The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1911-08-18

T I|] S{{{5 s
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.

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, it 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 / have
undertaken to follow it through
Europe and Asia. While the journal
istic historian naturally cannot see It
as clearly as the student of 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-
lal agitation and mood of self-exam-
nation are a case in point.
An Instance From ireland.
The first time outside of North
America on this tour of investigation
where l came into contact with the
awakening of the old and dormant
national consciousness was in West
Ireland. l 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 a
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 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.
6TitaIn's 6i0 scare.
Great Britain as 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 hysteria than he has been
accused of for a long time. The ma
ton has hurriedly built Dreadnoughts,
! organized territorial forces, reorgan-
lied 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. It's 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. if not POLITICAL
Whether the emperor dreams more
who can say? The observer cannot
help wondering what may be the in
| spiratton 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
ning the commercial world, especially
from Great Britain. However heart
lily 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 "laissez faire'
attitude has been abandoned, and
Frances experience is even now being
repeated in the realm of King AL
)honso. 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 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 pas,
20 years has shown, is we'll summed
up by Sydney Brooks in a recent mag
azire article
Russia, a power whose mere i'm
mensity had for century oppressed
the Imagination of Europe, has reeled
through an unbroken series of de
feats, into the blackness of chaos ant
anarchy. Japan. 20 years ago an I'm
considered factor in the plans O
statesmen, has thrilled the entire
world with all the qualities that make
a nation victorious and keep it great
has marched irresistibly to thu
mastery of the far east; an(
is now organizing an astounding
campaign of commercial triumphs