The times-herald. [volume] (Burns, Harney County, Or.) 1896-1929, 1918-04-13
DEMOCRACY VERSUS AuTocRACY
Leland Stanford Junior University


II Is commonly said that this war
is one In which America was forced
to take part In order to make the
( world safe for democracy" What
does the phrase mean?
The theories and acts Of the Ger.
man military autocracy definitely deny
the right OF the people OF state to
rule themselves. The German people,
In spite Of forms OF government that
make a pretense OF popular control.
have no such actual control over their
governors as exists in democratically
organized nations. In those nations
the governors can be removed by a
vote OF the people In general elec.
tion; In Germany the people have not
this power.
The aristocracy OF Germany under.
stand this difference. and are afraid
OF the spread OF democracy In Ger.
many The whole. much.admired "effi.
cheney" of Germany is primarily due
TO desperate and constant effort by
Germanys rulers TO divert the German
people from thoughts OF self govern.
perlty. And the rulers have sue
ceeded. One OF the causes OF this
war was the necessity. by still fur
ther glorious acquisitions OF terri.
tory" 10 hush the murmurings OF
political discomfort In Germany. Vic.
tory In war. every SO often, is a nee.
essi'y OF the German syE.om "it Is
for social as much as for national
and political reasons that we must
fix our minds necessarily upon war"
Success IL necessary to gain influ-
ence over the Masses" wrote Bern
hardi; and General Won Bissing. Just
before his death. wrote a Political
Testament" since largely circulated In
Germany. In which he argued for the
retention OF Belgium, because. unless
IL ioere annexed. the prestige Of the
fatal blop.
Are we--are the Allies-then fight.
Ing to impose upon Germany a diff
ferent system; is that the meaning of
making the world safe for democ-
racy?"
Elihu Root says that American
democratic ideals include liberty not
for themselves alone but for all who
are oppressed" Lloyd George asserts
that II all countries had been demo
cratically organized, this war would
not have taken place: that this war
will determine not merely interna-
tional relations. but will affect the
lives OF peoples poithin their oDn ma
lions, for generations to come; that
this war Is to end in international
democracy" |. e.. in liberty, equal
lty. and fraternity. betioeen nations,
great and small. General Smuts. for
merly a soldier against Great Britain
In South Africa, says that the essence
Of this war is the question whether
governments should be founded on
military might or on principles OF
equity. justice. fairness and equality"
Various writer's have depicted this
war as test OF democracy, to de-
termine whether democracy can ad.
Just itself to an emergency so that by
sheer efficiency II shall at least equal
the efficiency OF military autocracy,
and assert that on this ground alone
the future government OF all the ma
tions OF the world is at stake. VIII
Crooks. the British labor leader. says
this war lis a peoples war, We are all
In II, the man at the village pump and
In the fields. the blacksmith. the car
penter and joiner the shipwright. and
the man OF leisure. We are standing
together because zoe are fighting for
liberty"
Yes. this war is one In which ideals
of government. OF individual liberty.
of civilization itself are In conflict.
Democracy is lined up against autoc-
racy. The war is In absolute fact a
war OF ideals. But we are not fight
Ing to impose our ideals upon any
nation. What we are fighting for.
In making the world safe for democ-
racy." Is to Drevent military dufoc-
racy from imposing its GnthoftfD and
Us ideals upon as. We are ready to
keep on mlnding our own business,
and TO let other nations do the same.
A military autocracy that proposes
to conquer the world must be de-
ieated. TO the point where II renounces
meddlng with other nations. great or
small. or there is no peace In the
world. That is the issue at stake,