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Page Fifty
THE MAROON TIGER
Dr. Ernest Jackh Lectures On
“The New Germany”
H. Eugene Finley, ’28
On the evening of January 30th, Dr. Jackh
delivered in Sale Hall Chapel a sterling lecture
on “The New Germany.”
Dr. Jackh was a professor in the University of
Berlin, before the World War. During the war
he was responsible for several patriotic missions
in the interest of his Fatherland, and after the
war he did much to bind the wounds inflicted by
the war upon his country and neighboring coun
tries. He is the founder of the School of Diploma
cy in Berlin. At present he is delivering in this
country a series of lectures covering a period
of thirty-nine days.
In Dr. Jackh’s schedule no provision was made
for his delivering a lecture to a Negro audience
However, when it was discovered that he had a
period for rest in this city, he willingly accepted
President John Hope’s invitation to deliver a lec
ture at this time at Morehouse College.
He prefaced his lecture by saying: “For years
and years my standing conviction has been, is,
and will be, against prejudice.” Dr. Jackh fa
vored the institution of diplomacy against class,
mass, and individual prejudice; the substitution
of knowledge, co-operation and education for
anything that makes for prejudice. “I deem it a
privilege to have the opportunity of meeting and
addressing an audience of Negroes before leaving
your country,” he said. “In Germany we have no
interracial problem because we lost our colonies
in Africa, but we keep in our memory the Ne
groes there who fought bravely and even heroic
ally for our cause in Africa.”
The writer considers the following points the
high lights of Dr. Jackh’s lecture:
“The old Germany was a monarchy, decidedly
militaristic, under the control of the Prussian up
per class. There was unequal social and liberal
franchise. These things were tolerated because
the administration was one of prosperity. But all
these things have vanished, like a snowflake in a
puddle, without serious struggle.”
“Von Hindenburg is the moral incarnation of
the New Germany. His mission is to win the
bourgeoisie to the republic. Hindenburg, the gen
eral, advised the Kaiser (who was more weak
than wicked) to leave in order to save the union,
even as Abraham Lincoln. Hindenburg was the
first to offer and advise the signing of the Armi
stice. He is to Germany what George Washington
was to the United States, leader in war and in
peace. His policy as president is the same as that
of the general.”
In speaking of the political basis of the New
Germany, the lecturer said: “The constitution of
the New Germany is a constitution of the people,
for the people, and by the people; it is accepted
by all but one small party, the communist group,
even the monarchistic group has accepted it. Uni
ty, justice, and liberty, all three are accomplished
in the New Germany. Universal, equal and direct
franchise is given to every man and every wo
man twenty years of age. There are fourteen wo
men seated in parliament in German now.”
Dr. Jackh continued with these facts that must
not be overlooked when thinking of Germany.
“No other nation is open in all directions and now
disarmed. No other nation has fifteen neighbors,
each of which is superior in arms and armaments.
No other state in Germany is homogeneous. This
means Germany is the centre of interdependence,
the most internationally located nation in the
world. It is the weakest point of resistance in a
circle; the centre of the European problem be
cause of a geographical fate, which has a deci
sive political effect upon the world. But German
leaders and makers of youth say ‘happy is the
generation upon whom cruel necessity imposes a
political idea drawing others into its orbit.”
“This age is an age of world revolution; of
mind finding; of new expression in arts, litera
ture, painting, and music. It is a new epoch in
world history. Being present is an obligation to
the new age.”
In speaking of the schools of the New Ger
many, the speaker explained that formerly an
tagonism was taught, but now interdependence
is taught. Probably the most impressive state
ment during the lecture was “ the New Germany
is substituting welfare for warfare.”
Dr. Jackh impresses one with his store of in
formation, his ability to think and answer ques
tions in rapid fire succession, all of which may be
explained by saying—the thoroughness of Ger
man students. And one also felt the impressive
virility of the speaker, which could not be over
looked even though it was far from being osten
tatious. In every respect did he come up to the
qualification bestowed upon him,—“the best rep
resentative of Germany visiting America in a
number of years.”
Prominent among visitors of the evening were
professors and students from Spelman College
and Atlanta University.
Echoes From The Spelman
Mid-Year Social
B. U. Norris, ’27
On the eve of January 21st, there occurred in
the Home Economics Building of Spelman College
the annual mid-year social. It came at such an ap
propriate time of the year, making all social ex
periences before it merely an approach. A long
line of social activities has been sponsored all
along the line by Spelman College for visiting
friends from Morehouse. No one can measure the
far-reaching influences for good, exercised by
these socials upon all personalities, even the most
self-centred. There has always been preserved by
word of mouth from Morehouse men, an endur-
ring life for these socials. Spelman College is a
sister institution to Morehouse in a very large