Evening star., 1931-12-20
STUDENTS ARE HANDSPRING
OF POLITICS In EUROPE
Take Active Interest i'm Governmental
Affairs in Contrast to University
Life in America.

pies will show this. The movement for
the liberation of Germany from the
Napoleonic rule in 1913 had its begin
nngs in the universities. Fichte. as a
professor of the University of Berlin
became the spiritual father Of the move
ment in his Addresses to the German
Nation" t"Reden an die Deutsche Ma
tlOn'D. and the first voluntary bat
talions set up we're largely hattalons of
students. Again in l847 and 1848 the
revolution against the absolute rulers
was initiated by students and among
those who died at the barricades were
many who had exchanged their books
for arms
When the first constitutional Parlia-
ment met in Austria a young student.
Hans Kudlich. introduced a law to
llboratc the peasants. until then in
Ieudal dependency. This proposal be-
came law in spite of the fact that when
the Parliament was dissolved again
Hans Kudlich had to flee for his life
to America. After the unsuccessful
revolution in Russia in 1905 one of the
first measures Of the government was
to close the universities, and several
hundred students were sent to Siberia.
The history Of the liberation during
the last so years of a great many
European nations from Turkish and
Austrian rule offers many more ex-
ampleS Of the political initiative Of
European students, In 1857 the first
to free Bulgaria from Turkish rule was
led by Christie Botcf. a Bulgarian stu
dent in Paris. Even today the largest
student organization in Bulgaria is
called after him Czech and Serbian
students were among the first to claim
freedom for their nations.
Politics Based Upon Principles.
Another reason for the great inf1u-
ence o. students in politics is the lack
of adequate leadership in number of
countries. For instance, it is easily
understood that in some OF the Balkan
countries in which universities were
only founded some 80 or 40 years
ago and where large part Of the
population is still illiterate any one
who gets as far as the university should
be drawn upon for leadership. OF
course. this particular incentive to stu
dents to take part in politics is bound
to grow weaker in the course of time.
OF more permanent Importance for
political life in the universities is the
very character Of European politics.
Continental political life is largely
based on principles rather than on op-
portunitv, as it is in the United States.
Most of the political parties have
definite philosophy behind them, be 1t
the conception of economic determl-
nism of Karl Marx or the ideas of the
German philosophy of idealiSm, which
inspire most of the nationalist parties
in Europe today, or the system of
thought Of the Roman Catholic Church,
which guides the Roman Catholic
parties. In other words. politics offer
material for discussion on really in
tellectual basis, even if at one time or
another the nations are not faced with
sensational iss6es such as prohibition
or crime This probably explains better
than ANYTHING else the difference be-
tween the American and the European
situations. for in America the majority
of students are hardly able to tell the
difference between the Republican and
the Democratic parties, except that
thev are represented in cartoons by
different animals.
During recent years, in Europe fur
ther incentive has been added to make
students interested in their politics. The
various relationships which have been
established have been in opposition to
the conventional and traditional parties
In which the older generation found its
political expression. The relationships
turned to the young generation and, in
particular, to the students in the uni
versities for support. Thus. In Italy, for
instance, the universities became strong
holds of the Fascist regime. Roughly,
80 per cent of the students are mem
bers of the Gruppi Universitari Fascist,
and three years ago their leader, a stu
dent himself, was made n member OF
the great Fascist Council, the body
which today really determines the fate
of Italy.
Student Movements Radical.
AS BELTS young people, in Europe
most of the political movements among
Students are of very radical character,
Sometimes they are definitely out for a
revolutionary overthrow Of the govern
ment in power However. youth Alone
(ContinHed on Fourth Page)