Evening star., 1915-06-15

lacks faith and does not look beyond
the present or the immediate future.
ITO the pessimist who dolefuiiy
| asks me whether year ago I could
have imagined that in a few weeks the
countrymen of Klopstock, Mendelssohn
and Schiller and the countrymen OF
Wordsworth, Newman and Arnold
would be at each others throats. put
the inquiry whether four years ago ne
could have ina gined that within a 1e"
months the unnumbered millions OF
China, soothed by centuries OF cohser-
vatism, would throw off their torpoI,
adopt constitution animated by the
spirit of Magma Charta?
Man works best when he works IN
harmony with the great plan so lols
as nghting is part of that plan' 'he
wise nation will be prepared. well pre-
pared to fight but it will remember
always that ultimate peace is also IN
the plan.
Il would like to make this point clear,
that the formation of ideals is not con,
the realization of ideals is not re.
tarded by the temporary triumph OF
their opposites.
Gives Swiss as Example.
so to nations preparing for war.
even to nations in the fury of conflict.
the ideal of peace may come. and war
itself may hasten its realizat ton. NO
people are more home-loving, more
peace-desiring than the Swiss. and yet
every Swiss is from his youth up train
ed in the use of arms by service in the
| field a few weeks every year. In pro-
| portion to population the Swiss have
| the best army Of any nation. And ye,
| their thorough and willing prepara-
tion for war does not diminish their
| devotion to the ideal of peace. We
| could not do better than to adopt the
| Swiss system.
"Gentlemen, you and your colleagues
| from the other universities of the
| land represent the favored class OF
| those to whom the five talents have
! will be measured by your ideals.
would like to leave with you the por-
| trait of another scholar who conceived
| cherished a3d realized a great ideal
| that has been an inspiration TO the
| world for seven centuries. In the great
| drama enacted at Runnymede, on the
| 15th of June, 1918. the most consptcu
Gus for his talents and his virtues was
a graduate Of the universities of OK
| ford and Paris, who acted as aroltel
| between King John and the barons
! Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Can
terbury, and cardinal of the holy Cath
| olic Church. Substitution of law In
place Of force for part of the people OF
! England was Langton's ideal. Did he
| not look forward with a prophets eye
F., to a time when the spirit of the great
| charter should embrace all men? Six
centuries and a half passed, and our
! fathers realized their ideal. the sub
| stitution of law in place of force for
| all persons in the United States.
The future of your country is with
| you. speak to you now in closing
as to the representatives Of her citi-
! zenship for the next half century
Guard the principles and the institu
tions of representative government as
| you would the life of the republic
| Prepare for war; strive for peace Take
! the lead in the establishment of ar
| international congress which shall be
the forerunner of a worldwide citizen.
ship.
! Let your ideal be the substitution
/ Of law in place of force in all the
i intercourse of nations. If ever you are
! discouraged. remember that it tool
! seven centuries for the ideal OF Ste
phen Langton to develop into the idea
| of Abraham Lincoln. Some time. 1t ma,
be after many wars, the ideal that yot
cherish will usher in the era of uni
versal peace"