Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1911-08-09

4u6 uTBIy ume 5OuLSlQ6 OF NOCtu
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
a 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
eritain's Big Scare.
Great Britain as whole, and espe-
cially England, has within the past
half decade been scared into 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 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. 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. If not political.
Whether the emperor dreams more
who can, say? The observer cannot
help wondering what may be the in.
SEPARATION and significance of the Ma
poleon cult which has such vogue in
Germany. 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
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 a new
awakening there. The 'laissez faire"
attitude has been abandoned, and
Frances experience is even now being
repeated in the realm Of King AL
phonso. And Portugal is republic!
The Lesser Nations Alert.
The little nations are doing won
ders. Bulgaria. now nominally as
well 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
fare. will often refuse to speak any
language but Hungarian.
The case. as the history Of the past
20 years has shown. is we'll summed
up by Sydney Brooks in a recent mag
axine article:-
Russia, 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 and
anarchy. Japan. 20 years ago an I'M
considered factor, In the plans of
statesmen. has thrilled the entire
world with all the qualities that make
a nation victorious and keep it great;
has, marched irresistibly to. the
mastery OF the far east; and
is now organizing an astounding
campaign Of commercial triumphs.
China, numerically the greatest power
in the world, but immemorially inert.
disjointed, and nerveless. has felt the
quickening Of new life. and lifts its
SCARED and battered head with q
frown that Is half a protest and half
threat.
"A wave of national self-conscious-
ness and self-assertion has passed