The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-02
stormy Political Career which Did
searches in Ancient History.
PROF. MoMMsEN AND AMERICA
INCIDENT OF A BITTER ARTICLE
WHICH WAS NOT PUBLISHED.
Later Revision OF Opinion-Bismarck's
Prosecution of the Professor for
SANDER and Its Result.

BERLIN. Nov. L-Prof. Theodor Morarc-
sen. the historian. died at Charlof.eEourg
at a quarter before 9 o'clock this morning.
he passed away without regafning con-
sciousness. The change from life 10 death
was observed only by his attending ply
stefan, who watched AL night long with
the amily.
United States Ambassador Tower and
other foreign ambassadors here. as well as
a number OF Cabinet ministers. called at the
residence this morning to In
quire how the sick man was and were in
formed that he was dead. Emperor Will
lam and various of the lesser German SOW
ereigns have sent their condolences TO
the Mommsen family. Prof. Mommsen was
born in 1917.
Theodor Mommsen, historian. was born
at Garding, In Schleswig. on Nov. 80. 1917.
and was educated at the universities OF
Altoona and KieI. He Travelled In France and
Italy. lS44-47: edited Observation-Disclosures
Zeitung, ls4S; professor OF Jurisprudence,
Leipzig, 1850; of Roman law, Zurich. 1852
81, and at Breslau. 1S54-5S; ancient history,
Berlin, lS5S-7S; elected a perpetual secre-
tary of the Berlin Academy, 1873; member
of Prussian Deputies, ls7S-S2: tried for
slandering Bismarck, but was acquitted in
both courts of appeal. 1883; edited the
| Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarium for many
years, and also the Monumental Germaniae
Historical. His publications were nuner-
Gus, all historical, and mostly devoted TO
the aspect and influence OF ancient laws
on the history of the affected peoples. The
earliest was on societies in Roman colleges.
1913.
During the Spanish war Mommsen wrote
| an article intended for a magazine which
was then appearing in French, German
and English In London. in which he at
tackled the United States. saying his faith
was destroyed in the Republic as a leader
of the worlds humanitarian movements.
and adding that he had lost his belief in
Americans "ss a race of free men, too just
and too proud to use their power for grab
bling what belonged to others"
He asserted that the United States had
become a .robber power. a piratical power"
sources into military designs might menace
the worlds quiet and might. like Rome.
carry forays into every. continent"
DIR. Barth, the Radical Liberal leader, the
editor Of the Nation, to whom Mommsen
sent the proofs of this article. showed
them to Andrew ID: White. who was then
American ambassador at Berlin. and Mr..
White handed them back to DR.. Barth.
saying the article would not hurt the United
Staes and might hurt Prof. Mommsen
with the people who are his greatest
admirers outside of Germany.
DIR. Barth advised Mommson not to have
the article printed, and recalled
the article. He afterwards said he was
glad he did so. Prof. Mommsen was a
notable figure at the farewell dinner given
TO Mr.. White, standing at the ambassa-
doris side when the latter spoke on Amer
lean idealism and nodding approval Of each
sentence on the need OF good relations be-
tween the United States and Germany.
The Emperor, to whose views Mommsen,
as an individualist, democrat and free
trader, was commonly opposed, once called
the professor. One of the glories OF Ger
many and he was generally regarded IN
that way, his political ideas being casually
treated as the idosyncracies of a great
scholar.
Mommsen's stormy feelings caused him 10
use immoderate language. as for instance
a few days ago. in an article on the recon-
Citation between Great Britain and Ger
many, when he called the Pan-Germans
national fools" Mommsen.s political heat
found ample employment from the short
Holsteinische Zeitung, in the revolutionary
year lS4S, and his expulsion from a pro-
fessorship at the University Of Leipsic, the
same year, through a long succession OF
incidents OF which the most notable was the
prosecution Prince Bismarck brought
against him for SANDER. which ended with
4 Mommsen's complete vindication.
4 Prof. Mommsen conducted his political
controversies by letter. and rarely made
speeches during his ten years in the Prus-
sian Diet and three years in the Reichstag.