.C?'"'.:--.
THE OREGON SUNDAY JOURNAL, PORTLAND, SUNDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 25, 1914.
A 3
WEAK NATIONS HAVE NOT THE SAME RIGHT TO LIVE"-VON BERNHARDI
JAM ES B RYCE ANALYZES
THIS AMAZING DOCTRINE
Theory of Militarism as Outlined by German Is Dis
cussed by Eminent English' Statesman and Its
' Weaknesses Exposed.
SCHEME OF SELF-PRESERVATION IS DISCOUNTED
By Viscount (James) Bryce.
(from the Philadelphia Public Ledger.)
London, Oct. 10. The present war
has had Borne unexpected consequences.
It has called the attention of the world
outside of Germany to some amazing
doctrines proclaimed there, which
strike at the root of all international
morality as well as of all international
law, and which threaten a return to
primitive savagery, when every tribe
was wont to plunder and massacre its
neighbors.
These doctrines may be found set
forth in the widely circulated book of
General con Bernhardi, entitled "Ger
many and the Next War," published in
1911, and professing to be mainly
based on the teachings of the famous
professor of history. Heinrich von
Trt-ltschke. To readers in other coun
tries, end I trust to most readers in
Germany also, they will appear to be
.an outburnt of militarism run mad, a
product of a brain Intoxicated by love
of war arid by superheated national
self -consciousness.
They would have deserved little no
tice, much less refutation, but for one
deplorable fact, viz., that action has
recently been taken by the government
of a great nation (though, as we hope
, and trust, without the approval of that
nation)-, which Is consonant with them
and seems to imply belief in their
soundness.
This fact is the conduct of the Ger
man Imperial government In the vio
lation of the neutrality of Belgium,
which Prussia, as well as Great Brit
ain and France, had solemnly guaran- I If0?3
teed by treaty (made in 1839 and re- (P;. ,
newed in 1870) In Invading Belgium
when she refused to allow her armies
to puss through France, the other bel
llgerrr.t. had .explicitly promised not
to enter Belgium; and in treating Bel
gian cities and people against whom
sho had no cause of nuarrel with a
harshness unprecedented in the history
of modern European warfare.
Acting on Bernhardl's Doctrinal.
What are these doctrinesT I do not
ffir a moment attribute them to the
learned class in Germany, for whom I
have profound respect, recognizing
their Irnmlise services to science and
learning; mr to the bulk of the civil
adminlntraUion, a body whose capacity
and uprightness are known to all the
world, and least of all to the German
people generally. That the latter hold
no such views appears from Bern
hardl's own words, fer he repeatedly
complains and' deplores the pacific ten
dencies of his fellow-countrymen. (Note
See pages 10-1 of the English trans
lation and note the phrase: "Aspira
tions for'peace seem to poison the soul
of the German people.") Nevertheless,
tlie fact that the action referred to,
which thes doctrines seem to have
prompted, nrid which cannot be de
fended except by them, has been actu
ally taken and has thus brought into
this war Great Britain, whose inter
ests and feelings made her desire
peace, renders it proper to call atten
tion to them nnd to all that they in
volve. ;
1 certainly have no prejudice in the
matter, for I have been one of those
who for many years labored to pro
mote good relations between the Ger
man and the English peoples, that
ought to he friendly, and that never
-.before had been enemies; and I had
hoped and believed till the beginning
of August last that between them at
least there would be no war, because
Belgium neutrality would be respected.
Nor was it only for the sake of
Great Britain and Germany that Eng
lish friends of peace sought to main
tain good . feeling. We had hoped, as
nome leading German statesmen had
hoped, that a .friendliness with Ger
many might enable Great Britain,
with the co-operation of the lrnlted
Ftates. our chosest .friend, to mitigate
the long antagonism of Germany and
of the French, with whom we were al
ready on good terms, and to so improve
their relations as to secure the gen
eral peace of Europe.
Motives Appear Uncertain.
Into the causes which frustrated
these efforts and so suddenly brought
on this war I will not enter. Many
others' have dealt with them; more
over, the facts, at least as we in Eng
land see and believe them, and as the
documents Fee mto prove them to be,
appear not to be known to the German
people.' and the motives of the chief
actors are not yet fully ascertained.
One thing, however, I can confidently
declare: It was neither commercial
rivalry nor Jealousy of German power
that brought Great Britain into the
field, nor was there any hatred in the
British people for the German people,
nor any wish to break their power.
The leading political thinkers and his
torians of England had given hearty
sympathy to the efforts made by the
German people, from 1815 to 1866 and
1870. to attain political unity, and they
had sympathised with the paralled ef
forts of the Italians. The two nations,
German and British, were, of kindred
race and linked by many ties. To the
German people even now we feel "no
sort of enmity.-. In both countries
there were doubtless some persons
who desired war and whose writings,
apparently designed to provoke it. did
much to misrepresent general national
sentiment; but these persons were, as
I believe, a small minority In both
countries.
So far as Great Britain was con
cerned, ,it was the invasion of Belgium
that arrested all efforts to avert, war
and made the friends of peace them
selves Join in holding that the duty of
fulfilling their treaty obligations to
a weak state was paramount to every
other consideration.
Bernhardt' Praise of War.
I return to the doctrines set forth by
von Bernhardt and apparently accepted
by the military caste to which he be
longs. Briefly summed up, they are
as follows his own words are used
except when it becomes necessary to
bridge a lengthened argument:
"War is in itself a good thing. It
Is a biological necessity of the first
Importance." (P. 18.)
"The inevltableness, the idealism, the
blessing of war as an Indispensable
and stimulating war of development
must be repeatedly emphasized." (P.
' IT.)
"War Is the greatest factor in the
4 furtherance of culture and power. Ef
forts to secure peace are extraordinar
ily detrimental as soon as they can In
fluence politics." (P. 28.)
"Fortunately these efforts can never
Attain, their ultimate objects In a world
bristling with arms, where healthy ego
tism still directs the policy of most
countries. God will see to it. says
Treltschke. that war always recurs as
a drastic medicine for the human race."
(P. 86.)
"Efforts directed toward the aboli
tion of war are not only foolish, but
absolutely immoral, and must be stig
matized as unworthy of the human
race." (P. 4.)
''Courts of arbitration are pernicious
delusions. The whole idea represents
a presumptuous encroachment on nat
ural laws of development, wnicn can )
only lead to the most disastrous con- I
sequences for humanity generally." (P. j
34.) I
nrh ma(ntninr rif nesLTA n AVer ran '
be or may be the goal of a policy." (P.
25.)
"Efforts of peace would. If they at
tained their goal, lead to general de
generation, as happens everywhere in
nature where the struggle for existence
is eliminated." (P. 35.)
Huge Arm:nnts Desirable.
"Huge armaments are In themselves
desirable. They are the most neces
sary precondition of our national
healtV (P. 11.)
"The end all and be all of a state Is
power, and he who is not man enough
to look this truth in the face should
not meddle with politics." (Quoted
from Treitschke's Polittik.")
"The state's highest moral duty Is to
increase its power." (PP. 45-6.)
"The state Is Justified in making
conquests' whenever its own advantage
seems to require additional territory.-
MIGHT MAKES RIGHT AS
SERTS VON BERNHARDI
).
Self reservation la the state 8
highest ideal and Justifies whatever
action it may take if that action be
conducive to that end. The stat is
the sole Judge of the morality of Its
action. It Is, in fact, above morality,
or, in other words, whatever is neces
sary is moral. Recognized rights (1. e..
treaty rights) are never absolute
rights; they are of human origin and,
therefore. Imperfect and variable.
There are conditions in which they do
not correspond to the actual truth of
things. In this case Infringement of
the right appears morally justified."
(P. 49.) 4
"In fact, the state Is a law unto It
self Weak nations have not the same
right to live as powerful and vigorous
nations." (P. 34.)
"Any nation In favor of collective
humanity outside the limits of the
state and nationality la impossible.
(P. 25.)
A Doctrine 820 Tears Old.
These are startling propositions,
though propounded as practically ax
iomatic They are not new, ror a u
"War is in Itself a good thing.
It is a biological necessity of the
first importance."
"The blessing of war as a stim
ulating law of development must
be repeatedly emphasized."
"War is the greatest factor In
the furtherance of culture and
power. Efforts to secure peace
are extraordinarily detrimental as
soon as they can influence poli
tics." "Efforts directed towards the
abolition of war are not only
foolish, but absolutely immoral
and must be stigmatized as un
worthy of the human race."
"Courts of arbitration are per
nicious delusions. The whole idea
represents a presumptous en
croachment on natural laws of
development, which can only lead
co me most disastrous conse
quences for humanity generally."
"The maintenance of peace
never can be the goal of a policy.
"Efforts " for peace would, if
they attained their goal, lead to
a general degeneration as hap
pens everywhere in nature where
the struggle for existence is elimi
nated." "Huge armaments are in them
selves desirable. They are the
most necessary precondition of
our natural health."
"The state's highest moral
duty is to increase its power."
"The state is justified in mak
ing conquests whenever its own
advantage seem to require addi
tional territory."
"Self preservation is the state's
highest ideal and justifies what
ever action it may take if that
action be conducive to that end."
"In fact the state is a law
unto itself. Weak nations have
not the same right to live as
powerful and vigorous nations."
ors, claiming her by right of the
strongest; they came on the faith of
a legal title which, however, fantastic
it may seem to-us today, the Italians
themselves, and, indeed, the whole of
Latin Christendom, admitted. . Dante,
the greatest and most patriotic of Ital
ians, welcomed the Emperor Henry VII
into Italy, and wrote a famous book to
prove his claims, vindicating them on
the ground that he. as heir of Rome,
stood for law and right and peace The
noblest title which these emperors
chose to bear was that of Imperator
Pacificus.
In the Middle Ages, when men were
always fighting, they appreciated the
blessings of war much less than does
general von Bernhardi, and they val
uHes agc The eoYhlst ThVaiwhu. PW not war. as 'a means to civ
iT ptatX "RepubV argued-Socra- j and culture. They had not
is no"i" - v. xicusume inai
tes refuting him that Justice
ing more than the advantage of the
stronger; might is right. .
(Note. Plato laid down that the end
for which-the state exists is Justice.)
The most startling among them are
(1) denial that there are any duties
owed by the state to humanity, except
that of imposing Us own superior civ
ilization upon a part of humanity as
possible, and (21 denial of the duty of
observing treaties which are only so
much paper to modern German writers.
The state is a much more tremen
dous entity than It Is to Englishmen or
Americans; it is the supreme power,
with a sort of mystic sanctity a
power conceived of, as it were, self-cre
ated;" force altogether aisunct iron,
nnrt KiinArior to the persons who com
pose it. But a state is, after all. only
bo many Individuals organized unaer a.
rrtii-nTriint It is no wiser, no more
righteous than the human beings of
whom It consists ana wnom n seis up
to govern it. If it is right for persons
united as citizens into a state to rob
and murder for their collective aa
bv their collective power, why
should It be wicked for citizens, as in
dividuals, to do so? Does their moral
responsibility cease, when and because
they act together? Most legal systems
hold that there are acts which one man
may lawfully do which become unlaw
ful if done by a numDer or men con
spiring together; but now It would
seem that what would De a crime m
persons as individuals Is high policy
for those persons united in a state.
Has a state, then, no morality, no re
sponsibility? Is there no such thing
as a common humanityT Are mere no
duties owed to it? Is there none of
that "decent respect for the opinions
of mankind" which the framers of the
Declaration of Independence recognize?
No sense that even the greatest states
are amenable to the sentiment of the
civilized world?
How Weaker States Are Affected.
Let us see how these doctrines affect
smaller and. weaker states which have
hitherto lived in comparative security
beside great powers. They will be ab
solutely at the mercy of the stronger,
even if protected by treaties guaran
teeing their neutrality and independ
ence. They will not be safe, for treaty
obligations are worthless "when they
do not correspond to facts." 1. e.,'when
the strong power finds that they- stand
in its way its interests are paramount.
If a state hold valuable minerals, as
Sweden has Iron, and Belgium coal, and
Rumania oil, or if it has abundance of
water power, like Norway, Sweden, and
Switzerland; or if it holds the mouth
of a navigable river, the upper course
of which belongs to another nation, a
great state may conquer and. annex
that small state as soon as it finds
that It needs minerals or water power
or river mouth. It has the power, and
power gives right. The interests, sen
timents of patriotism and love of inde
pendence of the small people go for
nothing. Civilization has turned back
upon itself; culture is expending itself
by barbaric force; governments derive
their authority, not from the consent
of the governed, but from the weapons
of the conqueror; law and morality be
tween nations have vanished. Herodo
tus tells us that the Scythians wor
shiped as their god a naked sword; that
is the deity to be installed in the place
once held by the God of Christianity,
tha God of righteousness and mercy.
States mostly despotic states have
sometimes applied parts of this sys
tem of doctrine; but none has pro
claimed It. The Roman conquerors of
the world were not a scrupulous peo
ple, but even they stopped short of
these principles; certainly they never
set them up as an ideal; neither did
those magnificent Teutonic emperors
of the Middle Ages, whose fame Gen
eral von Bernhardi is fond of recalling.
They did net enter Italy as conquer-
peaco means decadence and war is the
n ue civilizing influence.
F:-:y-:::o::-:-v$:-A:.::v:.:?s 1
, , - 'f - t f-Vj" 'X
xpbm l! 'rW
MILITARY SCIENTIST IS
REFUTED BY ENGLISHMAN
Bryce Points Out the Brilliant Achievements the Small
State in All Periods of the World's History In
Answer to Arguments of German
UNITY THAT NOW EXISTS IN WORLD IS 'RECALLED
The Right Honorable Viscount James Bryce, Formerly Ambassador from Great Britain to
the United States.
Great Achievements of Small States.
The doctrines above stated are, as I
have tried to point out. well calculated
xo a j arm small states which prize their
liberty and their individuality, and
nave oeen inrivmg under the safeguard
of treaties; but there are other consid
erations affecting those states which
ought to appeal to men in all countries,
to strong nations as well as to weak
nations.
The small states whose absorption is
now threatened have been a potent and
useful perhaps the most potent and
useful factor In the advance of civil
ization. It is in them and by them
that most of what is most precious in
religion, in philosophy, in literature, in
science and in art has been produced.
The first great thoughts that brought
man into true relation with God came
from a tiny people inhabiting a coun
try smaller than Denmark. The relig
ions of mighty Babylon and populous
Egypt have vanished; the religion of
Israel remains In its earlier as well as
In that later form which has over
spread the world.
The Greeks were a small people, not
united in one great state, but scattered
over coasts and among hills in petty
city communities, each with its own
life. Slender in numbers, but eager,
versatile and intense, they gave us the
richest, most varied and most stimu
lating of all literatures.
When poetry and art reappeared
after the long night of the Dark Ages,
their most splendid blossoms flowered
in the small republics of Italy.
In modem Europe what do we not
owe to little Switzerland, lighting the
torch of freedom. 600 years ago and
keeping It alight through all the cen
turies when despotic monarchies held
the rest of the European continent?
And what to free Holland, with her
great men of learning and her paint
ers surpassing those of alk other coun
tries save Italy?
So the small Scandinavian nations
have given to the world famous men
of science, from Linnaeus downward;
poets like Tegner and BJornson; schol
ars like Madvig; dauntless explorers
like Fridtjof Nansen.
England had in the age of Shakes
peare, Bacon and Milton a population j
little larger than that of Bulgaria
today. The United States in the days
of Washington and Franklin and Jef
ferson and Hamilton and Marshall
counted fewer inhabitants than Den
mark or Greece. In the most brilliant
generations of German literature aJid
thought, the age of Kant and Leasing
and Goethe, of Hegel and Schiller and
Fichte, there was no real German state
at all. but a congress of principalities
and free cities Independent centers of
intellectual life in which letters and
science produced a rloher crop than the
two succeeding generations have raised,
Just as Great Britain also, with eight
times the population of the year 1600,
has had no more Shakespeares or Mil
tons, j
Culture Decayed In Imperial Some.
No fiction is more palpably contra
dicted by history than that relied on
by the school to which von Bernhardi
belongs that culture, literary, scien
tific and artistic, flourishes best in
great military states. The decay of
art and literature in the Roman world
began Just ! when Rome's military
nower had made that world one great
and ordered state. The opposite view
would be much nearer the truth,
though one must admit that no gen
eral theory regarding the relations of
art and letters to governments and po
lltlcal conditions has ever yet been
proved to be sound.
Note General von Bernhardl's
knowledge of current history may be
estimated by the fact that he assumes
(1) that trade rivalry makes war prob
able between Great Britain and the
United States: (2) that he believes that
the Indian princes and peoples are
likely to revolt against Great Britain
should she be involved In war, ano id).
that he expects her self-governing col
onies to take such an opportunity of
severing their connection with her.
The world is already too uniform and
is becoming more uniform every day
A few leading languages, a few forms
of civilization, a few typesof char
acter, are spreading out from'the seven
or eleht greatest states and extin
guishing weaker languages, forms, and
tvoes. Although great states are
stronger and more populous, their peo
pies are not necessarily more girted,
and the extinction of the minor lan
guages and types would be a misfor
tune for the world's future develop
ment. We may not be ahle to arrest the
forces which seem to be making for
that extinction, but we certainly ought
not strengthen them. Rather we ought
to maintain and defend the smaller of
new peoples. Not merely because they
were delivered from the tyranny of
sultans like Abdul Ham Id did the In
tellect of Europe welcome the success
ively won liberations of Greece. Servia,
Bulgaria and Montenegro; it was also
in the hope that these countries would
in time develop out of their present
crude conditions new types, of . culture,
new centers of productive -Intellectual
life. 1
General von Bernhardi Invokes his
tory as the ultimate court- of appeal.
He appeals to Caesar; to Caesar to let
THE JOURNAL'S RECORD FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE IS REVIEWED
(Continued from preceding page.)
possession of parks. The proposal to
artlficialize Macleay park was opposed
and the park left in its natural condi
tion. After gambling Joints had been
closed up In Portland as a result of
the strenuous campaign already re
ferred to, attempts were made to open
road houses for gambling purposes on
the outskirts of the city.
Notorious Club Run Out.
Among these was the notorious Mil
waukie club which The Journal at
tacked editorially in August, 1907, and
which Governor West closed and put
under martial law and which has fre
quently been the subject of official
action.
Renewed gambling in Chinatown
was exposed in 1910 and regulation
secured in spite of a non-committal
attitude by Mayor Simon and the open
unwillingness of the, then, chief of
police.
After every Fourth of July celebra
tion the ghastly accident roll was
published. The Journal declared tfiat
the Fourth could be celebrated more
patriotically under a safe and sane
policy than by means of torpedo canes
and Chinese explosives.
A committee met in 1910 and planned
a safe Fourth of July celebration. It
was the pleasantest observance of the
nation's birthday anniversary ever ex
perienced - here. The safe and sane
Fourth has been the rule ever since.
Free Water Was Opposed.
It was proposed that city water be
served free to all, no matter what the
amount of consumption or what the
use. The Journal opposed this plan
as inequitable. It has stood consist
ently for a scientific, metered water
service, so that waste may be pre
vented, costs reduced and people at
the ends of the mains be given serv
ice as good as those near the reser
voirs.
Portland has the best water In the
world. It was believed it should be
served to all on equal terms. A large
number of meters have been Installed.
The plan to generally meter the water
services of the city has not been ad
justed, and the campaign will con
tinue until it is.
The Journal contended that Portland
has exclusive- rights in the waters f
Bull Run river, source of the city's
water supply when the city's rights
were threatened by the Mount Hood
Railroad company in 1911. The com
pany withdrew from its position and
left Portland undisturbed in one of Its
most valuable assets.
Following the fire In the Chamber
of Commerce building in 1906 The
Journal began a fight for adequate
fire, escapes on office buildings and
better protection against fire. City
officials took action. Proper ordi
nances were passed. Portland bus!
ness buildings now furnish emergen
cy exists and fire escapes and the
added protection to human life is in
calculable. Broadway Bridge Secured.
While Portland had doubled in pop
ulation with the major part of the in
crease on the east side, the carrying
capacity of the bridges had remained
stationary. The old railroad bridge
was forced to carry the traffic of the
great district lying north, of Burn
side street Including the Peninsula and
St. Johns. The Journal suDDorted the
campaigja to authorize bonds for the
croaaway Driage.
It resisted the efforts of the Kier-nan-Duniway
obstructionists first to
nullify the bonds, then -to prevent
their sale. It opposed the plan of the
port commission to refuse to permit
the building of the bridge.
Bo vigorous was this paper's fight
against the obstructionists that they
commenced contempt proceedings in a
local court, in which The Journal was
entirely exonerated.
Everyone who now uses the Broad
way bridge in crossing the river re
alizes what a blessing It is to the city
and what a victory for municipal pro
gress its construction was.
Obtained Closed Period on
Bridges.
The protest of citizens against need
less delays in crossing the river be
cause of open drawbridges was taken
up. In 1905. Five years later, after all
possible evidence had been accumu
lated to show that trans-river traffic
has rights as well as river traffic.
closed periods were established for the
drawbridges, first by the county court
and later confirmed by the govern
ment. The campaign for the public audi
torium began March 23, 1911. The
people voted $600,000 in bonds for an
auditorium. In the years that have
passed since, The Journal has con
stantly hammered at the responsible
officials to have the building gotten
under way.
The annual Rose Festival In 1908
had not become an established event
and The Journal gave hearty support
to the raising of funds for It. This
paper has always believed that the
nose Festival has large importance in
the life of the city and as a means of
making the attractions of the city and
state Known throughout the world,
ana nas insisted tnat some means
should be found for dividing the cost
more generally among the people, e.
peciauy urging that the large property
owners who receive high rents from
business locations or buildines. should
be better represented in the contributions.
Paving Combine Is Broken.
That, apparently, a combination of
paving companies existed which re
sulted In the maintenance of high
prices and the division of the work by
districts among the companies, with
special favors to the stronger ones,
was pointed out in 1908 and opposi
tion to such a "combine" so vigorous
ly waged : that the present paving
speculations if properly administered
cannot keep Independent paving com
panies from getting business if they
do good work and underbid competi
tion. During 1905 the assessor took a
census of the city's population. In
August The Journal showed that one
reason we had then been credited with
uuiy aooui xiu.uuu lnnaoitants was
because thousands of homes in nearby
Qiimcif naa not oeen visited.
This paper paid for a recount in a
district, providing the contention that
there had been many omissions, and
the Chamber of Commerce followed
with a demand for a recount. Port
land's population was shown to be
160,000.
Slipshod Methods Always
Fought.
The Journal has always been a foe
of slipshod census methods, has al
ways demanded a fair count. It
raised the same objection to the meth
ods of the 1910 federal census and led
in the organization of the citizens'
committee whereby thousands of ad
ditional residents were counted.
It opposed a municipal lighting
plant because such enterprises had
proven unsuccessful In other cities
and the project was defeated by the
council in 1909.
The Journal revealed through Its
columns the practices of the loan
sharks, approved their prosecution and
elimination and supported the move
ment for a remedial loan organization
which has now been in successful op
eration for about a year.
Emergency Hospital Secured.
The Journal started a campaign for
an emergency hospital in March, 1910,
and made startling showing of lives
lost that could have been saved by
prompt attention; later an emergency
hospital service was established.
Cigarette smoking in the schools
was condemned in 1909, as were high
school fraternities. Protection for
song birds was pleaded for; a woman's
department of the police was urged;
the "swat the fly" slogan was
sounded.
Shortly after attention was called
to the need of a modern theatre, plans
for the new Hellig were announced. A
number of very good theatre buildings
have since been constructed.
The Journal has protested unceas
ingly against reckless auto speeding,
specially on city streets, and advo
cated traffic regulation that would
protect all travelers from injury. It
has supported the safety first move
ment now put under the direction of
a public safety commission appointed
by the mayor.
Murder Prosecution Forced.
When Washington state authorities
refused to take up the Pepoon murder
case. The Journal did so. In two
weeks a charge of murder was filexl
against the husband of Mrs. Pepoon
and in May, 1910, he was found guilty
of poisoning his wife.
To the distressed and unfortunate
The Journal has always been a friend.
It has tried to relieve need, to find
work for the unemployed. It desires
industry, comfort and happiness for
all. Money as well as publicity have
been frequently given deserving per
sons. Effort has been as vigorous to
expose sham and hypocrisy.
Those in Need Helped.
The Journal's Christmas campaign
last year resulted in enlisting the
volunteer aid of thousands of people.
Food, clothing, work, toys, rent money,
fuel, were gotten to 500 families and
the fund gathered at the same time
divided among several charitable and
philanthropic organizations to carry
on the good work or helping the sick
and needy during the winter. Adver
tisements by men see&lng work were
run without charge.
This fall The Journal energetically
furthered the cause of the Christmas
ship which will carry a cargo of
clothing and cheer to the stricken
widows and orphans of the European
war zone.
The Journal has had constant In
terest in the welfare of every Oregon
town and city as well as the commu
nities within the Columbia basin gen
erally. It has been ready to aid develop
ment and Improvement efforts wher
ever started.
It has stood for constructive legis
lation in aid of state development. In
1909 It called attention to the need of
more equitable taxation and the ap
pointing of a temporary tax commis
sion. It supported the act passed by the
legislature permitting the state to
construct and operate railroads and
thereby be able to meet and overcome
any monopolistio railroad tendency.
Water Code Supported.
It supported the adoption of the
new water code, and supported the
movement to increase the number of
supreme court justices, that the court's
business might be handled naore ex
peditiously. As a result of a campaign by The
Journal the cost of litigation, in the
federal courts of Oregon has been
reduced by abolishing the old double
fee system under which charges were
double those of other states. Reduc
tion was accomplished through con
gressional action. The proper ap
praisal of estates for the inheritance
tax was urged.
Support was given the proposal for
non-political judiciary and this ques
tion is on the ballot for j the election
November 3. !
One of the greatest menaces to pub
lic, safety is the promiscuously car
ried revolver. Handled by the Irre
sponsible and the careless. It has been
the attendant at many tregedies. The
Journal's long fight against - the re
volver culminated in the passage of
the state law in 1913 which permits
the sale of a revolver to no one who
lacks an official permit to buy and
carry it.
White Plague Is Fought.
In 1905 The Journal took up the
fight for a state tuberculosis sani
tarium; the sanitarium now in use
near Salem has proven a blessing to
the tubercular poor of the state. It
supported the movement in behalf of
the Open Air Sanitarium near Milwau
kle, and aided the work of the Visiting
Nurse association and other organiza
tions in preventing the spread of con
sumption. '
It wag in 1905 also, that the public's
attention .was called to the "fat Job of
the state printer who on a fee basis
was netting $20,000 a year. Since
last year the state printer has been
on a flat salary and there has been a
saving to the taxpayers of the state. -
One of the org achievements of The
Journal was through the fight for a
free and open Willamette which began
the latter part of 1906 and the pro
posal for the purchase of the locks at
Oregon City as a means to this end,
made early in 1907. No other Portland
paper aided in this fight.
The joint government and state pur
chase of the locks has been accom
plished and a plan of Improvement set
under way that promises important
development of traffic movement on
the Willamette.
Fight for Dependent Poor.
Multnomah county has now a coun
ty .farm In the vicinity of Trout-
dale. The buildings are modern; a
pavilion for the care of the tubercu
lar poor has been erected. The agri
cultural produce from the farm makes
it more an asset than a tax burden.
Did these things happen by accident?
The county farm was once located on
the Canyon road, southwest of the
city; Its main building was poorly
adapted to the use to which It was
put. A little shack nearby was re
served for the use of the tubercular
poor. Frankly, It seemed to be then
tr-e Idea that if one, through misfor
tune, were so poor as Ho require real
dence at the poor farm,h should be
made to feel deeply that the position
involved disgrace and ignominy.
The Journal stood for a change of
location and Improved conditions. The
horrible and nauseating conditions In
the shack devoted to the tubercular
were made known to the public. Rare
ly nas official response been eo
prompt- The honor of locating the
tuberculosis pavilion on its present
site fell to a representative of The
Journal.
County Tax Fraud Exposure.
The exposure of county tax frauds,
accomplished by The Journal during
1903 and 1904, not only resulted in
purification of administration but has
served as a warning ever since against
corruption In the administration of
county affairs.
The Somen unit system of munlci
pal assessment was explained and ac
cepted by the county commissioner,
January 3, 1914.
In thte foregoing a few of the many
ubta that have figured In The
JoursaaJ's policies during the 12 years
of Its life have been mentioned. They
aeai witn human welfare, public pro
gress, health and happiness; state and
city development and national ad
vance. They represent the work Th
Journal has been doing. Not one Issue
has been exploited to serve The Jour
nal selfishly or anyone connected with
The Journal.
It is not sufficient to be right on
conspicuous issues; there must be
daily standard that demands being
ngnt in ail things.
The 'Journal believes in Portland. It
believes in Oregon. It believes in the
future. It believes in a wholesome
attitude toward public affairs. It be
lieves in service and usefulness.
That is The Journal's creed and rule
of conduct.
him go. "Die Weltgeschichta 1st das
Weltgerlcht. World history is world
trlbuna," History declares that no na
tion, however greatis entitled to try
to impose Its type kf civilization on
others. No race, nSt even the Teu
tonic or AngloSaxn. is entitled to
claim the leadership f humanity. Each
people has In . Its 4tlm contributed ,
something that waf ! distinctively its
own, and the world iVfar richer there.
by than if any one raT s, however gifted.
naa established its permanent ascendency.
We of the Anglo-l ixon race do not
claim for ourselves j ay more than we
aamit in ouiers. an; fright to domin
ate by force or to in jpse our own typa
of civilization on leW powerful races.
Perhaps we have noOhat assured con
viction of Its superiority which ths
school of von Bernhardi expressed for
tne Teutons of north Germany. We
know how much we Dwe, even within
our own Islands, to . the Celtic race;
and, though i we must admit that peo
ples of Anglo-Saxon-stock have, like
others, made some mistakes and some
times abused their strength, let it be
remembered what have been the lat
est acts they have done abroad.
Praises American Altruism,
The United States has twice with
drawn their troops from Cubawhlch,
uiey couia have easily retained; they -have
resisted all temptations to annex '
any part of the territory of Mexico. In
which the lives and property . of their
citizens were for three 'years In con
stant danger. Great Britain also six
years ago restored the amplest self
government to two South African re
publics, having already agreed to the.
maintenance on equal terms of the
Dutch language; and the citizens of
these republics, which were In arms v
against her f$ years ago, have now- ;
spontaneously come forward to sup- .
port her by arms under the gallant
leader who then commanded the Boers; ;
ajid I may add that one reason why the -
Princes of India, have rallied so :
promptly and heartily to Great Britain
In this war Is because for many years
past we have avoided annexing the ter
ritories of those princes, allowing them
to adopt heirs -when the successors V
their own families failed, and leaytng
to them as much aa possible of the or
dinary functions of government.
g Servia the Test of Greatness. 1
It is only vulgar "minds that mistake
bigness for greatness:' for greatness Is
of the soul, not of the body. In the
Judgment which history will hereafter
pass upon the 40 centuries of recorded '
progress toward civilization that now
lie behind us, what are the tests it will ...
apply to determine the true greatness
of apeopleT Not population, not ter
ritory, not wealth, not military power;
rather will history. ask what examples
of lofty character jand unselfish devo- )
tlon to honor and-duty has a people :
given? What has it done to Increase
the volume of knowledge? ,What
thoughts and whatftdeals of nermanent
value and unexhausted fertility has It
bequeathed to manjdnd? What works
has it produced In- poetry, music and'
ther arts, to be an unfailing source of
enjoyment to posterity? The small
peoples need not fear the application
of such tests. .
The world advances, not as the Bern
hardt school suppose, onlr or even
mainly by fighting; it advances mainly
by thinking and by, the process of re
ciprocal teaching ai$d learning; by the"
continuous and unconscious co-opera-"
tlon of all its strongest and finest
minds. Each rate Hellenic. Italic.
Celtic, Teutonic Ibjerian, Slavonic has
something to teach "something to learn;
and when their blood is blent the mixed
tock ma? combine gifts of both. Most
progressive races have been those who
combined wtningiwss to learn with..
strength, which enabled them to re-
ceive without loss! to their own qual- -Ity.
retaining thelri primal vigor, but
entering Into the labors of others, as :
the Teutons who fettled within ths
dominions of Romrefited by the lea-
sons of the oyi eivfTization. ,
no st wars sitfii ana unjust.
What are the t&kchlnaa of historv.
to which General Bernhardt is fond of
annealinsr? That xtar hm hn tha mn.
stant handmaid o tyranny and th
puuiv-c v "iuie 1"t-t l"e miseries
of man; that. althcMgh some wars have
slon for a display iif splendid - heroism
wars of defense t-agalnst aggression
V 1 Ji !?-
utivB ucin ncruirnjr ujijubi, inai ins
mark of an advarrh3nr civilization has '
been the substitution of friendship for
hatred and of ceaceful for warllka
Ideals; that small js peoples have done
and can do as mrit&h for tha common
good of humanity! as large peoples:
that treaties rnustj be observed (for
what are they but'irecords of national -
faith, solmenly Hedged, and what
could bring mankiad -more surely and
swiftly back to tht reign- of violence
mrA t-- m 'Tmi Vi r V, 1 tin., K..n
slowly rising for te last 10 centuries
plighted faith of njtlons?) f
imo event nas Drongnt out tnat esaen-,
tlal unity which i now exists In the
world so forcibly a3 this war has done.
for no event has ever no affected .every
pari 01 cue wunu. ?op ur cuuiiuenu 119.
Involved, the wholj of the Old World,
In this recital only passing; reference
is mads to the part The Journal has
played In political campaigns, the chief
purpose being to set forth what The
Journal nas oons to zoster non-po
litical movements in the interest of
greater eity, state and nation.
and the New Worlg suffers grievously
in Its trade. Industry and finance. Thus
the whole world 1 Interested In Pre
venting the recurrence of such a
calamity, and the Is a general feel-
jug. laruugiiuut i. - utv
causes which ha v-s Drought it upon us
must be removed, f
We are told thaq armament must be
reduced; that the (aleful spirit of mil
itarism must be Quenched; that pec-.
V " j - y - -
a fuller share In the control of foreign
policy; that efforts must be made to
establish' a sort of league of concord
International relations and reciprocal
peace alliances by. which weaker na
tions may be protected and under
which AifferraMi liefween nations may
be adjusted by courts of arbitration
and conciliation f wider scope than
those that now ejratt, . ' r-i
All these thlngg are desirable, but
no scheme for presenting future wars
will have any ehaffi-e of success unless
it rests upon the-, assurance that the
states which ente lnto It will loyally
anri f onif Atl v akide bv It. and that
each and all of thm will join in coerc
ing by their overwhelming strength,
sny state which' rnfty disregard obliga-
tions it tias uoaerwuii. me iuw u.
treaties is me uuijr nuiiu iguuwuva vn
which the temple jf peace can bo built
k