Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-11-24
DR.. ALDERMAN. PREDICTS
PEACE IN. FALL. OF 1916
President Of University OF Virginia
Thinks End OF War Will Not
Come Before That Time.
HE DESCRIBES HIS IMPRESSIONS
Back From Europe, Where He Sc
cured First-Iand knowledge OF
Conditions, He Paints Vivid Word
Picture for Students.
Especial to The Times-Disnatch

pfcturc for Students.
Especial to The Times D!spatch.l
CHARLOTTESVILLE. VA, November
sa.--fn an address before the faculty
and students and many townspeopie In
Cabell Hall to-day, President Edwin A.
Alderman. OF the University OF yir-
ginia. made tho prediction that the
present European war will not end
until the fall OF 1916. perhaps, one
should say" he added. that it Will
end when the British fleet is destroyed
or Germany's military power broken,
not In battle. but by economic PRESSURE"
It seemed much like old times when
President Alderman prefaced his nd-
dress by the announcement OF q gift
to the university of $4,000 to he used
AS n loan fund for students under the
conditions now prevailing IN other
similar funda. 1t will be recommended
to the board of visitors that this new
fund be called the Lee loau fund. The
donor. a friend OF the university. and
OF President Alderman. desires his
name withheld. President Alderman
described him as brave soldier In the
Federal army, n noble American citizen,
who gave this fund for tho purpose de-
scribed out OF interest in the univer-
sity. a desire to serve, at this time espe-
cially. tho young men from the cotton
StatGB, anu OuI OIL hun1lTdllOT LOT tnc
name and character of Robert E. Lee.
for whom he asks that the fund be
named.
FIRsT-HAND KNOWLEDGE OF
CONDITIONS IN EUROPE
The subject OF President Alderman's
address was "The Deeper Causes OF the
European War" Equipped with first
hand knowledge of conditions immedi-
ately preceding and following the out
" 81 Ne which he gathered
on his way from Switzerland to Lon
don, after hostilities had begun. he en-
ployed his wonderful gift of word
painting to sketch a picture OF the con-
ditlons in Europe that made remark
able impression upon his audience.
President Alderman discussed the
causes Of the war from three points OF
view, namely. the precipitating cause
the approximate cause and the uiti-
matc cause. The hrst, he SAID, ICES
between Austria and Servia. Ihe
second, no said. plainly lies between
Germany and Russia AS to the ulti-
mate cause. he said, TT lies In tho fact
tina, Europe 10 Europe. with It's In.
sane, unjust. Illogical arrangement OF
statcs and territories. it's traditions or
war and conquest, It's brutal oenence
In It's state polity OF radical. religious
and national lines, It's contempt for
idealism in politics, It's atmosphere or
fear and suspicion. !ta doctrine OF force'
It's faith In ornaments. Its open Fio-
latlon Of the passion OF nationality. Its.
commitment OF the question or peace
and war to undemocratic control
The arrangement OF Europe after
the Napoleonic unhcaval by the Con-
Eress Of Vienna, the seizure OF Schlcs-
ivIg-Iolstcin from Denmark and OF
Alsace-Lorrainc from France. the de-
feat OF Austria in 1866. caused this
war to lie In the logic OF European his
tory as Bismarck said the Franco
Pruasian war followed az a logical re-
suit OF the battle OF Sadowa- For, out
of these events the present modern
European grouping. evolved"
President Alderman spoke Of the de-
meanor OF the plain people when the
bolt OF war fell upon them, They
faced 1t calmly" lie said. TO them
1T was not a great cataclysnl Involving
natural, ever-recurring phenomenon
talked with head walters. porters. shop
Keepers and people OF that type They
acted like the people of Louisiana when
the Mississippi rises. or as seasoned
Kansans when a cyclone appears.
fathers and their fathers had been In
war, and now their turn had come.
In fact, they seemed rather to con-
graduate themselves that II had not
come earlier.
1T is NATIONAL WAR
WITH EVERY NATION
"It Is a mistake to suppose that this
is not. In every nation involved. ma
tional war. Every nation involved be-
lieves that It's existence Is at stake,
except, perhaps. Russia. England Is
in the greatest peril of all. for she can
fall farther and. robbed OF sea power.
Is meagre little island. The unani-
nifty of sentiment behind all rulers and
armies Is without parallel since 1914.
Not only this. but they 80 distrust each
other and feel so deeply that believe
they will fight to the bitter end"
To Belgium and her young King
President Alderman paid fne tribute.
How one wonders ut and honors the
stark courage of her young ruler" he
said, and his people In preferring ruin
to a shameless bargain! Who of us
that knows that bright, teemlns land.
that green checkerboard of prosperity
and busy life, can realize how low and
stricken she lles, her population beg
CARS. her territory gone. but her soul
her own! But she has saved her life
by losing it. The light that never was
, on land or sea shines about her de-
vastated fields and ruined. gemlike
cities. It, Is difficult to remain blankly
neutral with Belgium In mind. invaded,
destroyed, assessed to reimburse in
vaders."
AS to tho final settlement OF the
issues. President Alderman said: 81
venture to predict that new congress
of nations will assemble In the fall
of 1916. after the analogy of the Con-