The Detroit times., 1910-05-13

BERLIN, May 12.--"personally, I do
not believe that our civilization will
fall mink that on the whole we
have grown better and not worse"
SO declared Col. Roosevelt today, in
his address on THE World Move
ment" ut the University of Berlin. He
took occasion, though, to warn all ma
lions against the loss of the lighting
edge" race suicide, or a one-sided de-
Yelopment. The speaker just men
toned conservation" Col Roosevelt
spoke In part as follows:
ITO this ancient land, with its glori.
Gus past and splendid present, come
from a young nation, still in the max
Ing, which is by blood akin to and yet
different from each OF the great ma
tions OF middle and western Europe;
which has inherited or acquired much
from each, but is changing and devei-
oping every inheritance and acquisi-
ton into something new and strange.
The German strain in our blood is
large, and myself trace my origin to
that branch or the Low Dutch stock
which raised Holland out Of the North
sea We have taken from you much
OF the thought that shapes our minds.
For generations American scholars
have fiocked TO your universities, and
thanks TO the wise foresight of the
present emperor the intimate and
friendly connection between the two
countries Is now closer than ever be-
fore. Germany is pre-eminently
country in which the world movement
Of today in all its aspects is plainly
visible.
THE best use OF field and forest
Will leave them decade by decade. cen
tury by century, more fruitful; and We
have hardly begun to use the indie
structible power that comes from har-
messed water
The advances in the realm OF pure
intellect have been of equal note. OLD
men among us have seen in their own
generation the rise of the first ration
N science OF the evolution OF life. The
advances OF the past century or two
have been over more ground than was
covered during the entire history of
the human race. The play OF new
forces Is as evident in the moral AMI
spiritual world as In the world of the
mind and the body.
I'm this movement there are the
signs OF mitch that bodies HI The ma
sion and strain are 50 great. that there
Is cause TO dread the ruin that would
come from a great accident, break
down, and also from the mere wearing
out of the machine itself. Compared
with the Greco-Roman civilization. our
only possible standard OF comparison.
many OF the forces and tendencies
which were at work then are at work
mo
ceded the downfall of the older civil
ixation.
''Yet the differences between the
: present and older civilization are
many. and some of them are quite as
striking as the similarities. The sin.
gle fact that the old civilization was
based ON slavery shows the chasm
that separates the two There IL \
further andivery significant difference.
Washington and Lincoln Compared 20
Caesar.
Another striking contrast between
the modern and classic civilization "A
found in the relations OF wealth and
politics. In classic times politics be.
came a recognized means OF accumu.
lnting great wealth. Caesar spent an
self by the money he made out OF hts
politicalmilitary career Augustus ac.
CURED a hinge fortune by plumber.
What contrast Is offered by the
careers OF Washington and lincoln
The immense majority OF the Greeks
and the Romans accepted money MAX
ink on large scale as one OF the
Incidents OF a successful public en-
reer. In this respect the standard has
been constantly elevated and things
which Statesmen had no hesitation Ia
doing three or two centuries ago. and
which did not seriously hurt pub
lie career even q century. ago, arr
now utterahly impossible
Wealthy men still exercise larg,
pnd sometimes IN improper influence
a. politics, but II Is apt 10 be ar
Iniirect Influence; and In the al
44nced states the mere suspicion thai
he wealth OF public men Is obtainer
tr added % ~ an incident OF theiI