Norwich bulletin., 1916-11-18

REV. J. H. SELDEN
 If victory shall crown the armies of allies, the world will have just cause for rejoicing, for that event will sig nalize the triumph of the new democ- racy, said Rev. Joseph H. Selden in an interesting paper on The New Democracy read at the meeting of the Mems club of. Park Congregational church Friday night.
 Preceding Rev. MT. Selden's paper business session was held when the reports of the secretary and treasurer were read and approved and the fol- lowing officers were elected: Presi- dent, Robert c. Johnson; vice presi- dent Herbert R. Branche; secretary, Alfred P. Allen; treasurer, Phillip A. Johnson; executive committee, Phillip A. Johnson, w. Humphrey Amy, B. c. Pullen and James T. Isbister.
 Rev. Selden's paper said in part: | sympathies of the American people very generally have been given to the | allied nations: and with reason.
 Germany was held responsible for | the appalling disaster, for she was | the aggressor. By the command of l the kaiser. the first blow was struck. | AS to the causes of the war, near and l reomte, few could. offer an intelligent | well grounded opinion. Perhaps this | is still true. MT. Wilson, with char | spoken of 'the obscure fountains from whence this stupendous flood has l burst forth.' But Germany's respon- sibility for the outbreak\ was estab- l lished by incontrovertible facts. The mobilization of her forces. magically swift, the vast armies, above a mil | lion and a half. complete in equip nhent ito the last gaiter button" " sup ported by engines of destruction of | undreamed of power and efficiency, 1 that swept with the resistless fury of | a tidal wave across Belgium and northern F'rance-these things were 1 recognized by our people as the out i working of a plan long cherished and l carefully natured. Germar5r was held responsible for this measureless dis aster by which the pillars of our civ ilization have been shaken, if not | overthroWn.
 Neither England nor France can be held free from responsibility for the conditions which brought about the | war. Nevertheless, the sympathies of America have not been withdrawn from the allied powers. If I am not mistaken, they are deeper and more l intense today than ever before.
 Turning Point in History.
 They recognize that we are in the 1 midst of a world crisis; we stand al a turning point in history. As truly as 1492 marked an epoch, so in 1914 the world entered a new stage for in this war, interests are at stake foI | transcending in importance the for tunes of the nations Immediately en-
 gagged in this titanic struggle.
 This well nigh universal condemna-
 ton of Germany by our people is sig
 nificant, for. but three years ago, the
 attitude of America toward Germany
 was most friendly. I am not speak
 ing of diplomatic or commercial rela-
 tions, but of the personal attitude o1 Americans toward the German people
 Here again, there were sound req.
 sons for our ungrudging admiration
 and good will. No nation in Europe
 seemed more closely akin to ourselve:
 in the spirit and method of her life
 Germany is conspicuously land o1 1 progress. Within the span of sin.
 gle lifetime. she has won by merit ant
 enterprise foremost place among
 the world powers. Half century
 ago, she was a looselp knit confedera
 tion of kingdoms, dukedoms, princi
 palities, free towns-some three hun
 dred in number. without unity of pur.
 pose or administration. Her people
 numbered but eighteen millions, ant many were very poor The forward
 movement began, in 1860. under thu
 reign of William of Prussia. and wal --arck. In 1866. Austria was humblet
 and displaced from the preeminenc'
 she had SC long exercised in German
 affairs. Four years later came tn,
 TTaneo-Prassian M;11ie 1sa a.,s war, and in 1871 M
 peror in the palace of Versailles
 Thence forward progress has been uQ
 checked. Not only has her popuiafiol , increased more than three-fold: i, many departments of the national Tiff a splendid advance has been achieved . Through the centuries, Germany ha ! been, as she still is, an agriculture nation, but under the wise direction and by the aid of the government he sterile soil has so, improved. that tn yield of her fields per acre compare favorably with that of Belgium, tn garden spot of Europe, and is nor than twice the product of Anerical farms. The progress of Germany il ! her var1ed industries is familiar to u all. She has developed a system o
 intercommunication by rivers, rail 7 roads and canals, that is characteristi cally complete. The management O her rapidly growing cities Is mode Flor all the world. And for the notable progress regis tered in half century, and the higl measure of personal comfort they en
 Joyed, the German people were in debted to the .forethought and skill and administrative efficiency of thei rulers.
 Democracy and Autooraey.
 Wuyp lHen, sAoulQ A1nerlcans gIV
 their sympathy to the allies in un , stinted measure and look upon Ger many with deep aversion. not unmixe with fear? This is the answer, W have come to see that this is a strug
 gle between democracy and autocracy
 and democracy is fighting for it's life
 The lurid light of this world cenfiag t ration has revealed with startlin clearness a truth not one of us ha t grasped two years ago. The sacre principles, which underlie the demo
 cratic system. have no foes so greatl z Ito be feared as Kaiser William an