Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-10-10
Convocation Opens
19l7-19l8 Year at Uni
versity Combination Of
Convocation and BE
tween Us Day"

this morning opened the 1917-1918
year at the university, sounded the
same note Of patriotism which last
year characterized these assemblies.
This mornings co%nvocation was q
combination of the Between Us day"
and the regular university address by
President Frank L. McVey In his last
formal address before a gathering of
n entire university group.
After the singing Of America" by
the audience. President Mcvey read
Of Exodus and Deuteronomy, and Sc
lections from the New Testament, and
leaving with the audience the mes
sages, Choose the Lord thy God that
He may prolong thy days." and
righteousness exalteth q nation, but
sin is q reproach to n people," and
Blessed is the nation whose God is
the Lord"
President Mcvey, after making the
usual announcements and speaking OF
problems that confront the students in
the university, proceeded to his adj
dress and spoke in part as follows:
1.-The year 1917 is in many ways
One Of the most remarkable years in
the history of the world. 1t has
brought us many new things and has
given to the world a new viewpoint.
There is a new viewpoint in war.
matter of the individual, as he is be-
Ing subordinated to the good Of the
whole and has become a part Of the
great machine that is. being perfected
for the sole purpose of wearing down
the enemy. This new viewpoint is to
have a far reaching effect on the en-
tire organization Of society after the
war.
New Machinery Wonderful!
"This year has witnessed the intro
duction of some Of the most wonder
full machines the world has ever seen.
Most of these are machines Of war,
the, airplane, the submarine, the tank
and many mechanical appliances here
a new phase Of the war, with the en-
try Of America into the great conflict
America. almost in a night, has turned
to the draft method. It is a remark
able thing that America should arrive
at this great forward place almost in
q night. a place that 1t has taken
other nations centuries to reach, and
indeed has not yet been reached. by
many of them. It is a remarkable
thing that in SO short a time the
United States was able to call ten mil.
IA~SAA AAASAAs l. OOok kA 4AO LII
and then select one million Of them
from am6ng these and so quietly and
swiftly carry out the Organization OF
these men into an army. The whole
scheme Of military organization ha.
been worked out with a rapidly
which is astonishing. The canton.
ments have been arranged and equip
ped and the men delivered to then
with a promptness such as the world
has witnessed. The utilization
of all the industrial and m~anufactur.
ing plants, both private and public
without friction, indicates a new view.
point in national affairs. The fooc
commission is a remarkable thing ir
a democracy like this, and though this
commission has before it an enormou.
task to perform it Is doing it thor.
Oughly and well. The regulation re.
garding the press shows a Realization
that the relation of the press to tn.
life of the nation is a matter of very
great importance.
And things that are greater thar
these are foreshadowed. 1 believe
that from-aA- this hat
passing through is to be evolved 6
new state, a new citizenship M a new
theology.
Jefferson wrote that the, right o,
AA 40 AA0, AAOSAIy dLU lIl0 pur6ulL o.
happiness And we in America hav.
felt that all these-life, liberty and
the pursuit of happiness-were giyer
to us in q larger measure than to mos
peoples.
Life In Germany has been guarded
as well. and perhaps a great deal bet.
ter than in most countries, and the
life OF the people of Germany wa,
insured against accident. Liberty wa
enjoyed by the people, at least so the
rulers OF Germany tell us, but the
pursuit of happiness was not left in
any measure to the choice Of the
people OF the German empire.
In America since we have entered
point of the functions Of the state. and
m government has extended its
functions in the regulation of the af.
fairs Of the nation. It is looking after
the main tenanceRof life to q degree
never beforel attempted. it 10 insurina
the lives Of the soldiers and sailors,
and 1t is taking a larger interest in
n insurance against accident, the
care Of the aged, and the health OF
the infants.
n progress is toward the greater
care OF the happiness Of the individual
and the protection Of his life by the
state. 1t Is working toward a new or
ganization in which the state will own
the coal mines and the forests. There
WILL be a new emphasis on education.
New Citizens Next.
with this new state must come the
1new- citizenship. We have too Tons
taken the state for granted. Now Il
must occupy a larger place in the life
Of the citizen, and there must be q
new sense of responsibility, a new
realization Of what the state has done
for us and is doing. and a new loyalty.
What we in America need is a new