The Wahpeton times., 1919-01-02
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Future of Europe
Is Dependent on
Reconstruction Of
Ancient Nation
IF Germany had a natural
eastern frontier-as she has
natural boundaries to west
and south-the establish

- NSAAhOh hNu u uaSuh 90
eastern frontier-as she has
natural boundaries to west
and sOuth-the establish
ment of permanent peace
might not require such extraordinary
safeguards. But. Germany lying
where she does and her people being
what they are. the future of Europe
depends on one thing-the reconstruc-
tion OF Poland"
The speaker was no less a person
than Roman DmOwski, for twenty
years q leader of the submerged west
ern Slavs in their aspiration toward
a renewed national life, long the rep
resentative of the city of Warsaw In
the Russian duma; today, by virtue of
his position as president Of the Pol
fsh national committee. recognized by
the governments of Great Britain,
France. Italy and the United States
as the, official representative and
spokesman Of thirty-five millions of
people.
ITO take up the German-ness of Ger
mans first" lie went on in the course
Of IN interview with Rowland TtOnrs
appearing in the New York World,
"they are a people capable of talking
about their drang mach osten-their
eXpansiveness toward the east-as If
1t were something scientifically inev-
table and sacred, like the law Of grav-
itation or the budding of trees in
sprinstime. No such peculiar ard spe-
cific force. of course. now exists. Ma
ture no more drove the Germans to-
the expansive eastward than up or
down in any other direction. What
did drive them was an alluring oppOr-
tunity. Whereupon they invented y
mystical force which was supp 'scd to
lie above even their own ideas and
emOtiOns-just as they later invented
special and sacred kultur when they
felt the need of iustifying overween-
ing ambition in their own eyes and
the sight of the world. and still later
conjured up an ancient German Gott
to make expediency and morality ;nu-
tually. se!f-supporting.
"Such worship of mental straw l:,en
such confusing of formulas with
forces. the sound of words wifi, yeri.
ties. eXculpations with Qualifications
is the natural refuge of sentimental
lists who shrink from looking their
own impulses in the face.
"By special drang mach osten.
then, Germans have sanctified for
themselves their cupidity of territory
and trade in certain directions. Many
such canonized phrases will confron;
and trouble the peace builders in their
coming work. for an orthodox formula
may be q deadly thing. Witness what
was justified in revolutionary France
by the cry of liberty, equality and fra
ternity-what is happening under the
same watchword now in bolshevistit
Russia. To guard the future against
the force of the ancient and heloet
dogma of drang mach Osten is there
fore vitality necessary.
Would Safeguard Future.
"And," interpolated Mr.. Dmowski, {
faint smile lowering about his firm-se
lips. IF certain step is taken tn.
future will be effectually guarded
Germans. hereafter will have to tax,
their drang mach osten out in plair
drang-ing. They will find thems-lve!
butting their aeads against n wall, t,
be colloquial. And that wall will b,
POland-the strong Poland which cal
and must be constructed. not easily
perhaDS. hut surely and firmly .ff S,,f
ficiently intelligent and foreseein,
craftsmanship is used at this time.
That brings us to the second stand
ing menace to permanent peace in Eu
rope-the fact that Germany for gen
erations has had no natural eastern
boundaries. that. a tantalizingly easy
way to aggression and conquest ha.
lain always open before her-and nov
that Russia is chaos, is easier thar
ever before.
IF this were not the case, If Ger
many faced to the east some well
defined physical obstacle. as she face!
: the Rhine gorge. the Alps. the Bohe
mian and Carpathian highlands to tn,
west and south. the potentialitie.
might not be so grave. But as it is
Asia, through Russia, lies open. un
guarded and dangerously inviting t,
Germany's thwarted ambitions.
LET us not in this exhilarating mo
ment Of victory permit ourselves t,
become unduly optimistic or too cred
ulous. National psychologists do no