The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-05-05
OUR PRESTIGE ABROAD
william 7. Stead Predicts the
Americanization of All Europe.
FEDERATION THE OUTCOME
Claims Only Influence of the American
Idea Will Save the Old WorId-ln-
ternationaI Congress Of Eminent Men
Summoned to Unite All Nations.

N"S oAh AN
may be applied with equal force to
Americans whose range of vision is
limited to the United States. OF such
there are many millions. Nothing sur
prises me more in talking to the average
educated American than his ignorance
Of the extent to which American ideas
are Transforming the world.
Of the fact there can be no doubt. In
the evolution of the Slavs of the Balkans
the Robert College, that American in
stitution on the Bosphorous, played a
part more important than that of any
foreign office in Europe, excepting that
of st. Petersburg.
The most important development of
hternationalism that has taken place
Of late years was the opening of the
International Parliament of Agricul-
ture in Rome, where the King of Italy
hopes it may develop into a universal
parliament of the world. That insti-
tuition, the full significance of which is
as yet but little appreciated either in the
Old World or the New, was the direct
product Of American thought. Mr..
Lubin, a citizen from the Pacific Coast,
brought the idea to Europe, where it
found a cordial welcome and a perma-
nent home.
l need hardly refer to the influence Of
Americans at the recent conference at
The Hague. The American idea was
felt to be greater, more potent than any
Of the American delegates. Mr.. Car
nnpin looked IN tn coo tho fp,,,,Io+;o,,
Of the Temple of Peace, for which he
found the money. Mr.. Choate, General
Porter, Admiral Sperry and l. B. Scott
worthily upheld the honor of their
country.
But behind them all, invisible as the
atmosphere whose pressure all men feel.
was the American idea-the only forma-
tive idea inspiring the conference.-the
idea Of a free federation Of sovereign
independent states, living together in
fraternal equality and settling all their
differences by the impartial Judgment
OF an independent supreme court.
Or these things many Americans have
heard. But how many, or rather, how
few have so much as heard of the latest
and in some respects the most startling
Illustration of the dominating, all pene-
trating influence of the American idea ?
How many are aware that on the
twenty-ninth of March there will
assemble at Rome an International
Congress Of eminent men frcm every
European country, who will come to-
gether for the express purpose of dis
cussing what should be done to bring
about the federation of Europe on
American lines?
But such a congress is to meet in
Rome near the end of the month. It is
proposed that an International Com
mlttee OF representative men should
be formed for the purpose of forming
federation leagues in every country,
whose object is to bring into existence
the United States of Europe on lines
approximating, as closely as possible,
to the United States of America
The assembly of European notables
is the outcome of a continental pilgri-
mage undertaken by Sir Max Waechter.
a ~naturalized British subject, born in
Germany as far back as 1887.
Sir Max Waechter makes no secret
of his admiration of America. He
made a comparison between the United
States of America and the disunited
states of Europe, and came to the con-
clusion, that, to quote his own ords:
Europe is gradually losing it's position
in the world, and this will in course of
time be usurped by other nations,
which are rapidly coming to the front,
unless we pull ourselves together and
abandon the vicious system now pre-
vailing in Europe which handicaps us
so seriously in the commercial strug-
gle for existence"
There is only one answer to that,
Europe must be Americanized or Eu-
rope is lost.
But, it will be asked, what chance
has this bold German Briton of carry
ing out his Americanizing project?
1t was to find that out that Sir Max
Waechter last year made a political
pilgrimage through Europe. In a con-
v%ersation, which Mr.. Charles Lowe re-
ports in the Contemporary Review. Sir |
Max Waechter declared that SO far
from finding the sovereign statesmen
OF the Old World hostile they are pre-
pared to consider their inevitable Amer
icanization with an open mind.
So Sir Max is sanguine. Septuagen-
arians are often optimists, and the
congress is going to be held, and I hope
it may be my good fortune to be there
see how we wise men of Europe pro-
pose to Americanize the Old World
William I. Stead, London correspond
ent OF the New York American.
To Send Taft Garden Seed,