Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-06-16
Success of Germany
Means Continuance Of
Autocratic Mjlitarisn,

Grinnell, June 14--Success for Ger
many in the war means imposition OF
military and autocratic methods upon
the world according to Theodore Mar
burg, former minister to Belgium. who
delivered the commencement address
at Grinnell college today. He said the
spirit of aggression among the Ger
mans springs from their scorns OF de-
mocracies and only the overthrow OF
German arms" by defeat or thru rev.
olution can prepare a place for that
nation in the international peace
league which free peoples hope will
follow the war. His subject was DE
mocracy Put to the Test"
Primarily 1t was Germany's success
In previous wars, and the results that
flowed out Of it which brought on the
present cataclysm," he said. But while
success turned her head, it is not the
only factor which developed the spirit
Of aggression on the part of the Ger
man people. Back of it Is the fact that
they still regard the democratic form
of government as an experiment.
"They assert that while here In the
United States for example. we met
the political test in our civil war we
have not yet been put to the social
test, which can only come when land
shall be overcrowded and we face num-
bers Of the disinherited with the fran
chise in their hands. The painful ex-
perience Of the present war has no
doubt modified their views about their
own political institutions and leader
ship; but Enthusiastically 1t was the be-
lief that their form Of government was
superior and, as part OF their 'kultur.,
should be imposed on the rest OF the
world, which helped bring about the
present assault on the peace OF Europe.
The fight they 1ave,put up shows how
efficient autocracy Is In war.
1T remains for the democratic peo-
pies to demonstrate their capability OF
thinking true in a time of world crisis,
of choosing right leaders, and OF &C
tually surrendering for the time being
their customary privileges and even
their constitutional liberties, in order
that these leaders may meet the CEN
tralized organization Of autocratic
powers with an organization which
shall be equally effective. Suspension
of privilege and liberty on the part of
people at a time like this is not apt
to compromise their rights permanent
ly Witness the way in which Lincoln
found 1t necessary to put the constl-
tuition in his pocket at times in order
to save the government which that con-
stitution had made possible and how
little this affected the course OF our
constitutional history after the crisis
had passed.
UNLESS Germany is beaten thorough
ly beaten, or thru revolution. changes
the character and spirit Of her govern
ment. we know what we may look for
ward to-. Is there any doubt that in
such event she would succeed in I'M
posing on Austria and her other allies
the plan which she herself has practic-
ed, of making every citizen soldier.
1.-THE Central European group, COM
bined with Bulgaria and Turkey, would
then indeed be q menace to the world.
Every other nation which had any re-
gard for It's own safety would be COM
PEELED Immediately to resort to a like
policy. We should not only be burden
ed with multiplied national budgets;
but, by reason Of the fact that militar-
ism leads to war. would be creating a
highly explosive condition everywhere.
Germany's success. 10 unthinkable.
"But after the war, what? Are We
to return to the old alliances. arraying
group against group. and leading, when
war comes, 10 war that Is almost uni
versal! Or are we to act as thinking
beings, take the lesson we have learned
Of successful government within the
STATE and apply It between states? From
time to time for generations great
leaders of thought have pointed to the
need of international organization. But
the ambitions of rulers and the preju-
dices Of peoples have prevented. Today
there appears for the first time a
chance to realize this great project.
with the overthrow Of German
arms this great reform for which the
world is longing will become possible.
Nay, Germany herself may then form
part OF such league. Why not?
when England. opening the great
est chapter In her history. took up arms
against the despoilers OF Belgium, her
eminent statesman and writer Lord
Morley, retired from the cabinet. He
doubted whether he would be able to
stand the labors incident to war cab
met: but above all he feared lest the
war should make autocratic Russia so
strong as to become menace to Eng
land Other Englishmen with greater
vision. suggested that Russia's war as.
ISOLATION with liberal governments
might liberalize Russia herself.
ITO the astonishment Of the world