Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-08-02
Varied Replies on
Symposium What
Gained by World War

postum on what did the World gain
by the world war" is published today
by the American Legion Weekly. The
majority of the replies. many OF them
from famous Aemricans. agree there
were gains, though some deny any,
The first person quoted, the former
Kaisers secretary. Admiral II. Won
Rebcir- PaschwitZ. said:
What did the world gain" Moth
ing, II lost everything
This answer" said the article.
was i'll reply TO n letter to William
Hohen2ollern in Holland. II is taken
to represent very closely the real
views of the former emperor.
The symposium was prepared 10
feature the tenth anniversary OF the
beginning Of the world war.
Frederick Wilhelm. former crown
prince says:
THE result was that all nations are
arming as hard az they can. and what
about democracy? Just look AT the
cables from over the whole world.
Dictatorship of some sort or other is
the favorite idea The only good the
war did is to sho what n nation, not
well armed. is powerless. and that
such n nation gets no help from any
body"
Newton u. Baker says:
Taking the long view. believe IT
is possible now to say that the world
is at last convinced that the balance
of power theory is an unstable basis
for world peace and that information
a! cooperation is the only other plan
to he tried. This is great gain
General John J. Pershine said:
while we are probably too close
to the events of the world war def
nitely TO judge or It's general bene-
fits TO mankind. yet the victory did
result in preventing domination by
autocracy, 9th all its disastrous eff
feCts upon civilization. and the eNi-
denCe Is clear. that the free peoples Of
the world will unite in resisting such
dominat ton
General Henry T. Allen, command
ing general of the American Army OF
Occupation. says:
THE world has seen that the I'M
pious crceds that might makes right.
and that the state as the incarnation
of power stands above laws, have
been overthrown. The world has
learned much moro Of the inter dc
pendence of states. 1t has Earned
that Europe cannot proceed proper
~ along the road OF moral and physi-
cal restoration without our partici-
patton in the great unsettled post
bellum measures.
American Soldier No. 1000. 900. who
served in the ranks throughout the
war and is now n staff sergeant. says:
although We cannot claim that, as
n result of the world war. the world
has been made safe for democracy,
it is apparent that the American
principle that governments derive
their just powers from the consent of
the governed has been for the first
time. impressed upon European
minds"
Sir Phillip Gibbs. British war cor
respondent. sayS:
"Tho only gain to humanity from
the world war, as far as can see now,
was the inspiration that comes from
the supreme valor of youth and it's
ready sacrifice for Ideals higher than
self-interest."
William Allen White, Kansas cdi-
tor. says:
The gain came in self respect for
the working man and the man of
small means and his woman folks
And 1t cut through nationalities
without respect TO allies or central
powers. In that much democracy
has gained and will never 20 back. .
Hilairc BelloC. English historian
and student of military science:
The world gained by the great
war a dem onstration in practice that
the atheist doctrine and tradition of
which Prussia has been the In
creasingly successful exponent for
100 years would ultimately prove
weaker than the culture of Christcn-
dom"
Charles W. Eliot. president
Emeritus Of Harvard:
The World War destroyed the
huge Russian, German and Austrian
autrocracies, X X cut into pieces
strengthened the three great powers
In which Democratic principles have
made good progress. and brought
them nearer to effective union for
promoting liberty. justice and peace
throughout the world
samuel Gompers, president of the
American Federation of Labor:
The world gained as result Of
the great war 81 freedom from the
menace Of organized militarist i'm
perialism without which all people
sooner or later would have been en-
chained In bondage and vassalage
Democracy is in the ascendancy. the
dominant form OF government"
Jane Addams says:
y. revelation of what modern
war is when systematic propaganda
arouse world wide hate and when
the latest methods of Industrial eff
ficiency achieve the maximum or
slaughter and destruction: ..
Among the living growing deter
mination 10 abolish war for the sake
OF those who gave their lives to end
II"
John Maynard. English economist
and author Of Economic Conse-
quences Of the Peace" says:
Il don't know"