit. The
monument, is a massive block of granite,
weighing nine tone. The inscription on
the face is as follows; "Disce ut semper
yicturus. vive at eras moriturus. John
Fiske, March 30, 1842. July 4. 1901.”
Sew Pastor Welcomed at Colrain.
Thursday evening, the 10th, a large
company gathered in the town hall at
Colrain City to extend a welcome to Rev
Samuel Bartlett, the new pastor of the
Congregational church. Ice-cream and
cake were served and after lunch Loren
zo Griswold, Sr., and Mrs Griswold as
sisted in receiving. Mr Griswold gave
an address of welcome in behalf of the
Congregational church and then introduced
Rev J. D. Graham, who is closing a pas
torate of 11 years over the First and
Second Baptist churches in Colrain. Mr
Graham gave the new pastor a hearty
welcome and spoke of the advantages
of Colrain. Rev Mr I*Page of the Meth
odist Episcopal church also gave an ad
dress of welcome. Rev Mr Bartlett re
sponded with a touching reply, in which |
he spoke of bis long absence from New
England ns a missionary to Japan for 25 ■
years. He spoke of his admiration of
Colrain and his hopes for helpful service
among the people.
Christian Endeavor and the War.
Religious organizations are brushed
aside as war dominates Europe. Rev Dr
Francis E. Clark annouhees that the Ger
man national convention of the society of
Christian endeavor, which was to have
been held at Frankfort next month, has
been given up, and it is doubtful if the
a 11-European convention, scheduled for
Puri; n May, will be held. Dr Clark
makes the following statement:—
Our thoughts during these later weeks have
lieen largely turned to our brethren across
the seas, since we have Christian endeavor
comrades fighting In every army—British,
German. French, fthssian. Austrian and Jap
anese Letters received from the front make
It plain that our friends and brothers In all
these armies feel that they are fighting for
righteousness and justice, and we In this
neutral laud can only hope and pray that the
outcome of this awful war may be the per
manent disarmament of the hostile nations,
and the ushering In of all the thousand year*
ot peace.
That is ail any of us can do- hope hat
out of the swfti! mistakes of njea racy
come that which will be for the permanent
advantage of mankind.
A LETTER ON WAR AND PEACE
FROM ONE OLD MAN TO ANOTHER
Edited by One ot the Old Men tor The
Republican.
Afoust 7. 1914.
Dear A.;—•
That was a strong, ringing letter which
you wrote for the , and every
word of it was weighty with truth. 1
thank you for sending it to me.
But. A., we have come to the end of our
dream of peace for the world. If at the
close of 20 centuries of what we call
civilization, when schools and churches
are thickly planted over every continent,
when the most facile means of intercom
munication bind every part of the globe
together, when the blazing torch of science
has shed its light to the uttermost parts
of the earth, and when even the instru
ments of destruction have been carried to
such deadly perfection that it would seem
that no nation would dare to use them in
any offensive way against another, —when
we consider all this, and yet turn now to
confront the greatest as well as the most
murderous and hypocritical war of all
history, what reason have we to expect,
what reason have we even to hope, that
the dove of universal peace will ever
settle its brooding wings over this sad and
distracted world? Our peace societies have
never been more active in the propagation
of their gospel than during the last 10 or
15 years; never so many peace treaties
have been made between nations as during
that time; never before has a multi
millionaire endowed with his ill-gotten
wealth the cause of peace in this country
with almost limitless prodigality* and built
a "palace of peace” which occupies a place
where even now the deafening thunders of
war roll around it. Al] this has been
done for peace—and the end is war!
Only 50 years have passed since our ow n
country’s hands were red with the blood of
its own citizens fighting one another in
four years of bloody internecine strife. And
how shall we dare to believe that even
the United States can be held back from
another war about something, when so
wise and so good a man as President
Wilson sends an army and battleships to
punish a poor bleeding nation for a mere
punctilio of offense against the "honor of
our flag”?
Mankind Living In a Powder-Hovae.
When folks live in a powder-house, they
must expect to be blown up occasionally.
And our whole community of mankind
lives in a powder-house composed of the
primeval passions of our race, which we
have never outgrown, and. moreover,
which we never shall outgrow, for the sim
ple reason that they are in essential part
of our human nature, without which we
never could have accomplished the mar
vels of what we call our civilization.
Those elemental passions often work to
ward a good end; but quite as often they
work toward a bad end—and our misfor
tune is, and ever will be, that we never
can be quite sure in what direction they
are going to spend themselves. The dog
has been the companion of man from time
immemorial, and has learned to be kind
and docile, gentle to children even when
they plague him; and yet the dog who
doesn t enjoy a fight, particularly one in
which he is a victor, is a cur of such low
degree that is is seldom adopted by a
family. Just so it is with the dog's mas
ter. man. He can ascend to the highest
degree of civility, and descend to the low
est degree of brutality; and the large ma
jority of mankind are always on the as
cending and descending rungs of thd ladder
between these two degrees, just as likely
to go down as to go up. Even the men
on or near the topmost rung cannot be de
pended on to keep their places. Woodrow
Wilson, as a private citizen, would never
think of striking or kicking, much less
shooting, a man who had offered him an
insult, even though he were dissatisfied
with the form of an apology tendered by
the offender; but as president, the same
Woodrow Wilson violently attacks a
crippled government which bad insulted
ours because be was dissatisfied with the
nature of the apology offered by that gov
ernment! William McKinley was a man
of admirable personal qualities, gentle,
kind, sympathetic and f^en affectionate,—a
man such as our own John E. Russell
really loved; yet President McKinley was
the guilty assassin of one of the noblest
ideals of our republic, for which it fought
England seven years to maintain, —the
ideal of self-government; and President
McKinley attacked and destroyed another
government fighting for the same ideal!
The fact is that the beast and the angel
dwell together in onr human nature, each
revealing itself alternately with surpris
ing suddenness and swiftness. We never
can foresee how any human being will act
when taken out of his or her ordinary cir
cumstances and ulaced in entirely different
circumstances. You and I, dear A., are in
the same category. When I was an editor
in Ohio, more than 55 years ago. I for a
few days kept a loaded revolver in my
desk drawer, and at other times carried It
in my pocket, ready to shoot a man who
had threatened to horsewhip me for an
editorial which I had written; and I would
have shot him dead had be ventured to
attack me, for ho was a blackguard and
a ruffian. When I was boarding with you
one summer, I remember how astonished
and startled I was to see you on one oc
casion flame out into vjolent anger against
the boy who was then working for you
because he had used your new bicycle
when its tires were uninflated. Your
eyes blazed and your whole form trembled
with wrath, and you looked and shouted
out your rage st him as if you would
have liked to squelch him on the spot.
Man a Fighting Animal—and Woman,
Too.
I have lived a long and eventful life,
during which I have had a large experi
ence with men and things and much care
ful observation of both. Moreover, dur
ing the last few years, I have done not a
little serious thinking and been a persist
ent student of history, which last is a
record of man’s behavior on this planet
and an illustration of his essential char
acter. As the result of this. I am nei
ther a confirmed pessimist nor a hood
winked optimist—l neither see things
through the rose-colored spectacles of a
jaunty idealist, nor through the double
magnifying microscope of the dry-as-dust
realist. But what I do see is this—that
man is like the God whom he has always
worshiped: that is. double-natured; God on
one side and devil on the other. He is
like Nature, whose man-child he is,—beau
tiful.and brutal. The history of man on
this planet for the last. say. 10,(XX) years,
is one long page of evidence of how he has
alternately exercised one side of his na
ture. the angel, and then the other side,
the fiend, and in not a few instances of
how he has simultaneously exhibited bath
sides at a given time; as, for instance,
when he has provided hospitals and nurses
to save the lives which he was bent on
destroying!
The indisputable fact is that man is
a fighting animal, like all Iris fellow-ani
mals. When he isn't fighting with forts
and dreadnoughts, he is fighting with his
fists and his wits. All business and pol
itics is a kind of heated battle between
financial rivals and political parties, in
which they do not hesitate, to deceive,
traduce and destroy one another. Soci
ety. even in the best of nations, is in a
perpetual state of war- the rich against
the poor and the poor against the rich,
the strong against the weak and the weak
against the strong, class against class.
The strikes, the lockouts, the lynchings, the
murderous monopolies, the assassinations,
all hear witness to this fact. Every
city of considerable size has its “itnder
worid”in which thieves, robbers, burglars
and murderers are born and bred to their
nefarious trades. Every community, large
and small, has its police, its lock-ups,
its jails and penitentiaries, to protect it
self against its savage elements. Violence
is at our doors constantly, and every
night we turn our houses into private
forts, lock and bolt, our doors, to pro
tect ourselves from our enemy—man.
Even the churches fight one another;
instead of nil uniting to worship the one
God in which they say they believe, they
are divided all over Christendom into 300
or more sect*, full of mutual jealousies
and rivalries. They don't "love one
another" as they are commanded to do
by their Bible, well enough to worship
together as brethren and fellow-believ
ers; and when Christians hate one an
other with an intense hatred, history
shows us that it is apt to end in a tight
of the most malignant kind. They love
their own creeds and victories more than
they love their neighbors and their God;
and 19 out of every 20 of their creeds
blaze with the wrath of God toward some
large portion of mankind. President Wil
son and Secretary Bryan are amiable
gentlemen, and yet they believe in a
creed, which, if true, will send you and
me, and-countless millions more, to hell
forever—and yet these worthy gentlemen
sleep well o’ nights'. Why do we flatter
ourselves that we have peace in these
United States, and that our people are
all civilized when 63 per cent of our na
tional income is annually expended for
“general war purposes”?
I have said that man is by nature a
fighting animal. Can I say less of wom
an. “the gentler sex”? What are the so
called “suffragets” doing in England to
day. or have been doing until war was
declared? They are for the most part of
the “better class” of English women, many
of them refined and cultivated. Yet all of
them have either actively or consentingly
been open, wanton, persistent law-break
ers. guilty of incendiarism, personal at
tacks. destruction of private property
and priceless works of art. inciters of
mobs and general deviltry. Why have they
done all this; why have they acted so in
this 20th century? Simply because they
couldn’t have what they wanted as and
when they wanted it! History shows that
woman, in the measure of her strength, is
capable of as much ferocity, cruelty,
vengefulness, and general cussedness as
man—and this not only on a large scale,
as in the French Revolution, but on a
small scale, as in court intrigues and so
cial and club rivalries. In woman, as in
man. the elemental passions are at work
ready to blaze out in fury or to shine in
splendid benignity.
Dear A., such idealists as you and I
have to learn three lessons. First, to see
things as they really are, and not merely
as we would like them to be. Second, to
confess that neither so-called religion nor
so-called civilization can ever eradicate,
from man his primeval passions. Third
(and this is the hardest of all) to admit
that war, like our civil war. may some
times be promotive of the general welfare
no lees than peace—as a terrific electrical
storm will sometimes clear the air of noi
some vapors and sickening fumes.
Do you ask me now if I despair alto
gether of the coming of that time of which
the poet sings. “The federation of the
world and the parliament of mankind,
when all nations will agree to settle their
disputes by arbitration instead of the
sword? I reply to you. No! I think there
is one way, and only one. by which such
a result may be brought about, though so
great is the natural selfishness and wilful
ness of mankind that centuries may elapse
before it can come to pass. So-called re
ligion. civilization, peace societies, and
philanthropy having signally failed to ac
complish it. I believe if anything can bring
it about it will be enlightened self-inter
est. We have had it preached to us for
20 centuries that we must “love our neigh
bor as ourself,” and nobody has done it
because nobody could do it. In the very
nature of our situation and circumstances
in this world we have found it necessary
to look out for'ourselves and those depen
dent on us first, before we gave any
thought or attention to others. We
have had to feed ourselves, clothe
ourselves, and shelter ourselves, and
leave our neighbor to do the same
for himself. Christians have always
done this just as studiously as savages
have done it. But while this love, or
thought, or care for our neighbor has
properly to be postponed until we have
loved, thought and cared for ourselves suf
ficiently,—selfishness to this extent being
entirely righteous as well as natural.—the
trouble between us and our neighbor has
begun when we or he or both of us have
been unfair in our mutual competition. One
of us has tried to grab everything before
the other got in sight; one of us has tried
to deceive, overreach or overawe the other.
Then war between us was inevitable, be
cause we were both of us too mad to rea
son about it, or either of us to give way
to the other. Now. just so long as indi
viduals and nations are guilty of unfair
competition with one another, just so long
we shall have wars on a big or a small
scale, and no cry of "Peace! Peace!” from
church or convention will prevent them.
Any man or nation who will not fight
against injustice, against outrage and in
vasion. is sure to go to the wall The
inexorable law of “the survival of the fit
test” makes this certain, and all history is
a record of its occurrence.
But now, if two men owning adjoining
farms between which a boundary lifie is
in question, and after quarreling about it
for years and trespassing one upon the
other again and again, become convinced
that it is cheaper for them to unite in
hiring a lawyer to look up the titles and
a surveyor to run the line, they will do
so, sure. And if they can also become
convinced, after long trying to “beat” each
other to the nearest market with their
produce, and cutting under each other's
prices at a loss to themselves, that such
rivalry “doesn’t pay,” they may even de
cide to buy a motor truck in partnership
to carry their united produce to market
to be sold at a living price for both.
So, too, if nations, near to or remote
from one another, after long periods of
jealousy and rivalry, with occasional
clashes of arms injurious to both, can be
come convinced that the world is big
enough for both of them without crowding
each other or stepping on each other's
toes; that it is more profitable to trade
with each other than to fight each other;
that it is really more pleasure-producing
to exchange friendly visits than to ex
change deadly shots; that the prosperity
of each in enhanced by the prosperity of
all, in that it produces freer and more
active commerce between them: that free,
contented, peaceable, loyal citizens are of
such priceless value to a nation that it
cannot afford to offer them up as a holo
caust to Moloch—then unfair competition
between them will cease, and war will be
come a lost art.
Dear A., this is a practical, not a senti
mental. matter which we have to consider.
War cannot be abolished by preaching
love or preaching peace—neither prayer
meetings nor peace conventions will do
the job. Only economic and utilitarian
agencies can effect it. And this will take
a long, long time. Man is a slow learner
even of lessons which involve his highest
well-being. Human nature is crafty as
well as pig headed. We have not only to
climb toward our highest goal, but have
to be kicked toward it by the iron-shod
foot of necessity. You and I will never
live to see universal peace or universal
disarmament—neither will our grand
children nor our great-grandchildren.
Sometime in the far future it will come
of necessity, or mankind will commit
suicide. But, I repeat, economic, not
moral, agencies can effect it. This, to me,
Is the lesson of history. Yours ever.
w. w.
RED CROSS SUNDAY.
To the Editor of The Republican:—
At my request the rector of St Paul's
church in this village has consented to de
vote to the immediate use of the Red Gross
the collection to be taken up on Sunday,
October 4, the day set apart by the presi
dent for prayers for peace. Will you not
use your powerful influence to induce all
the churches in the United States of every
creed and denomination to do the same?
The needs of the. Red Cross are very sore
and pressing. Individual subscriptions, of
course, in these times come in slowly, but
the united efforts of the whole people on
the same day will easily bring in what Is
needed. Mabel Croats.
Stockbridge, September 10, 191 f.
cat Th Is is a moat excellent suggestion
and it needs only to be noted by the
churches everywhere to be acted upon.
The movement started in Stockbridge
should spread throughout the country.
IN THE FIELD OF EDUCATION
OPENING OF THE COLLEGE YEAR
President ButterOeld Gives Address
mid Selects ••Leadership’' as the
AVatehword tor the Year.
The Massachusetts agriculture I college
opened, its college year last week at Am
herst. with chapel exercises conducted
by President Butterfield. The president
spoke of the good fortune that enabled
the entire student tody to be present
rather than engaged in a terrible war.
He spoke of the success of the summer
school and the different conventions that
had been held under the auspices of the
college during the summer. Chief among
the conventions was that recently held by
the Chinese college students. This was
especially significant as this organization,
which now comprises 1000 members, was
started at the college nine years ago. The
president spoke of the various changes
that have been made in the faculty. Chief
among these were the foundation of a
rural engineering department, under the
direction of Associate Prof Gunness. The
resignation of Prof Eyerly, head of the rural
sociology department, has occasioned
numerous changes in this department.
Graduate students who have been connect
ed with the department will be tempo
rarily employed as instructors, with Pres
ident Butterfield as acting head of the
department. The president touched with
much feeling upon the resignation of for
mer Dean Mills, due to illness. The forti
tude and wonderful Christian spirit that
Dean Mills has shown in the face of all
his adversities was brought home to the
student body by the president. He has
been elected dean emeritus, while former
Associate Dean Lewis is now dean of the
college.
Ag is his custom, the president gave
at this first assembly the watchword for
the college year". In giving this word he
said in part: It has been difficult to pick
out a watchword this year that would
be suitable. It was necessary to secure
one that would fit in well with the ac
tions of the men on the campus. The
watchword of last year. "Boost old Ag
gie,” did this and I think it was really
an inspiration to many of the activities
about the college. So the word that I
selected this year has that same pur
pose in view. It is a common word, but
one that has many opportunities to be
used as a watchword. It is “Leader
ship.” I hope this word will prove to be
an inspiration to the student body. I
felt that there was sufficient possibilities
in the word to ask the speakers at com
ing Wednesday assemblies to speak along
this line.
These are the things I wish you to
work for under the stimulus of the watch
word. First: That college life shall be
morally clean, that refinement should con
tinue to supplant vulgarity and that col
lege life here should tend constantly to
turn out a man self-contained and self
controlled. There is a chance here as in
other colleges to make the life here clean
throughout, to foster a brotherly feeling,
to be willing to help, rather than to have
a "knocking” spirit, outside of your fra
ternity where it is supposed always to
be. Secondly: College life should be ef
ficient. Perhaps we are not doing the most
here that we should with our opportuni
ties. We should constantly try to make
ourselves more efficient, in activities it is
true, but more especially in the class
room. Finally college life should be bal
anced. It should not be all work, but
yet it does not need to be all play. A man
should be scholarly and efficient, but he
should be able to do something besides his
own particular line of work. I hope this
word will be definite enough for you and
that I have given you a chance to see
that there is a chance to use this word
for a motto. I therefore give you as the
watchword for 1914 and 1915 "Leader
ship.”
Over 100 freshmen have matri
culated at college and as 200 have
been granted admission out of 350
applicants. It is expected that practially
the same number as entered last year will
comprise this year’s freshman class- 1917.
last year’s freshman’s class, entered with
200 men.
LARGE CLASS AT WILLIAMS.
About 20 More Than Last Year to Be
in Entering: Class—The Return of
President Garfield,
Williams college will open the new
academic year with a considerably larg
er entering class than it had last fall.
Approved applications for admission, with
the registration of candidates for examina
tion this week, foretell an increase of
about 20 men over the number admitted
in 1913.
By the latest word received from Pres
ident Harry A.* Garfield, it is announced
that he will return with his'family from
Europe by the Red Star liner Zeeland.
This sailing will not bring the president
home for nearly a week after the college
has opened. All the other faculty members
who nave been traveling in Europe this
summer have either returned or will re
turn in time for the opening, except Prof
George M. Wahl.
Both J. Norton Gru and Albert Louis
Cru, members of the French department,
have returned to France to join the army.
Their temporary replacement by Ameri
can appointees will break Williams’s
long-continued policy of engaging only na
tive Frenchmen as instructors in the de-
Eartment. Albert Harp Licklider, Ph.
>., lately assistant professor of English
in Dartmouth, comes to 'Williams as as
sistant professor in the English depart
ment to supply the vacancy left by Prof
Lewis Perry, who has become principal
of Exeter academy. A professor from
a western university will take the chair
of economics left vacant at Williams by
the departure of Prof Garrett Droppers
to be United States minister to Greece.
ABNER GIBBS SCHOOL OPENED.
Exercises of Dedication at Weal
field.
The formal opening of the new Abner
Gibbs school on West Silver street. West
field, took place Friday. In the morning at
11 appropriate exercises were held in the
open air in front of the building, while in
the afternoon and evening from 4 to 6 and
from 7 to 9 the building was open for
the inspection of the townspeople. At
the morning exercises the speakers, school
officials, the memliers of the building com
mittee and guests were given seats on the
temporary platform that bad been erect
ed for the occasion. James C. Greenough,
formerly principal of the Westfield state
normal school, presided and told of the
noble qualities of Abner Gibbs as a stu
dent and as a teacher. The high school
students were present, and sans several
selections under the direction of E. R.
Hawley, supervisor of music. Mrs N. B.
Pomeroy patriotic instructor of Lyon re
lief corps, presented to the school a hand
some American flag. Superintendent of
Schools C. Edwnrd Fisher, accepted the
flag in liehalf of the school and school de
partment and took occasion to express his
appreciation for the hospitality and the
co-operation that have been manifested on
the part of the teachers and townspeople
since he has been in Westfield.
Rev Lucius H. Thayer of Portsmouth,
N. H„ a former pupil of Abner Gibbs,
delivered a most fitting address in which
be referred to the far-reaching influence
of such a teacher.
m. i. t. sure"of~big bequest.
By a decision of the supreme court at
Boston Friday the institute of tech
nology will receive a bequest of $750,-
000 made by the late Charles H. Pratt, a
Boston lawyer, to found a school for
naval architecture and marine engineer
ing. His will was contested by several
cousins, who claimed that it was not ex
ecuted according to law. Instead of writ
ing bis name at the bottom of the will
Mr Pratt wrote it on the margin. The
decision finds that the execution of the
will was valid.
MONSON ACADEMY’S YEAR.
Outlook Excellent for Institution Now
Nearly 110 Years Old.
From Our Special Correspondent.
Monson, Saturday, September 12.
One hundred and nine years of uninter
rupted success is the enviable record held
by the Monson academy, and from present
conditions there appears to be no reason
why another century of success should not
be in store for the old but modern institu
tion. The smaller number of people who
sought higher education for their children,
the scarcity of funds to promote the work,
and the absence of numerous alumni, to
aid by their loyalty and earnest endeavors,
were some of tie handicaps of the school
while it was on its way to the first cen
tury mark. What the school lacked while
becoming established are her principal as
sets in her forward movement to her sec
ond century goal, one-tenth of the distance
while she has already covered. The 110th
year of the academy, which will open Tues
day, finds the school in a very healthy con
dition, viewed from all points. There has
been very little done in the way of addi
tions or improvements in any of the school
buildings, as the buildings were all in first
class condition. They have been thorough
ly renovated during the summer, and slight
additions made. The addition of a large
shower bath room and new steel lockers in
the Holmes gymnasium has been quite an
improvement, as well as the new board
walk and steps connecting the gymnasium
with the athletic field on Washington
street. Principal Dewing states that there
will be no changes made in the courses of
study for this year. This will be Mr
Dewing’s sixth year as the principal of the
academy. He made many changes the
first few years he was at the school, and
is of the opinion that the courses as at
present arranged are best suited for the
great majority of the students.
There will be two changes in the faculty,
made necessary by the resignation of Miss
Louise Norton, as well as that of O. J. B.
Henderson. Miss Norton was the instruc
tor in mathematics and Mr Henderson
looked after the German and French
courses as well as acting as assistant to
the principal. Miss Norton’s former posi
tion will be filled by Warren Fuller of
Newton. He comes highly recommended,
having made a specialty of mathematics at
Wesleyan university, from which institu
tion he was graduated last summer. Mr
Henderson’s position will be filled by Miss
Effie Brown of Melrose. Miss Brown is a
graduate of Boston university and she has
specialized on French and German. Mor
ris R. Perry, the instructor in chemistry
and physics at the academy, will be the
assistant to the principal, and will hav<‘
charge of Cushman hall. Mr Fuller will,
have charge of the Morris house dormitory.
Miss Martha Ink will continue as matron
of Cushman hall, and Mrs Thompson will
continue the same work at the Morris
house. It is expected that the enrolment
will be about the same as last year. Suf
ficient out-of-town students have been en
roled to fill the dormitories, and the enter
ing class from the grammar school of the
town is an average one.
Principal Dewing, who recently returned
from Nantucket, where he has been spend
ing the summer, has greatly improved in
health. The school was quite badly handi
capped last year, owing to the serious
illness of the principal. At the present
time it is hard to determine how success
ful athletics at the school are to be this
year.
WITH LARGE ENROLMENT.
International College Opens tor Its
Fall Term.
The International college in this eity
began its fall term Thursday with an en
rolment of students that will tax to the'ut
most its capacity. The present capacity of
the school is 120 students and no more than
this number will be taken. Several ap
plicants have had to be turned away. The
large enrolment is a surprise to the
faculty, as it was believed that the present
business conditions would tend to reduce
the number of students. Several of the old
students, who, it was feared, would not be
able to return, have already appeared,
and more are expected in the course of the
next few days. Classes were begun Thurs
day in all departments.
As in previous years, the predominating
nationalities are the Italians, Poles and
Greeks. There are also many Armenians
and representatives of half a dozen other
countries. The faculty is practically the
same as last year.
Normal School Registration Over 200.
The total registration at the Westfield
normal school this fall is now 200. There
are 90 in the senior class and two in the
course for teachers. The enrolment in the
entering or junior class is 108. The de
cision to limit the entering class to 90 was
changed by the state educational authori
ties. Dickinson hall, the dormitory du
King street, is filled to overflowing, and
some of the students are obliged to have
outside rooms. Many of the young women
live at home and go back and forth from
the surrounding towns on the electric cars.
The students at the school were given an
opportunity at 4 Friday afternoon to
listen to Louis G. Monte, who is super
visor of art in the school, and who has
just returned from Europe, where he passed
his vacation. Mr Monte was named as act
ing United States consul at Interlaken,
and was of great assistance to many strand
ed American tourists. He had many in
teresting experiences, and some of these
were related tq the students, who listened
with close attention to all that Mr Monte
had to say.
Williston Seminary’s Openln*.
Williston seminary opened last week
with the usual number or students, num
bering nearly 200. improvements have
been made in all the buildings in the
course of the vacation and fire escapes
have been constructed. There will be two
new instructors. Rev Wai son Wordsworth
in the English department, and George
E. Denman, physical director.
Former Instructor at WlHami la
Fighting for France.
The following postal card, dated August
21 at Romans. Drome. France, has been
received from Albert L. Cru, until recent
ly instructor in Williams college:—
When France needs all her sons to defend
her sacred liberty against the most abomina
ble attack from the Teutonic hordes, alt
Frenchmen will do their duty cheerfullv We
never wanted the war, but we do not fear it,
Vive I'Amerlque!
Vive la France!
VALUES HER PAPER.
To the Editor of The Republican:—
As a subscriber to The Springfield Re
publican for a number of years. I natural
ly find its outlook and opinions on the
events of the day quite satisfactory. So
it gave me great pleasure to hear one pf
the guests nt this hotel—-it woman of note
in archeological circles—say how much
she enjoyed the editorials in my paper. In
fact, she conmderefl them so good, direct
to the point, that she must have the paper,
therefore plans to subscribe for it on her
return tn New York. lam reading care
fully three New York papers. I quite
aprec with my friend, The Republican
{ lives a more satisfactory and helpful out
ook on the situation to-day than any oth
er paper which I rend.
A. I’. T. i’OMEBOY.
Temaiuid Potnt, Me., September 7, 19 H,