Iditarod pioneer., 1915-02-06
DR. ELIOT ON NATIONAL GREATNESS
(Tacoma Ledger

Dr. Charles w. Eliot, president emlrltus of Harvard university would like to see the allies victorious because it would tend to discredit the idea prevailing in some European states that the foundation of na- tionaI greatness is military power. That IS the prevailing idea in Germany, Dr. Eliot submits, and this horrible European war is the legitimate result of the policies of Bis marck and his associates and disciples" The idea seems to be accepted or acquesced in now "by the whole German people"
 Undoubtedly there is a far-reachIng opin- ion in countries outside of Germany that "Prussian militarism" has too strong hold on the nation. That is the principal req son. outside the violation of Belgian neu- trality, for the sentiment against Gerlnany in some of the neutral countries where the international peace movement had galn|d a friendly hearing. And yet when enc eX- amines the statements made by the ter mans as to the position of their country in the present conflict one cannot but feel that they are quite sincere Tn saying hat the integrity of the empire IS at stake and that they are fighting for German home life German institutions and German Cul ture They justify military preparations on the ground that they are menaced by the Slav and that their country IS so situated that it would be suicidal not 10 be pre- pared,
 Dr. Eliot believes that Germany has cul- tivated an erroneous idea of the foundation of national greatness, and that this errpn"- ous idea has obtained fer the l\ .'@lr years Where is civilization to louh f,r Q means of escape from the present int lar- able condit0ns?" The greatest hope, as Dr. Eliot views it, is in the cultivation of drrlo cratic idealS as a rational substitute for the 1 imreriahs c ideal of fighting force a. the | foundation of national greatness. Inosc ! democratic ideals have been cultivated r. | the United States, Canada, South Aries anG 1 Australia, and they are traceable more or less directly to England.
 The civilized world is now looking for bet ter foundations for national greatness han
 rec and fighting, Dr Eliot says, ani he eulogizes the ideals of the United s ates and Canada thus:
 They believe that the ideals of fgf ting 1 power and domination should be refl2eed | by the ideals of peaceful competition in pro- duction and trade, of generous rivalry in 1 -At4N arts, of cooperation for mutual benefit among nations different in size, narra abilities and material resources, and of fed eration among nations associated geogr a2h ically CT historically, CT united in the pur, suit of some common ends and in the .ter- ishing of like hopes and aspirations. They think that the peace of the world can be best promoted by solemn public contracts between peoples-not princes or cabin ts- compacts made to be kept, strengthcnei l by mutual service and good offices, anC watched over by 9 permanent international ] judicial tribunal authorized to call on the affiliated nations for whatever force ma1 be necessary to induce obedience to i,5 de crees"
 A very fine ideal and well described In occasionally the world is moving in that direction, though the outbreak of the European war has caused many to doubt whether it can be realized in the present l or even in thP next generation.