Evening star., 1922-10-01
BY THOMAS n. MARSHALL.

BY THOMAS n. MARSHALL.
Former Vice President Of the
United States.
A LWAYS it is our fears we
~ hope may not como to pass.
~ Dreading the omens Of the
future, we pray that the
clouds will disappear and sunshine
flood the earth. Sometimes we do
not wish the future to verify our
Impressions. They may be SO
direful that one cannot even
secretly hope for their fulillment,
Notwithstanding the potency Of. Il
told you So" 1t Is with timidity
that venture to record some Of
my Impressions gained in Europe
lest 1t may be thought that I am
,desirous Of their confirmation In
order to disclose myself a prophet.
greater caution ought to be OBJ
served by writer's. 1t will never
probably be definitely settled
which tends to greater evil, the
intrigue Of statesmen or the
thoughtlessness OF men who write.
Let 1t be understood that I hope
am mistaken in some Of my im-
pressions.
had thought that the race ques-
tion in America was purely one Of
language. I believed that the dis
cordant notes in the social. polit-
ical and economic life came from
the tongue and not from the heart.
I thought that II once all persons
were taught to use. and did use. the
English language, we would be-
come a homogeneous people. I do
not withdraw my view as to the
necessity Of compelling the use. OF
the English language. but I am
convinced that something more
than a common language is needed.
To 1t must be added conviction Of
the truth of the things taught
conviction so strong that it will
compel action even when action is
distinctly detrimental to the in
terest Of the person taking it.
x II + \
was led to this belief by rea-
son of the fact that I detected
underneath the language of Euro
pean peoples a distinct line of
cleavage marking differences Of
thoughts. desires and purposes
came to the conclusion that the
biblical account of the Tower of
Babel was no more fragmentary
than was my opinion of what ef-
feet that incident had upon the
history Of humankind. Prior to
soothing opinion that however
much hearts and brains might
vary In quantity, they were much
alike in quality. ! imagined that
If an universal language even
like Esperanto became the tongue
OF humankind. disturbing elements
in life would largely disappear
1t was not the confusion of
tongues at Babel that wrought
great injury to the progress of the
AoSc. WI lhC COHluSiOl VI UiOOu
that mysterious something which,
in Europe. marks the differences in
the thoughts and emotions Of men
and which has led to envy. hatred,
discomfort and war. 1t Is a sense
of superiority upon the part of
certain races and q certainty of
the inferiority of others. 1t has
grown through the long centuries
since the Aryan race emerged in
the mists OF antiquity from the
Businesses of the Cral mountains.
1t makes no difference whether
this idea of superiority and in
feriority rests upon the muscular
statement that might makes right,
or on the intellectual statement Of
DR.. Johnson that the jockey rides
the horse, not because he is
stronger than the horse. but be-
cause he knows more.
+ +
Unfortunately, for the peace Of
Europe. there is no common agree.
ment as to which races. are su-
perior and which inferior. There
is no court of final appeal to settle
the question. No nation is will