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About The Hesperian / (Lincoln, Neb.) 1885-1899 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 15, 1891)
THE HESPERIAN. War is no yet a thing of the past. It rages spasmodically in' South America and in many outlying countries of the world. It is, at least, greatly talked of in enlightened Em ope. Any even ridiculously insignificant act of any one of the great nations of Europe is likely nowadays to create a war "scare". But a short time ago a party of British sailors landed at Mity lene in the Grecian Archipelago. Almost within twenty-four hours, the markets of all Europe were off and an immediate war was the talk of all Europe. It was said that England .had taken possession of the island and was going to fortify it as a base of operations against Russian encroachments through the Dardanelles. But truth, though crushed beneath a war fame, will rise again. This time it rose in all its ludi crousness. The hict came to light that this party of sailors in all innocence went on shore to take a picnic. Amid all these rumors of war in Europe, it is not hard to find those that declare their belief that, unless the war comes right soon, it will not come at all. There are many forces and influences at work to prevent a war in Europe such as is so much talked of. Not the least of these arc the magnitude of the armies and the destructiveness of the weapons and instruments of war. Another very important reason why such a war is unlikely to happen is this: the immense expense oi the war would drain the already exhausted treasuries of the nations of Europe to far below the bottom. The debts of these nations arc enormous now, almost beyond compre hension. The fact is the nations of Europe, for financial as well as military considerations, dare not go to war. Europe after an international war, would be bankrupted for a century and would scarcely recover even her present exhausted con dition in two. Yet such a war may breakout. A spark, applied or lighting in just the right place, would ignite the tinder ready prepared. The war, once started, could never be slopped, through any considerations of life, property, or power. Conquest or exhaustion, more likely the latter, could alone end the war. If the nations ol Europe have any real difficulties between them, aside from ambition for territory, that need adjust ment, let them follow the example of England and the United States, the two greatest rivals in the world. It is safe to say that there is not a difficulty between any of the states ol Europe as complicated and as valid as those that existed between the United States and England just after the late war. Our nation had then immense, well-equipped and trained armies in the field. The people of the nation were excited and ready for war. The feeling toward Great Britian was strong. The people of the United States believed them selves wronged and entitled to satisfaction, even to revenge. Yet the whole matter was settled amicably, finally, and irre vocably, by the famous epock making Geneva arbitration. Today again these same two nations are on the point of set tling long-existing and grave difficulties by arbitration. In this arbitration, as in the former one, the United States has taken the initiative, though not far in advance of England. Thus the Anglo-Saxons have again taken the lead in the world's progress and the United States leads them. Truly every American citizen ought to be proud of the part his United States has taken in international law in all its high est and best phases. EXCHANGE. If you stay out too late when you go to see your girl and on your way home fall down a well and break a leg; if you get jn a little "scrap" down'town and get your eye blacked; if, the hired girl hits you over the head with a rolling pm so The Centre College Cento appears befote us, coming from Danville, Kentucky. Centre college has had no college journal since 1861. The Centre College Cento is not an alto gether new paper but is simply resurrected and is now com mencing the third year of its existence. The civil war laid the products of many an enterprise to rest. Since the mus ket and cannon were laid aside for the.plo.v and the mechan ic's tools many of these relegated enterprises have been revived. Although thirty years have passed since that mem orable struggle took place we are glad to no'.e that the Centre College Cento has at last decided to come forth from oblivion and again take its place in the land of the living. The paper is very neat and the editorials are good. We predict success tor it this tunc witu no sccuonai war 10 disturb us peace ful career. We notice with pleasure a paper among our exchanges that is an entirely ntw departure in college journalism. The paper is published at the Univcrsi'y of California. The name that appears on its cover is Striles, which is certainly very appro riate for the paper smiles all over and all through. The word is hardly strong enough, however, to describe the effect produced by reading the paper. Smiles is something ol the Puck and Judge order. It furnishes a means for the development and cultivation of a faculty found, in a more or less degree, among students of all institutions of learning, that has heretofore remained undeveloped and uncultivated. It surely creates a diversion which is always, enjoyed and which should go hand in hand with work of a more stable character. "A little nonsense now and then is relished by the best of men." We are glad to note that the Richmond College Messenger .has not forgotten us. In the October issue is a picture of the 'Richmond College Crew, 1891." This is a picture of Rich mond college's first crew, the crew that did such efficient service for its alma mater on the fourth day of last July. In the picture is shown the "French cup," which cost $650 and was won by the crew in the race above mentioned. Thus we sec that other colleges, besides those in the cast are, organiz ing and training crews with a view to firmly establishing in the west and south that sort of sport that has made the large educational institutions in the east so prominent in the college athletic field. There must have been exciting and joyful scenes when the "Richmond College Crew" passed, in the lead, the winning post in the first boat race ever run under the auspices of Richmond college. In the Messenger an editorial well expresses the feeling the students must have felt over their first victory. It cays: First let us speak of our boat crew, which has covered itself and its alma mater with such glory. How we pity those of you old students who were not present to flaunt the "Gar- net and cream ' 111 tne eyes 01 our numerous opposers on that long to be remembered Fourth! How we longed to cover our heroes with the lauiel and to gaze forevermore at that triumphal cup which ornaments so handsomely out Library Hall! How we pressed them to our breasts when they returned from the fray, and thought of them in the senti ments of Horace: " pulvere Troico nigrum Menoneu " We are indebted to Harvard college for the Harvara Monthly. This is the first paper we have ever received from this well known institution of learning and, judging from the copy before us, we would place it among the very best of our exchanges. The articles aie all very interesting but we hive space for mentioning only one. In the article entitled, "The Athletic Question Twenty-five Years no," there is a letter that vou have to wear your hat on your ear, just tell your "friends that vou have been playing foot ball and you will be I written by one whose memory is now fresh in the minds of tnc hero of the hour. ' every Americap, James Russell Lowell. The letter brings osa