Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-04-15


tions in great tidal wave
but nevertheless we know
that God lives"
These were the words of Prof. Har-
mack, the most famous of German
theological professors and the fore
most of modern church historians, ut
tered to me today in his study in the
great Palace of the Kaiser in the
heart of Berlin. Prof. DIR. Harnack
has something the same position here
that DR.. Eliot. President Emeritus
Of Harvard. holds in the United
States He has been writing books.
which have attracted attention dur
ing a period of almost half century
and his name is known throughout
the world as the exponent of liberal
Christianity.
/ had called to ask him as to the
condition of the intellectuals in Ger
many and the conversation drifted to
the low morality of the times and
the prospects for the future. Speak
ing of the intellectua1s, DR.. Harnack
said
II suppose you refer to the pro-
fessors, teachers. students and men
who make their living out of their
brains. I can explain that in a few
words. We starve. We work. but
we do not despair. If you ask me
how Germany is faring, I would say
] do not know. If you ask me how 1
am faring, 1 would give the same
answer. r do not know. None Of US
know. The outlook is dark but we
do not despair. We need help, but
we expect to keep on hoping and
working. l trust the time will soon
come when America will stop saying
she will not interfere in European
matters. We need her help and we
feel she could do good. But whether
that time comes or not. Germany
will surely get on her feet, although
without Americas aid. it will take
her longer to do So"
How are these times affecting the
soul of the German people?" I asked.
The reply of Prof. Dr. Harnack was in
the words at the beginning of this
letter. He continued:
Here in Germany the luxury and
loose life. WHICH you see everywhere
are a disease. which our people have
caught. 1t is not unnatural consider
ing that we have no inducement to
thrift. No one will save when he
Is sure his savings will disappear
the next day. Every night the people
spend what they have rather than
see it swallowed up in the fall of
the mark the next morning. AS to
mon of my class, we have no surplus
whatever. Our trouble is that we have
not the means to educate our child
rem along the lines in which we have
lived This will affect the culture of
the Germany of the future. and the
outlook for our intellectual life is
q dark one.
y x Il
SGrTHE worst of the whole situa-
i tion," concluded the learned
doctor, at seems to me, is the fate of
the young, and especially of the chill
dren. These hard times may be a
punishment, and they are perhaps a
just punishment. but it is not fair
that the punishment should fall on
the neduS u LIE DdDLcS. II uldhcS liO
difference if we old people Gle. We
have lived our lives and it might be
as we'll if we pass away. have been
here more than threescore and ten
years and am ready to go. So are
many others of my age in my class.
But our babies are dying for want of
milk and our children need the food
which they must have to become
strong, able men. That surely is not
Gods purpose and do not believe it
can long continue"
I have entitled this letter big
Brains on the Way to the Poorhouse' -
This expresses the situation among
the live, thinking, intellectual Ger
mans of today. The culture and sci
ence of the country is on the edge
of dissolution, because these men are
Practically paupers and their means
OF existence have been wiped out by
the fall of the mark. This class in
cludes the lawyers, doctors, artists,
musicians, authors and all those who
had their own individual fortunes in
vested In conservative securities. 1t
includes the professors and school
teachers, Of whom Germany has tens
OF thousands There are today in the
public schools more than 100000
pupils, and of the less than 100000
teachers about $4,000 are women.
There are in the universities more
than, 100000 students who ore sup
ported by very slender allowances
from home, which, by the shrinkage
OF the mark, have been reduced to
practically nothing. The University
Of Berlin has 1900 such students,
Munich has 1900. Leipzig has over
5000 and the universities of Bonn and
Bresiau each almost as many.
The universities are well equipped
with professors. Berlin has more
4haa 800. Munich over 400 and Bonn