AMERICA'S DUTY TO TAKE HER PART IN WORLD AFFAIRS

Introduced by President Lowell, and speaking before a large audience in the Living Room of the Union last night, Henry W. Morgenthau forcefully and vividly declared it to be America's duty to assume the moral leadership of the World by taking her due and appropriate part in international affairs.

To interest Harvard men in one of these questions, that of Armenia, was, Mr. Morgenthau declared, his chief object in coming to speak at Cambridge. He then proceeded to give a brief history of Armenia, explaining that it had suffered more than the other countries of Asia Minor during the past centuries, because it has been the buffer state between Western civilization and the invading Asiatic hordes. The last of these invaders were the Turks, who have remained, and have succeeded, after 700 years, in absorbing into their barbarism all the civilization that their conquered countries had built up for thousands of years.

A chance of settling the Turkish question appeared during the Crimean War, and again in 1878, but each time the conservative policy of the British Government, dictated by the fear of Russia's gaining Constantinople, preserved the integrity of the Turkish Empire, and perpetuated the almost absolute slavery of her subject people.

Great Britain Changed World

It can be stated with no exaggeration, Mr. Morgenthau said, that this action of Great Britain definitely changed the history of the World. Russia failed in her part in the War because her only outlet to the sea was closed. It is now known that by sacrificing a few poor ships the Allied Navies could have broken through the Dardanelles, but this was not done, and so Russia was gradually strangled.

It is also known that the Turkish people, oppressed by taxation, and driven to war against their will, would have welcomed the Allies as their liberators. And they will do the same now to any Power that will step in and take a hand in the bettering of their condition.

This power, said Mr. Morgenthau, must be America, for in contrast to the poverty and weakness of the Old World, we are wealthy and powerful. But, continued Mr. Morgenthau, on returning to this country from Europe that was so alive with momentous issues, he was disgusted to see that we had suspended our international thinking and had apparently for gotten a problem that is as much ours as any one else's.

Greece, who is now dealing with affairs in Turkey, is much too weak for the task. This Mr. Morganthau represented to Mr. Venizelos at the Peace Conference in 1919, but that statesman whom the speaker characterized as one of the greatest men of the age, while admitting the truth of Mr. Morgenthau's assertion, said that to withdraw the Greek troops from Asia Minor would be fatal to his ministry. Mr. Venizelos' ministry has fallen, and the Greek troops remain in Turkey, but they are accomplishing nothing.

It is to America that the European, countries must look for the next 10 or 15 years to be their committee for reorganization. "We are now the physical and economic leaders of the World", Mr. Morgenthau concluded, "it remains for us to be an example of disinterestedness and brotherly love, and so assume the moral leadership which it is our duty to assume.