University of South Carolina Libraries
IP AGE FOUR THE NEWBERRY SUN tODAV CUlA TOMORROW\ i FRANK PARKER STOCKBRIDOE RULERS force Looking back only a few years, who remembers that in 1918 the German army and navy rebelled against the German Kaiser and forc ed him into exile? Or that a year before the people of Russia had dis posed their Czar and sent him to his death ? The peoples of those nations were taking their governments into their own hands. That was hailed by the believers in democracy as a great triumph foor the principle of self-government. Look at what has happened since. The German Republic lasted only seven or eight years before an un scrupulous gang of politicians got control and abolished democracy entirely. The people’s government of Russia, under Alexander Keren sky’s leadership, lasted but a few months before it was overthrown by another political gang, which was ruled by ruthless murder of all who have opposed its policies. The German people and the Rus sian people are far worse off than they ever were under the rule of Kaiser or Czar. Instead of gaining freedom they have lost whatever vestige of liberty they once had. They are dominated by force in the hands of unscrupulous scoundrels. DEMOCRACY bosses Historians of the future are bound to write hundreds of books explain ing why democracy failed in those two great nations. To me the basic answer is clear enough. Neither the German people nor the Russiaii peo ple had ever had any experience with individual liberty nor any under standing of the processes of self- government. They had always been subjects of an all-powerful state, trained for generations to be subser vient to authority. Only a few thinkers had ever dared to dream of self -goTtommen t, and theyi were speedily supressed. It was easy enough for the poli tical tricksters and gangsters who now control those two nations to nip the democratic idea in the bud. The people weren’t ready for it. It takes years, even centuries, for any group of people to master the prin ciples and work out the methods of successful self-government. We in America succeeded only because we had a hundred years and more of ex- tperie^ice in rtinninR our own af fairs as colonists so far away from our rulers that they couldn’t dis cipline us very severely. The Germans and the Russians merely exchanged one set of bosses for another, and continued their old habit of taking orders from the ruling group. HISTORY Bonaparte It took the people of England several hundred years of trying to endure the oppressions of the Crown before they got up courage enough to cut off their king’s head and take the government into their own hands. That was the beginning of democracy as we know it. It took then another 75 years or so, in which they nearly lost the liberties they had gained, before they finally learned how to operate the machin ery 0 f self-government. The French people were a hun dred years and more working them selves up to the point of revolution, and probably would not have tried it if they had realized in advance that they would have to kill the king to gain their liberty. They too, almost lost all they had gained when an unscrupulous adventurer named Napoleon Bonaparte gained political control. It .was half a century after Napoleon before the French people developed a workable system of democratic rule. The best way to get a clear under standing of what is happening in Europe today is to read the history of the French Revolution and the life of Bonaparte. MORALITY gangsters The issue in Europe today is one of morals, in the broad sense. Civil ized people cannot live in a world threatened by gangsters. However imperfect may be the systems of the nations which are founded upon hu man liberties, democratic in princi ple, they are at least based upon the essential moral principles of hon esty, recognition and tolerance of the rights of all men to live and worship as they please and of preventing or TWO SIDES To EVERY QUESTION By LYTLE HULL AMERICA’S 300-MILE ZONE In order to keep this country out of war the United States Govern ment has passed laws which pre vent its ships and its citizens from traveling in the danger zones off the coasts of the belligerent nations. This was done at tremendous financial sacrifice to many of our industries and tc the families of the workers in those industries. A big concession to the war loving countries of Europe. The nations of this hemisphere have out-lined a zone extending roughly three hundred miles out to sea along the coasts of North and South America, to the United States Canadian boundary. They have indi cated to the world that they consider this zone necessary to the protection of their various interests and have requested the belligerents to confine their craving for battle to the vast reaches of the oceans which lie out side this zone and in which there is ample space for their naval manoen- vers. The belligerents either ignore our request for protection from their deep sea atrocities, or coldly an- punishing any infringement of those nounee that they have no intention rights. This whole moral basis of civil ization has been discarded by the na tions which are threatening the liber ties of the rest of the world today. They have jpnoved themselves dis honest, pledge-breakers, and aggres sors against the rights of other na tions. The whole Christian world is aligned against these international gangsters, who have openly discard ed all the principles of religion, and morals. The world will not be a of observing it on the grounds that there is no basis in maritime law upon which we can claim this privi lege. They claim for themselves, however, a perfect right to zone the entire wet surface of the earth and capture or sink any neutral ships which are doing business with each other’s enemies. They take unto them selves the privilege of capturing or sinking any English, French or Ger man ship which might be carrying much needed supplies from one Am erican country to another American low k)ooNAW,* Dts’uop or Chinatown,' madc u\9 rips'! DOLL AD AND A QJAPTCP AT 7UC AGC OT TvcLvr, wo wr agpced to appeap in a DOXINO DOUT AT TUC: OLEPUONT TPlNk". IN Dcoo! r/N-ur lasted or the npsr pound- free mem to live in until these out law nations have been overthrown and thedr leaders punished as crimi nals against the whole system of civilization. AMERICA peace I am one of the vast majority of Americans who are determined that this country shall take no part in Europe’s quarrels unless our own national safety is threatened. But I am also one of the great throng of Americans Who have felt so outraged by the aggressions of Germany against the Czechs and the Poles, and now of the Russians against the Finns, that we feel it our national duty to give every pos sible suppoort, financial as well as moral, to help the peoples who are fighting for human freedom against dictatorial slavery. And my personal feeling is that the United States, as the most pow erful nation of the world professing adherence to high standards of morality, should not fail at the end of this war, as it did at the end of the last war, to take its seat at the head of the table of whatever world group or alliance may be set up to maintain the peace of the world. Protects Cold Motors Expert mechanics will tell you that Cold-Proof Tioiene protects cold motors, makes starting easier, because it flows freely at sub-zero temperatures. It protects hot motors, too—be cause this Super-Pennsylvania oil resists heat. We have the correct winter grade for your car. Let us drain and refill your crankcase, tomorrow. CeldyJM'e/ Tioiene 100% SUPER PENNSYtVAN'A MOTOR OIL C. D. COLEMAN CO. Phone 400 safe place for honest peoples and! country, and they have even had the impertinence to stop and examine an American ship in American waters in American trade. How long will it be before they claim the right to capture or sink any ship in any waters on any er rand ? Let us hope that we may be allowed to use our own rivers with out molestation from their submar ines, mines and sea raiders. The damage which German war ships can do to their enemies in American waters is not great and will become less as time goes on. The amount of goods which reaches Germany is limited by the blocade, but still is far more important to that country than the sinking of a few English and French ships on this side of the Atlantic. Germany would stop sending her raiders over here if every American country would threaten to cut off all shipments destined for her. England and France are far more vulnerable to similar action on the part of the Americas. The must have our produce or quit. Both sides are equally guilty of utter dis respect for the wishes of the nations of this hemisphere. The weapon to make this 300 mile zone one of the few peaceful spots is in our hands. We should use it. We have a right to peace and security on our sid<? of the oc ean. We are endangered every time a warlike incident occurs in our wa ters. Protests and lawsuits arise everytime we attempt to enforce our laws by interning a ship of any of the belligerents. Physical danger threatened citi zens of one of our countries during the recent naval encounter off the Uruguayan coast. It isn’t too great a stretch of the imagination to pic ture a battle off New York Harbor and a few stray shells landing among the onlookers, or a misdirected tor pedo sinking an American liner with a thousand Americans aboard, or a contact mine—dropped by a fleeing ship in the hope of sinking the pur suer—killing Americans instead: and if the belligerents are allowed to sneer at our claim of supervision over our own waters, how long will it be before they begin laying mine fields along our shores? Just as surely as this naval war fare continues 'over here—just as certainly will an incident occur to involve us in the sordid European war. The United States alone has nearly as many citizens as have all three of the countries involved in this war and to us Americans they are of f ar greater importance. If the belligerents believe we amount to so little that they can endanger our lives and property with impunity, let us inform them that they have made a slight error. Try to imagine what would hap pen if the United States went to war with some other nation and dar ed to carry on operations off the coasts of Germany, Fiance and Eng land which endangered the neutral positions of those countries: and then let us rise up in righteous wrath and advise those nations that unless they keep their supercilious noses out of our jam closet they will get no jam. ^unday jSchool »SV CHARLES 1=. UlllvM The Problem of Forgiveness Golden Matthew 6:12. Lesson for January 18:15-19:30. Matthew Peter was a practical man and more than once he exhibited a book keeping spirit. Recall how he once asked the Lord: “What shall have therefore?” Now he asks if he should forgive until seven times Going beyond the teachings of the rabbis, he doubtless thought he was doing well. The Master's answer does not moan we should forgive 490 times and stop, but that forgiveness should be un- keeping books with God. Doing good of any kind should never have an end. Christians in the midst of manifold needs should never be willing to “call it a day.” Mark the contrasts in the parable Jesus relates. The king forgave a debt of fifteen MILLION dollars; the forgiven servant went out and throttled a fellow servant and de manded payment of fifteen dollars. Even greater is the contrast between the enormity of our sin which God forgives and the things we should forgive. Now Jesus says God will not for- Rev. J. A. Keisler, of Toms Brook, Va., former pastor of St. Paul church in the county, and Mrs. Keis ler, spent the New Year with' his brother, Rev. E. B. Keisler and sis ter-in-law, Mrs. Keisler. Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Welling, Jr., moved from the Holms apartment on Walnut street, to their new home on Fair street, December 28. Bring Your PRINTING g" _ i' r « Reliive — . I crNn Ortl Foi .jlc\-rc..c. L-. ;. athleu s loot, r.. . temally caused ;•> troub; . . cooling, antis* otic, iiouid P !) Grcascleus. stnink". Soo. • quickly stops inters;. >chiv. . Sac r ! ! proves it. or y< ur i t»i\ , A: '. ... f>. u. d. I'niicaia, THE SUN H-X-X-X" X*X*X**X*X*X*X*'X W X*X*X W X"X W X*X”X**X ,, X 1 oiht.r e;:- '•MTii-iton.