South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-05-20

F.E SYYLE .Ssos Fss WOMEN
Victory Would Mean to the

the exception of the Dardanelles. The Ger
mans have not attempted 70 land troops IN
England or north of Riga, the British have not
attempted to land troops in Belgium T. attack
the Germans from the rear.
The landing at the Dardanelles was possible
only after the Allies had seized few neutral
and undefended islands to serve as base:
tyro in naval matters may see that no modern
feet is able TO engage in serious hostile opera
lions 1000 miles from it's base. We deny the
good faith or the good sense OF the men who
are trying to arouse the American people by
the bogy of a German invasion of North or
South America
No the effects of German victory upon our
country will be quite different We see to-
day the armies OF Germany upon enemy soil
though they have always been greatly out
numbered by their opponents 1t looks very
much like a victory Of quality over quantity
Ii is no longer possible 10 speak of auto
cracy or a military caste forcing an unwilling
people into a war OF aggression.
No despotic government and no caste gov
eminent have ever accomplished what the
Germans have accomplished during the last
sixteen months. Democracy alone is capable
of such efforts.
But what is German democracy and how
does it work in practice? There is a most
interesting political document that contains
the answer, the platform of the Progressive
party of 1912. Time does not permit me to
read TO you the whole document. but 1 will
quote the most significant passages.
The Progressive platform furthermore de-
mands a strong national regulation of inter
state corporations to do away with the enor
nous secret irresponsible power over the daily
life of the citizen, which the concentration Of
vast wealth has placed in the hands of a few
men, il demands the establishment Of a strong
Federal administrative commission to super
wise industrial organizations; the cooperation
OF the Federal government with manufacturers
and producers to extend our foreign com
merce; a non-partisan tariff commission; the
conservation and development of the natural
resources in the interest OF the whole nation:
the development of agricultural credit and CO
operation: public health legislation: enforce
ment and extension OF the civil service; econ
omy and efficiency Of the government service.
These are some of the most important planks
of the platform Of the Progressive party Of
1912, but all these things have been recOg-
nized in principle by the German government
and people during the last thirty years, and
most Of them have been fully carried out in
practise.
Yes. in speaking OF the cooperation between
government and business, the Progressive
platform actually mentions Germany as hay-
ing shown the way lever in the history OF
American parties, | believe, has a national
platform pointed to a foreign country as the
model
The Progressive movement in this country
is the attempt 10 apply German principles and
methods OF government TO American condi-
tons. to Germanize, or, If you please. 10 Prus-
sianize, American Institutions. Two-thirds OF
the Progressive platform represent an Amer
lean trsnsliteration OF German government
practises.
German victory will mean the victory Of
progressive legislation in this country even
though the Progressive party may disappear.
Mr.. Duncan-Clark has summed up the ideas
underlying the progressive movement as FOL
lows: Human rights are superior to property