The Yale expositor., 1911-08-03
C1eNMkNG
6&{5RSESR
Marvellous Wave Of New National
Life That Is Sweeping Around the
Earth-Turkey's New Regime Con-
stitutes Huge Human Problem.
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.

SoustdHlluOpie.-l ne man WHO Illus
his head above his own neighborhood's
affairs-and that's the fashion nova
days-fnds himself confronted with
a whole cycle of world problems. If
he knows how to put two and two to-
gether he precieves that the present
ferment is what Mr.. Roosevelt called
In his Berlin speech world move
ment." While as individual and dis
tinct as human nature and racial char
acteristics, 1t yet presents the same
general features everywhere. Front
and foremost Is the new expression
of the national spirit.
This may fairly be called the big
.gest news in the world. and l have
undertaken to follow 1t through
Europe and Asia. While the journal
istic historian naturally cannot see 1t
as clearly as the student of a genera
ton hence, he none the less cannot
fail to perceive the outstanding as
poets of this ancient human drama
which Is being enacted before his
eyes. The theme Is one calling for
the arts Of the poet and the dramat-
list rather than for those of a mere
chronicler of the obvious or the easily
ascertainable. Americas deep inter-
nal agitation and mood of self-exam-
ination are case in point.
An Instance From ireland.
The first time outside of North
America on this tour of investigation
where / came into contact with the
awakening Of the old and dormant
national consciousness was in West
ireland. I was in the poor fishing
village outside of Galway called the
Claddagh, where survive the purest
blooded Irish stock. Everybody spoke
tongue strange to my ears, but
genial coster shifted his dudeen and
good naturally explained to me, "Ev-
cry nation ought to have their own
language you know and use that" A
similar revival Of the Gaelic may be
found in parts of Scotland. Indeed
old Scotia as a whole shows a rest
iveness under the Anglicisation that
is in progress and asserts her own
national character even to the extent
of calling the Scottish members of
Parliament sharply to account.
Britain's Big Scare.
Great Britain as a whole, and espe-
cially England, has within the past
half decade been scared into a new
national self-consciousness. The sit
uation looks strangely like a case of
blue funk to an outsider. John Bull
has displayed something more closely
akin to bysteria than he has been
accused of for a long time. The ma
ton has hurriedly built Dreadnoughts,
organized territorial forces, reorgan-
tied her army, created the Boy Scouts,
and Is now clamoring for an airship
feet lest Germany should suddenly
gobble her up over night.
With Germany the new mood is CO.
extensive with the reign of Emperor
William and the power of Bismarck.
1t is frankly avowed imperialism.
Even the tourist may see that Ger
many is the most efficient nation in
Europe. Its organization running
down into all departments Of life, and
becoming Objectionable paternalism
in many respects, Is paralleled only
by the case Of her pupil, japan. Ger
many has gone in for world-dominion,
commercial. II not political.
Whether the emperor dreams more
who can say? The observer cannot
help wondering what may be the in
spiration and significance Of the Ma
poleon cult which has such vogue in
Germany. l have watched the en-
peror as he sat for nearly four mortal
hours on horseback reviewing 10000
of his troops, and the occasion was
ominous.
Whatever the militarism In Ger
many portends, certainly she Is win
ming the commercial world, especially
from Great Britain. However heart
fly Germany may be disliked abroad
and she seems to have few friends
she Is successful In spite Of ill-will.
Crossing to France and Spain one
finds evident symptoms of new
awakening there. The '1aissez faire"
attitude has been abandoned, and
Frances experience is even now being
repeated in the realm Of King AL
phonso. And Portugal Is a republic!
The Lesser Nations Alert.
The little nations are doing won
ders. Bulgaria, now nominally as
we'll as actually, independent, has
forged powerfully to the front In the
Balkans. Her army is the dread Of
Turkey, the concern of other powers,
and the hope Of Greece. Finland and
Poland, robbed Of their independence,
and under a heavy yoke, are yet show
ing the power of this revivifying ma
tional spirit by their logged adher-
ence to their national ideals and Ian
guage. Hungary clings to its own
tongue, and in Budapesth the carriage
drivers, even at the risk Of losing a
fare, will often refuse to speak any
language but Hungarian.
The case, as the history OF the past
20 years has shown, Is well summed
I'D by Sydney Brooks in recent mag
azine article:-
Russia, a power whose mere i'm
mensity had for a century oppressed