Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-05-03

from Turkestan directed their daring raids
against the Byzantine empire. In the alb.
sence of any real fusion Of the elements
In the three empires into homogeneous
unity, II has been necessary to obtain
unity through force, military force to be-
gin with, Administrative force thereafter
Germany, Turkey, and Austria as arti-
fetal combinations Of mutually hostile
peoples were doomed to remain military
empires, to place the army above the civil
law. to perpetuate noble military castles
and to put this army and this military
caste at the disposal OF the ruler, to make
him the arbiter Of national destiny, the
master of peace or war.
| In contrast to our survey of these three
, nations, q view Of the allied powers pre-
SCENTS remarkable unity despite certain
incontestable Emergencies. 1t would be
false as we'll as arbitrary to divide the
contending nations which dispute with
each other the empire Of the world into
the defenders and the oppressors Of ma
tionality. Pan-Germanism itself Is hut
monstrous perversion OF the nationalist
principle. On the other hand. no one will
be apt to forget that in the tragic history
Of nationality the record Of the allies is
far from immaculate
Nations without fault exist only in leg
end. The most liberal of western nations.
England has borne In her side for years
the sore wound of the irish question: and
the admirable solidarity of the British
empire to-day can not make us forget
that on the eve of the war it was an open
question whether the introduction of home
rule in ireland might not inflict on the
United Kingdom the horrors Of civil war.
France, the great republic Of Europe. Is
far from having made such efforts to ele-
vate the dignity Of it's Mohammedan SUBJ
jects in northern Africa as might have
been expected Of the country Of the
rights of man." AS for Russia not even
her I est friends could forget that during
the past 20 years she has continuously in
fringed the liberties of Finland by restric-
lions as unc. Institutional and unjust as
they were tactless and that her attempts
to Russianize eastern Poland have equal
led Germany's attempts to Germanize
Prussian Poland.
These admissions only add strength to
the statement that as whole the group
Of allied powers represent in their strug-
gle against the armed forces Of autocracy
the continuity of that liberal tradition to
which the nationalties enfranchised in
the course of the 18th century owe their
liberation.
And so to-day we see the first fruits of
this great struggle for democracy in the
Russian revolution. Russia has always
been the land Of mystery, great giant
held down by autocratic Lilliputians. This
, giant was led to believe by an unscrupu-
, lous autocracy that the threads which
bound his limbs were strong and riveted
chains. Terrorism was Rusas big stick
and where there is terrorism there can be
no public opinion. for wherever 1t as
serted itself it was led away to the dun
geons Of the capital or to the shambles
Of Siberia. The overturn in Russia was
, an extraordinary vitalization of the spirit
of the Russian army and public life
What better evidence could have been
+ given to the world that the real issue OF
3 this war is between Caesarism and free
government. between concord based upon
, the guarantees of civilization and inter
$ national discord upheld by all the brutal
3 tiles Of might.
A The American giant, who has never
known any chains, is at last aroused. and
{ his first act was to extend the hand o1
t welcome to his Russian brother SO that
= he should know and Great Britain, France
=. and Italy and all the world should know
: that America is their ally with all hel
F.. strength, military and economic, till Prus
e sian autocracy and brutality shall b.
!. beaten to earth.
e This new free Russia with a govern
n ment Of. by, and for the people, whethe
: that government be parliamentary gov
: eminent, such as that Of England ant
Italy. or whether 1t be more nearly akir
}. to the government Of France and ou
i own country, makes possible under tn
70 La ~ f,,to
}, national Monroe doctrine backed up b.
II all the forces of civilization against tn
g future Standardization Of the world.
}! After "Champlain" had been sung
q President Benton introduced the ora
e tor of the day. George Herbert Randall
n 81, Of Philadelphia. who spoke or
~ Some Impacts OF the College Man.
rs Mr.. Randall said in part:
- SOME IMPACTS OF THE COLLEGl
NAN.
In When it became my privilege to accep
,e the invitation of the president to make a
s, address here this morning, was not NOR
,e moved to its acceptance by a sense G
,e duty that I owe my alma mater in an
e, form Of service. then by sincere apprt
,e citation Of the opportunity the occasio
Id gives me to pay my personal tribute
n. those men, who. following in the footster
ia Of the founders Of the university held b'
D. fore me lin common with all other me
he privileged to study here) high ideals I
living and sublime conceptions Of lii
he They in common with those Of the pre-
g. ent faculties who came after them hay
w maintained and are maintaining tho'
al ideals Of a true university that lift 1t OF
of Of the sphere Of the commonplace ar
49, give to 1t permanent distinction The
nd is a seriousness OF motive in the averal
an Vermont undergraduate that reflects the
al Influences. The moral and intellectu
nd plane of our university as we compa
it's life and activities with those OF 9th
H. institutions. gives one confidence and sa
d. isfaction in his college. and causes h
he heart to glow with a natural pride VIII
occasion calls upon him to affirm his r
IN lationship.
And now I come to-day to speak to y
IN Of college men and some Of their relatio
er. ships For We are or are to become uni
lid Of power or Of weakness in the larg
M. world of men in which we live. VIII
al, kind of an impact are we to make up
a.. this expectant world? The great que
n. ton In education is not, what do
,s know, but what are we doing with tn
NJ which we know? The blacksmith train
:. in the art Of iron working can as he wi
a.. make a useful article, break open sa
va or do nothing at all. His education Is
- no value unles inspired to useful acti
tor and controlled and guided by his W
Nv, The college educated man is privilee
III