Friday, November 10, 1939
The DAILY NEBRASKAN
What Armistice enearat - - then
Pi . .11 C I
Armistice Now!
Believe in Kant's "Zum Ewigen Friedcn"
A comprehensive plan for
a federal union to do away
with international anarchy
was presented 140 years ago
in a tiny volume "Perpetual
Peace" written by philoso-
i t - . .1 rr
The
racies as a nucleus for a
world federal union now
comes to the front with the
publication of the book,
"Union Now" by Clarence
K. Streit. Streit admits that
lenging work, but it has been
heralded as "a practical step
toward democratic world
government and the realis
tic way to prevent war, end
depression and save our lib
erties. We present here ba
sic facts about the plan:
1. Not a league, feeble and
futile. Not a super-state in
which the present nations
would lose their individuality
or their right to govern them-'
selves as they choose. This if
a proposal for a federal union,
like our own federal union of
the 48 staes. Strong, but clas
tic... the most freedom-creating
political arrangement that
man has ever invented.
2. Not a bloc or alliarice.
Founded by about 15 of the
morej experienced democra
cies, this union would be open
to all nations as they restore or
develop democratic rights.
Membership would be so ad
vantageous in every way that
all nations would wish to be
long. It would stop the dictfd
tors by offering their peonle
something infinitely better.
The 15 founder-democracies
suggested are: The United
States of America, Canada, the
United Kingdom (of England,
Scotland and Wales), France,
Ireland, Switzerland, Belgium,
the Netherlands, Norway, Swe
den, Denmark, Finland, Aus
tralia, New Zealand, and the
Union of South Africa
6. iNothing untried or un
tested about the idea. It is the
If flags could talk, they'd
tell sad tale of yesteryear
'V By Bob Aldrich.
I am the flag.
Today is Armistice Day. Today,
as I did once not so long ago, I
wave above the heads of marching
young men.
Today, as the breeze unfurls my
colors and the band plays a stir
ring march, the eyes of marching
young men look up to me.
These young men carry guns
vjust as those others did on that
day not so long ago. But their
faces look different. They are
youthful and earnest. Their eyes
, are shining. Their steps are firm
and sure.
Slow and tired.
They are not like the young
men who marched on that other
day not so long ago. Their steps
were slow and tired. Sometimes
they stumbled. And, though these
were very young, their faces
were old, older than time. And
their eyes held bitterness and the
ache of tears that would not fall.
Yet the young men who marched
on that other day they, too, wer,e
filled with great ideals. Once their
steps were firm and resolute, their
eyes bright with hope.
Two long years.
Then they went away. And for
two long years I did not see them.
When they returned, they looked
as though they had seen a thou
sand years of pain. They did not
say much, these sombre, silent,
marching men. Only their eyes
epokeito you in a queer sort of
way.it :, ,i
Ami many of tfyrni did not Re
turn t all. Theyi too, seemed to
' be starching beblnd me with
strange, accusing, faces. I
The. young men. who march .to
day have never seen the eyea of
those queer, silent men who re
idea of our own Constitution.
The American Union our own
United States was founded by
the 13 original states in this
same way. After the Revolu
tionary war, we suffered four
under
interstate quarreis
league form of government.
Then the idea of federal union
was invented and adopted.
Since then there have been
many other successful federal
unions: Australia, Switzerland
(with 3 languages), Canada (2
languages), South Africa (2
languages).
4. There could be no war
agaainst this powerful union. It
would have 60 to 95 percent of
practically every essential war
material. No nation or possible
group of nations would dare to
(See FEDERAL UNION page 5.)
Flanders Field tells own
tale of men's folly war
By Chris Peterson.
I am 'a part of the earth Just
a small part. People know me as
Flanders Field.
Not long ago, the world was
peaceful and quiet for me. I had
covered my nakedness with a coat
of blood-red poppies that were
startling when contrasted with
their green leaves.
Peasants, barefooted and mea
gerly clad, were working small
parts of my body. They were plant
ing planting seeds which made
me the parent of thousands of
plants. They sang as their hoes
and plows bit into me and turned
over my soil made moist by spring
showers.
Al through the summer, greed
ily trees and plants sucked their
life from me through gnarled
roots. Insects, thousands of them,
pillaged my body of what nourish
ment it had hidden from them.
Memories
I gave all and expected little in
return for I was satisfied. Things
were quiet and peaceful. I was at
rest except for memories that even
time had failed to erase. Memories
that the dead which I held clutched
in my bosom refused to let me
turned and marched behind
me
while the band played.
I wish that I could talk to them.
I could tell them of the things
that I have seen.
For I am the flag.
Throngs jam
intersections
to hear news
November 11, 1918. Delirious
with Joy at the news that the
World war was at end, dignified
Lincoln became a swirling bedlam
of hysterical humanity. Throngs
jamming the streets, clamor of
bells ringing In wild jubilation on
the campus as well as throughout
the city mado vivid impressions
upon fuculty members.
Mrs. H. P. Williams of the so
cioloEV department recalls the
frenzy of the celebrations and
general hysteria and expressed
the extreme relief and happiness
that came with the signing of the
peace. Students joining with Lin
coin citizens in parades with all
degrees of order and informality,
showing their intense joy marcn
ing through the streets, was re
membered by Prof. John P. Sen
ning of the political science de
partment. Several bands took
part in the demonstration, stu
dents and Llncolnites appeared in
fantastic costumes shouting,
singing : and cheering their tre
mendous feelings Of happiness. '
Street dancing parades.
The reaction of th military de
partment id Uiel neVs- the! A
llatice made the biggest Impres-
The Argonne Forest
By Paul Svoboda.
In the Argonne forest where trees
are bare,
From shells and shrapnel, once
bursting in the air,
Peace now reigns where once was
war,
And Nature mends its man made
scar.
Those stark naked trunks alone!
do stand,
Like sentinels watching o'er the
land,
'Neath which men who from east
and west
Came to die and live again in ever
lasting rest.
But this battle, like the wrath of
Hell, subsideth,
Until only the moaning of the
wind abideth,
And in this graveyard, the dead
who once did stand
Have come to their reward, 'neath
God's eternal hand.
forget. Their bones were bare and
their flesh had long since decayed
into a part of me, but still they
remained in a state of inquietude
that I couldn't describe. Perhaps
they died too young.
God of death
Then it was two months ago
that the god of death once again
began his carnages here on me,
Again, I became a literal hell on
earth. In a few hours, the wrath
of men turned me from a bit of
quiet countryside into a play
ground for death.
Now. the ominous chatter of
machine guns give way to the
screams of men as they are
plunged into eternity. Bayonets are
thrust into abdomens where they
-are twisted and turned until they
drive life from the body.
Bloody, mud-splattered dough
boys charge on, cursing as they
slip in mud made putrid and filthy
from the decay of the unburied.
Delirious men lay, raving inco
herently, in filth-laden shell holes.
The low sobs of soldiers finding
Lrothers or friends dead, is mingled
with the monotonous grinding of
weary motors.
Kill to live
. . The whine of shells overhead fail
to stop massive tanks as they roll
over half dead men, crushing and
killing. A shell bursts close to a
group of men and turns those who
have not been instantly killed, into
ranng madmen. Poisonous gases
spread death quickly to those who
are unprotected. Life has no value
here where men kill to live.
This is a repeat of what hap
pened two decades and a year ago.
Memories which were at one time
almost dead are brought to a new
life that is terrible startling,
Maybe it will soon be over. But
what ends will be accomplished?
In a short time, men would once
again be fighting on me for me.
slon upon Frof. Dwirtit Kirsch.
head of the fine arts department
The O. T. C. cadets were march
ing in downtown Lincoln almost
continuously from 12:30 to 5 p. m
according to Kirsch who was
then an active member. Relaxation
.1
of previous strict discipline per
mitted the cadets to leave their
quarters in the then uncompleted
social science hall, and most of
the young men joined the street
dancing near the old capitol on
H street where several blocks
were roped off for the purpose.
Some disappointed at 'peace.'
Some of the O. T. C. members
were at first disappointed at the
news because they hoped to be
sent to the "front." These feel
lngs were soon gone, however,
when the prospect of living quar
ters other than the drafty social
science hall was considered,
The first reports of the Bignlng
of the 'Armistice which later
proved false only added to the
hysterical celebration when the ac
tual signing was completed and
the news was validated. Members
of the faculty, alumni and stu
dents who had brothers and other
relatives in the fighting lines or
in camp have recollections of
their relief from the emotional
strain they, had been living under
when the good news came that
peace reigned "over there,"
War destroys
routine, plans
of educators
Rhodes scholarships
suspended for year as
Europe again at war
War the great destroyer of
progress and routine living in col
lege as well as out is again dis
rupting the lives and plans of
university educators and educa
tional organizations.
. Altho the nation is not directly
engaged in the second great con
flict, here is a quick survey of
how the war is affecting higher
education today:
Rhodes scholarships have been
suspended for this school year,
The 1939 scholars-elect will re
main in this country, and those
already in England have been
asked to return to the U. S. as
soon as passage can be arranged.
But scholarships now in force are
not cancelled. They are only sus
pended until circumstances make
it possible for them to be resumed.
Nebraska s two representatives
are do in in me u. a.
R. O. T. C. students safe.
R. O. T. C students worrying
about their status should the U. S
be drawn into the war, have this
announcement of an army official
to establish their responsibilities
The R. O. T. C. cannot be
called into service by the federal
government, as it has no jurisdic
tion over the university units.
Basic students need not serve
sooner than a person who has not
had such training, the official in
dicated
Already, the war is beginning to
have its effect upon the university
curriculum. New courses in war
study, geography and special your country by miming uer
studies in other courses indicate man texts' by incriminating a pro-
the trend to keep the student up
on an new phases of the war as
they occur.
O.T.Cs react
unfavorably
to Armistice
Gloom. . .despair.
These words are only fitting
to describe the reaction in the bar
racks on the Thursday nioiniu
in late 1918 when the shadow of
the triumphant bow of peace
made its appearance. The news
of the armistice seemed to injure
rather than overjoy the reelings professors made in classes whicn
of the men at their posts on tnc might have given rise to thoughts
campus. The blow was hard. It which were un-American. Profes
shocked a war minded campus into sors testified for or against one
the reality of peace.
Bewildered men sat on their
bunks. Their belongings were
strewn abou- the floor, thrown in
the agony of emotions. They sat
and glared at laughing bunkies
who dared to chance a hysterical
giggle.
Uniformed men, who had forgot
ten a world of peace, pondered
their destinies.
O.T.C. men sad
Saddest of all were the men
destined for the O.T.C. Sardonic
smiles stole across the faces of fu
ture officers and with jaws hard-
set, they felt the axe drop. Many
HHnned awav to think
it over.
I -
Some saddlstlcally stated In 'words
to the effect that "It's all for the
best, if by an early finish, some
poor Yank was saved from a liv
ing hell."
In the evening, counter reports
of the Armistice spread quickly.
Rumors that In case it were signed,
members of the unit would be
more apt to cross the waters than
if it had not as there was much
work to be done on the other side,
Final word
Captain Maclvor delivered the
final work at retreat Thursday
evening. With a deep sigh of re
lief the captain said, "You men
have as good, or a better chance,
to Bee service in France than you
should have had in case no ar
mistice had been signed." Fol
lowing the command "Company
dismiss," friends turned, shook
hands, and wished each other the
best of luck, in whatever the. fu
ture had in store lor them.
Joy came again to the barracks thing is pushed off the stage for
in the evening,' lessons were at- the war drama. Nothing else mat
tacked with renewed vigor, and ters, not even education. When
greater enthusiasm asserted it- war comes, you have to eat Ilea
self In every line of work, and like it"
65 percent
senior class
end service
Flu-weakened soldiers
in campus quarters
display war hysteria
By Chris Peterson.
Picture to yourself what the Ar
mistice meant to the Nebraska
campus during those troubled
times in 1918.
Sixty-five percent of the males
in the senior class had left to join
the army.
Seventeen university professors
were on trial before the board of
regents and the state council for
defense 0n charges of "luke warm
Americanism."
Yellow cowards.
Ted Metcalfe, editor of the
DAILY NEBRASKAN wrote :
"Students who do not march in
the preparedness day parade are
dirty yellow cowards, and their
blood is aa filthy as dishwater.
Two hundred doughboys quar
tered in the as-yet-uncompleted
social sciences building were sick
,!, the flu
unrtar RnarHa
were holding
daily meetings to knit sweaters
for Cornhuskers in French
trenches.
Hysteria was rampant Emo
tions of the war-minded nation
were at a fever pitch. Reputa
tions were ruined overnight. Not
a breath could be uttered against
the American flag, against the
country, its leaders or its poli
cies. You were either Pro-American
or Pro-German. You showed
your patriotism by subscribing
for liberty bonds and stamps, by
shouting to all your friends ana
especially to all your enemies
v'hat a dir,ty' rotten scoundrel the
Hun was. You showed your loyalty
ressor wno cnancea 10 mane wu
liberal a remark in one of hia
classes.
Blackest mark.
Perhaps one of the blackest
marks on the university's record
occured during this time when 11
professors were brought to trial
before the board or regents xor
alleged unpatriotic remarks, sedi
tion, and "luke warm American
ism." Such charges bore mute
testimony of the seriousness of the
so called "patriotic zeal" which
took the campus by storm.
Starting -during the last part ot
Mav in 1918 and lasting for over
a month, the hearings were bigger
news stones than the war itself.
There were accusations, counter
accusations and weighing of evi-
dence. Students were called in to
testify as to remarks which their
another. Chancellor Samuel Avery
was called back to Lincoln from
war duties in Washington to tako
charjre of the situation.
Three professors were convicted
and dismissed from the faculty.
The cases against the others wcro
either dropped for lack of evi
dence, or the men involved were
exonerated. Five of the professors
it Is quite generally admitted, died
from the disgrace of having to
appear in such a trial and to de
fend their actions and statements.
Some of the men who were on
trial, and a member of the group
of witnesses still teach In the uni
versity. Can t picture circumstances.
An attorney who defended ono
of the professors accused and later
dismissed from the university be
cause of alleged un-Americanism,
had this to say about the trial:
Students in later years won t be
able to appreciate the things that
were "pulled off during these
trials." "There were attorneys,
regents, professors, and students
all sitting around and trying to
judge a man for making un-American
remarks, when that man was
the only one of the whole bunch of
us who had attempted to enlist in.
the army. The prostitution of
one's thought was the worst sida
of the war, not the slaughter and
expense."
"The soldiers don't hate tho
enemy nearly as much as the
homefolks. The soldiers have an
opportunity to let out their pent
up emotions; the home folks
haven't. You mu3t contribute to
their hysteria; you dare not let
them get down on you. Every-