The Washington herald., 1912-10-20
ny GueLIELMo rxRnHRo.

has smiled and who have succeeded Il
life and who are tranquil possessors Il
large measure Of the good things o
this world are. as q rule, reluctant t
think and recognize that in their mids
and side by~eide with them others liv
inonisery 4 that there Are men mad
like themselves who may not withou
justification complain Of their lot. a
they themselves are satisfied. the entir'
world. they think. ought to be happy
They apply with easy universal optimism
the old proyerb that. when the KIM
drinks everybody should be drunk" and
II now and again those less content with
life than they raise their lamentationi
too high they grow irritated: they &C
cuse them of wishing to disturb perfect
balance Of human things and Of offend,
ing Providence or God and the exceed
ingly wise nature which has arranged
everything as 1t should be.
There Is q sort Of unconscious cruelty
In optimism Of happy people. This which
Is true Of man. also Is true of nations
Each century has its favorites and Its
victims even among nations and states
To some 1t give power. wealth, glory,
culture. and liberty; to others subJec-
tion, poverty. obscurity. ignorance. And
the people favored by fortune are az Q
rule no less unconsciously cruel towards
the unfavored peoples than individual
men. They are usually indisposed to
recognize that in view Of the splendid
civilization Of which they enjoy the
people. When evidence Of the fact be-
comes incontestible they endeavor to
persuade themselves that there Is no
people which is unfortunate and ILL
treated. save by its own faults and when
one Of those peoples somewhat disturb
the peace Of the world in order to seek
relief for its own misfortunes they are
angered as though they would not wish
their tranquility to be disturbed.
Europe Supplies Example.
By unhappy and malignant unrest Eu-
rope is supplying new example OF this
phenomenon. Undoubtedly the small
Balkan states allied into a league are
prepared to break the peace OF Eu-
rope that peace which to the richer
and most cultured peoples Of the Old
World is productive Of SO many succu-
lent fruits. At the moment Of my writ
ing a miracle only appears able to pre-
vent a terrible war on the outermost con-
fines of Christianity and Islam.
Consequently, Europe. rich and happy.
is bad tempered. 1t protests against the
young states which combine themselves
into a league in order to affront the old
Ottoman giant. 1t accuses them OF wish
ing to disturb the peace of the world
and expose themselves to moral danger
seriously without any serious reason,
when in reality 1t is a terrible tragedy
which is beginning, one Of those his
torical tragedies of which civilized Eu-
rope and America have almost lost the
memory under the happy conditions In
which they lived.
Barbarism ". Civilization.
Therefore it is not for us to judge
fairly the two parties which are entering
upon a terrible war without realizing
clearly the profound reason and tue
nature of the conflict. AS rule in Eu-
rope whenever a conflict breaks out be-
tween a Christian power and a Mussul-
man state-and not only one Of the less
powerful such as Morocco and Persia,
but likewise the greatest Of all. which
is Turkey-it is said that civilization and
barbarism are entering the lists against
each other. Even the friends of Turkey
who, as every one knows. are numerous.
though as a rule far from disinterested
in Europe-do not hesitate to acknowl-
edge that Turkey represents barbarism
encamped in arms in the confines Of the
Old World and its civilization. and per-
sisting by virtue Of the supreme scruple
of military prestige in defending to the
last drop Of blood the last morsel Of
Europe still in its hands-Macedonia.
Few Europeans or Americans, what
ever their opinions on foreign policy
which the great powers should pursue In
the East. are willing to acknowledge
that other civilizations may exist beyond
that fiourishing in America and Europe.
But il the contest between Islam and
Greece were merely a struggle between
civilization and barbarism, 1t would have
been brought to a close q long time ago.
and II it began now 1t could not last
long nor threaten such disaster.
Civilization IL Conqueror.
Barbarism always has been amenablel
to conquest by civilization and that
rapidly. pacifcally. almost insensiblyI
even after its most extraordinary mill
tary triumphs. when a barbarous peo-
pie, 1. e.. one scarcely acquainted with
the first rudiments Of social life. hasI
q more civilized people, profit
ing by by the ;atter's military weakness, /!
1t is not long before 1t is conquered inI
turn by the intellectual superiority Of |
the vanquished and becomes its pupil |
and its imitator, adopting its arts, So
cial and moral ideas. its institutions and /
laws. "'Graecia capita ferum victoremI
rapit." as Horace says. speaking Of
Greece and Rome.
1t was not long OetOre the vtCtOFtOuSI
,.anchus surrendered themselves to thel
Chinese who, though conquered, were 80
much more civilized than themselves
The barbarians of Germany rapidly werel
when they crossed the from
tiers Of the Empire and occupied its ter
The Turks themselves, when atI
he end OF the fifteenth century they in
raded the Eastern Empire, also werel
part Of semi-savaEe hordes, but they,
.oo. were unable to Withstand the civili-l
Eation which they found In the conquer
ID territories compounded by Byxantinel
Ind Arabic elements. They have ab-I
sorbed 1t to q great degree, although
hey have not shown in many branches
II art and culture the genius and fer
Ility OF the Arabs and the first foundersI
Il the Caliphate.
On the other hand, however, II is
nown to all that the Balkan war Is
allied forth by the internal conditions
( Macedonia where the Christian pop
iation, composed Of Greeks, Bulears
nd Serbs, is endeavoring to throw or
he Muesulman yoke. The four Balkan
tates are taking up arms In order to
ompel Turkey to recognize the rights
{ the different Christian populations,
wing in Macedonia each state fghting
Dr. its brothers In language; nor when
70 examine closely into the condition Of
his conflict between Musselman and
christians In Macedonia 10 II dinlcuit @
ecognize in this conflict the contest Of
lvfiixation, represented BY the Chris
ans. against barbarism. represented by
he Turks.