Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-12-07

DR.. David Starr Jordan chancellor
of Leland Stanford, Jr., University, OF
California. who is delivering a series
of lectures in this city advocating
peace, holds no one country respon-
sible for the war which is devastating
the other side of the world, but be-
lieves, instead, that the great conflict
is clearly the result of "a rivalry in
military efficiency
In an interview with a reporter for
The Star today at the New Willard
Hotel. DR.. Jordan made a number of
striking statements, not the least i'm
portant of which was that interna-
tionally known students of peace and
war. military efficiency and trade
rivalries among nations have been ex-
pecting the war for the past six years,
and that he. sixteen months ago. went
to Europe for the express purpose OF
studying what was then regarded as
the coming struggle"
so that L have been studying this
very question of this war for the past
sixteen months, right in the heart of
| the diplomatic, trade and military
struggles of preparation DIR. Jordan
said. Seeing the imminent approach
| OF the great conflict, ] remained in
Europe to study its causes. and L
think L may say that / have succeeded
| to considerable extent In Informing
myself. 1 have lived and visited in
twenty European countries since L
first went abroad, all of them, in fact,
| except Russia. where ] had not made
preparations TO go until too late.
What Made War Inevitable.
The steady growth of ornaments, Of
suspicion and of fear, made the war
inevitable, unless the current could
have been turned, and il could not be
turned. l was looking to see the bust
ness men, the industrialists, of Ger
many turn it, but they could not. They
were solid against il. For them it
spelled ruin, but when the shadows of
impending events doomed large into an
ultimatum, the ultimatum OF Austria
Hungary to Servia, and these German
business men found themselves with
but about ten hours in which to get
around such thing as an ultimatunl,
they could not do anything.
The business men of Germany, as
we'll as of other countries. We're not
organized; they could not mobilize
themselves against such AN attack on
their hank as an ultimatum meant.
The German military theorists were
near the throne | do not mean near
the Kaiser personally. L am convinced
taat ersonally he did Kot want war.
think he was deceived, actually, as
10 how far things had really gone.
know of many instances that bear out
that belief. For instance, when the
LokaI Anzeiger placarded Germany
that mobilization had been ordered be
fore il actually wos ordered. the effect
of that placarding was actually n move
toward war; it hurried war; il assisted
in making war
War Theorists Near Power in Berlin.
THE men who actually pushed the
war have not come to light, but 1
know of my own knowledge that their
situation and action has been the sub
Ject of a discussion in Berlin. in Ger
many, the military theorists. the war
party. the believers in military effi-
cheney, and those who would rival all
other nations in military efficiency
have a great responsibility for what
has happened These military theorists
in that country were near the power.
The same class of man in England
was not near power. In England, the
military theorist has been under the
government, and well away from the
throne. In France military theorism
had nearly died out. In all these coun-
tries there were trade riyalries of many
kinds, but none of this would have
moved the business men or the indus
trialists of any of the countries to war
il the military men had not got around
their flank.
IN other words. the system of being
prepared for war means
that some one Will force il.
Think War Was Forced Upon Them.
IN Germany, today. the German
people think that the war was forced
on them. L lectured there many times,
and have many friends there. American
interests in many ways are bound up
with German interests. We owe too
much to Germany to be partisan, but.
on the other hand. we ought TO know
the truth about this great thing and
we ought TO face it. While we may
criticize the military groun of Ger
many as being too powerful, it is our
duty to know the truth and not 10
minimize it or hide it. The answer is
that responsibility for the war lies in
rivalry in military efficiency"
DR.. Jordan will be the guest tonight
at dinner of the Commercial Club. He
lectured yesterday afternoon at PoIi's
under the auspices of tn.
" ashington Peace Society, and spok.
last night before the Unitarian CIub
at All Souls Church. He will be given
a reception tomorrow afternoon at
Ltai rmOnnt Seminary MI