Evening star., 1922-09-03
ny TH0s. n. MARSHALL.
Former Wee President Of the UniteA
States.

Former Wee President OF the Unfte(
States.
r takes a long time to settle
definitely not only disputed.
but seemingly uncontrovert-
ed historical facts. And they
are no sooner settled than some-
body comes along and unsettles
them again. Thus, we have an
endless amount Of reading and dis
cussion to determine what Is truth.
am moved to this observation
by reading another Life Of Shell
ley" Until I perused its pages I
thought IL had been fairly well es-
tablished that he was not the
president Of a Christian EndsAvor
Society, but now I am in doubt. 1t
may be that all these long years
since his death envious persons
have sought to blacken 4 spotless
character.
In German city. where I was
unable TO communicate save
preter. ! found leisure tn read much
that is printed in the English Ian
Euaee. 1 laid down Shelley and
picked up an American review.
X 4 X
When I left the United States I
would have thought. If gave any
thought at all to it, that any one
sufficiently interested in the civil
war to write or talk about 1t would
have ascertaintd that the actual
hostilities in the conflict between
the states were started by our
brethren Of the Confederacy. I
supposed that IL there was one his
no gainsayinf. It was that Fort
Sumter was fred upon by those
who sought to dissolve the Union.
/ ought not to have been so cock
sure. I should have remembered
the interminable controversy.
sDoken and written. over the dues-
tion whether Sampson or schley
Spanish feet.
When I read the American re-
view I learned for the first time
that Abraham Lincoln was the man
who fired the first shot. I was not
greatly surprised. 1t was just an
other instance Of how in the well
ter and the richness Of written
words and tradition that which IL
A plain proposition becomes In the
course Of years a disputed fact.
had just finished reading this dis
torted bit Of historical verify when
the gentleman who was acting as my
interpreter came in and informed me
that he had been listening to an
impassioned German orator address
ing an audience of several thousapd
persons, all Of whom. he said,
eheered his statements to the echo.
And this is what they applauded as
he was epitomized by my interpreter:
That the terms Of the treaty Of peace
were an outrage and disgrace to
modern civilization: that no people
had ever been 30 nnaligned. abused.
misrepresented and lied about as had
the German people with reference to
, the inception Of the great war: that
history had been faIsified and that
a deliberate and perhaps success
full attempt had been made to
prejudice the world against the Ger
mans: that they had always desired
peace that they had entertained no
enmity nor iil-will against any nation
on earth: that France and Belgium
had deliberately begun the war:
that France had sent her army into
Belgium and the Belgians and the
French had entered German territory
from AK before the German govern
ment made any move toward war;
that the war had been one of self
defense. and, finally, that right
thinking men ought now to demand
that the indemnity be reduced to
such terms as would not permanently
impoverish the German people.
\
This I took to be perfervid or
atory indulged in to please the
crowd. arouse enthusiasm and pro-
duce a sweet taste in the mouth. I
did not dream that anybody would
really believe anything Of the kind.
I supposed that it appealed to the
crowd Just as advice that he ought
not to pay would appeal to q man
who had executed note for a dead
horse. But learned the same even
ing that my mental dog was barking