Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-05-13

Of existence. 1t is difficult for you in
the old world fully to appreciate the
feelings Of a man who comes from a
nation still in the making to a country
with an immemorial historic past, and
especially is this the case. when that
country. with it's ancient past behind
It, yet looks with proud confidence
into the future and in the present
shows all the Astounding vigor of lusty
youth.
Such is the case with Germany.
More than a thousand years have
passed since the Roman empire Of the
west became in fact German empire.
To this ancient land, with its glori-
GUS past and splendid present, to this
land Of many memories and Of eager
hopes, l come from a young nation
which is by blood akin to and yet dif-
ferent from each of the great nations
Of middle and western Europe, which
has inherited or acquired much from
each, but is changing and developing
every inheritance and acquisition into
something new and strange.
a Como From the Dutch"
The German strain in our blood is
large, for almost from the beginning
there has been large German element
among the successive waves of new
corners whose children's children have
been and are being fused into the
American nation, and l myself trace
nv origin to that branch Of the Low
Dutch stock which raised Holland out
Of the North sea.
Moreover, we have taken from you
not only much Of the blood that runs
through our veins. but much OF the
thought that shapes our minds. For
generations American scholars have
locked to your universities, and. thanks
to- the wise foresight of his imperial
majesty, the present emperor, the in
innate :. and friendly connection be-
tween the two countries Is now In
every way closer than 1t has ever been
before.
Germany is pre-eminently country
in which the world movement Of to-
day in all Of its multitudinous aspects
is plainly visible. The life Of this uni
versity covers the period during which
that movement has spread until 1t Is
felt throughout every continent, while
its velocity has been constantly &C.
celebrating, so that the face OF the
world has changed and Is now chang
ing as never before.
Civilizations Records.
The first civilizations which left be-.
hind them clear records rose In that
hoary historic past which geological
" is part Of the immediate present
! and which is but spans length from
! the present, even when compared only
with the length Of time that man has
lived on this planet. These first CIV
tlizations were those which rose In
Mesopotamia and the Nile valley some
six or eight thousand years ago.
| AS far as we can see, they were well
nigh independent centers Of cultural
development, and our knowledge Is not
such at present as to enable US to
connect either with the early cultural
movements in southwestern Europe on
the one hand or in India on the other
or with that Chinese civilization which
has been so profoundly affected by In
dian influences.
The spread of the European peoples
since the days Of Ferdinand the Cath
olic and Ivan the Terrible has been
across every sea and over every CONT
nent. In places the conquests have
been ethnic-that is. there has been q
new wandering Of the peoples. and
new commonwealth have sprung up
IN which the people are entirely or
mainly Of European blood.
This is what happened in the tenn
perate and subtropical regions OF the
western hemisphere. in Australia, IN
portions of northern Asia and south
ern Africa. In other places the con-
quest has been purely political. the
Europeans representing for the most
part merely a small caste Of soldiers
and administrators. as in most Of trop-
ical Asia and Africa and In much OF
tropical America. Finally here and
there instances occur where there has
been no conquest at all, but where an
alien people are profoundly and radi-
cally changed by the mere impact OF
western civilization.
Japan's Wonderful Growth.
The most extraordinary instance OF
this, Of course, is Japan, for Japan's
growth and change during the last
holf conturv have been in many ways
the most striking phenomenon Of all
history. Intensely proud Of her past
history, intensely loyal to certain OF
her past traditions. she has yet with a
single effort wrenched herself free
from all hampering ancient ties and
With a bound has taken her place
among the leading civilized nations OF
mankind.
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