Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1935-06-06
EDUCATOR is
SPEAKER HERE
John GunderSOn Rockwell,
Gives ASkoV Commence
ment Address.
Class of Nineteen Get Di-
plomas at Annual Grad
uatiOn Event.

The usual fine gathering crowded
the Askpv ID. B. s. hail Friday night
when the exercises for graduating
class of nineteen were sponsored.
John Gunderson Rockwell. state ccm-
missioner of education, rendered the
commencement address in conjunction
with a fine program of music and
speaking.
Text of Commissioners Address.
Following is the text of Mr.. Rock
wells address before and to the grad
uating class in which he took as his
topic, THE Decency of Peace
IN any consideration of the topic
of peace and war one should inter-
pref the occurance of war and tne
state of peace in terms of the psyche
logical characteristics of man. Con-
sideration should be given to those
traits and characteristics in man
which may be interpreted as a pre-
disposition for or against war Let
us consider the questions: Is man
a warlike individual? Does he pos
sess mainsprings of action that lead
directly to war? An answer to these
questions will help us understand
why the god of war-or should say
the devil of warts always amongst
us. Members of the human race do
possess certain traits that may be IN
terpreted as diSpoSing them to en-
gage in conflict. One OF these Is the
trait known as sadism. Not all men,
but some, are sadistic. They enjoy
the misery and suffering OF others.
The means and ends of war are pain,
suffering, anguish, and destruction.
Some people are so constitutionally
organized that they obtain pleasure
and satisfaction out of the gore and
CRIME of war. Historically sad1stfc
rulers have enjoyed witnessing the
tearing apart of the human body limb
from limb. the devOuring OF human
beings by lions and the burning at the
stake. The sight of these unfortun-
ate victims appeared dramatic and
their cries were as music to the ears
of the prosecutors. In the colonial
period the stocks and ducking stools
offered gentler means of SATISFYING
the sadistic element in man. Today
we attend prize fights and screecf
and howl when the modern gladiators
beat each other into a pulp.
Still the sadistic elements In
man never transcend his finer i'm
pulses to the point where he is
pleased with the effects of war or
women and children. l know OF M
worshipers of war who can smile
with pleasure on the children of Eu
rope who lived through the Worl6
war. No being could be considered
human who gloried in the bowed
rachitic limbs. the blanched cheeks
the shriveled hands, and the dwarfed
bent bodies of the children who were
deprived of food so the god of Wal
could be fed. | hardly believe tha
sadism is articulate enough trait il
man to consolidate his behavior int
a mass action known as war.
War Causes Inconsistent.
IAN instinct in man that might b'
interpreted as being conducive to wa
Is the instinct of self-preservation
No other impulse or instinct in mai
is as strong as the desire to remain
alive. When man is attacked. he vii
fight back in order to preserve hi
life. The argument NAV be advances
that man goes to war in order to de
fend himself He is impelled to d
SO by the instinct of self preserva
- hot
take only a short direct step to tn
conclusion that mans instinctiv
handspring to action, which drive
him to defend himself when attacked
leads him to war.
I'VE have. however. overlooked tn
fact that in combat there is an as
gresSor and a defender. One ca
easily invoke the instinct of sell
preservation as an explanation VIII
man defends himself. but how can W
use the same characteristic OF ma
as an explanation of why he attack
another.
The aggressor who takes it upo
himself to attack another jeOpardize
his own life. He may be killed Will
attacking. He goes contrary to tn
strongest impulse which governs hin
There is a contradiction and incor
siStency in trying to explain the az
ton of the attacker and deferde'
by the same impulse of Self-preserve
ton. If one attempts to do so he
like the man who mounts a horse an
tries to ride il in two directions {
the same time.
THE techniQues of the ruin
bodies which declare only wars
defense are based on good psycholog.
Such declarations recognize the HI
man characteristic Of wish to surviv
We have witnessed that in war n