Evening star., 1939-06-25
Impressions of Europe
Political Rushing Is Among Major
Activities at University in SIovenio
BY TOM and HARLE DAN1MANN.

By TOM and HARLE DAMlMANN.
LJUBLJANA, Yugoslavia. - ITO
learn what the people of Slovenia
really think you must talk with the
students at the University of Ljub-
llama"
That was the advice given us most
frequently as we drove through
this nohternmost province of Yugo-
slAvia. We wondered. though, how
these students could be representa-
tive, since, by so many people, they
are labeled "Bolsheviks" and. by
most others, "the opposition" Only
q little more than l per cent of
the population Approximately 1000
students) attend the university, l8
per cent of these are women, 1875
per cent are peasants. as per cent
are from laboring families, 20 per
cent from the families of profess
sional and business men, and so
per cent from families of civil serv-
ice employees. We had to learn some-
thing of the history and politics
Of Slovenia to appreciate the worth
Of this advice
Educationally, Slovenia ranks ex-
ceptionally high. Every boy and
girl is required by law to have a
minimum of eight years schooling.
Only one out of every hundred per-
sons here dosent know the alphabet.
In this Slovenian capital. Ljub-
llama population, 100000 we were
reminded q little of an American
university town. Culture hit us in
the face. On our first day here we
were taken to the opening of an
exhibit of the work of a prominent
artist where we listened to a short
dedicatory speech by one of the
towns newspaper editors in which
the Importance of Slovenic art to
Slovenic nationalism was extolled.
On succeeding days we heard SYM
phony concerts, and were proudly
shown the opera house, the radio
station and art galleries. In the
many cafes, where all the business
and politics in the province is trans
acted, we saw scores of newspapers
and publications. printed in every
language, from Germany, England,
Italy, France, America and various
Balkan countries.
Peasants Kept Culture Alive.
During the centuries of domina-
ton by the Austro- Hungarian en-
pire the Slovenes fought for their
national identification almost sole
ly through culture. Culture and
politics became intertwined and.
IN the large, art, literature and
music took the places of guns, riots
and demonstrations. Furthermore,
the culture itself was kept alive
by peasants and laborers, for the
so-called upper classes consisted
mainly Of outsiders-German and
Hungarian employees of the en-
pire, and Austrian and Hungarian
business men. Throughout the 10th
century Slovenes agitated for q
purely Slovene university, but not
until 20 years ago, when Slovenia
became province of the new king
dom Of Yugoslavia, did they get 1t.
Thus intimately identified with the
history Of Slovenian nationalism the
University Of Ljubljana is now q
symbol Of the struggle for inde-
pendence.
But the politics of nationalism
and the struggle for independence
are no mere tradition among the
university students: they are so
vital to them that the student who
isn't up to his neck in some form
of politics Is, indeed, 4 black sheep.
I'VE Slovenes have a long tradi-
ton OF nationalism, but relatively
no tradition Of, or experience in,
statehood" young girl told us.
Our kingdom is new thing and
80 Is our university. It's only nat
ural that the development of the
two should be parallel and that we
students should be keenly inter-
ested In the development of our
state"
All sorts of political thought, &C.
cordingly, are represented among
the students-from Communism and
Fascism to various isms coming
from the two oncial parties of the
province - Clerical and Liberal.
From all we could learn most stu
dents are in opposition to the ma
tionAl government. These students
are Federalists opposed to the CEN
tralization of the government in
Belgrade, the national capital. They
maintain that Slovenia has not yet
obtained its desired independence.
They grant that the kingdom must
control questions of foreign policy
and trade, national currency, mails,
national defense and the like, but
in other things they demand au-
tonomy for every province. They
are chiefly outraged by their finan-
cial dependence on Belgrade. Slo-
venia Is the richest province in the
nation. they say, and accordingly
pays the most taxes. But they get
relatively nothing in return; the
larger part of revenue is spent in
RESORTS.
OCEAN CITY, N. J.