The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1913-06-22
Heart to Heart
Talks
SALUTE THE COLORS.
By JAMES A. EDCERTON

SALUTE THE COLORS.
At the Walter Reed hospital. out
side the city Of Washington. the troops
were recently engaged in ball game
Just before evening taps.
The game was probably exciting, for
there are fans wherever there is base
ball. even though 1t is played by
scrubs. At the psychological moment,
lust after some one had knocked fly
% the outfield. the bugle sounded
dropped, every cap came of. and every
man faced to the flag and saluted.
Even the man who was fielding the
~ dropped his glove. and the ball re-
bounded on the earth unheeded. This,
you will agree. was supreme test Of
patriotism, for there Is no other one
thing in til. universe excepting sud-
den death that would cause a fielder
10 neglect high one.
The incident illustrated something
more than military training. 1t was
typically American. AS much as we
love the national game the flag comes
xrst
In times Of peace we are intent on
playing the game. whatever game 1t
may be. whether baseball or business,
politics or dollar chasing. Let the
hugfe call sound. however-the thrill
ing note indicating that the country
Is in danger-and every true American
drops the game that instant and faces
the flag. That has been the inspiring
chronicle of every crisis from the Rev
olution to the Spanish war. We are
q peaceful people so long as we are
permitted to be peaceful. but when
the nations honor. the cause Of lib
erty or the interests of humanity de-
mand every peaceful implement is
dropped and every hand comes to sa-
nte.
Perhaps it were better for us If even
more of this spirit were inculcated
Anglo-Saxon civilization is q flower on
the stem of individualisnl. Yet even
Mdividualism may be carried too far.
Taken alone it is but half truth. It
must be supplemented by cooperation,
by nationalism, by solidarity, by team
work. 1t is like the centrifugal force
which must be balanced by the centrip-
etal The American pioneers learned
the individualistic lesson 1t is our
mission in this day to complete our
hheritanee from them by adding
thereto brotherhood.
Not alone at the call of war is the
national spirit needed. 1t is equally
essential in the commonplace days,
when nothing more exciting than the
tariff or the currency question is be-
fure Us. -....rs~-
] Ne are working out on this continent
the Scheme Of democracy for the whole
verdi It is high task to which we
have been called. Until we have the
same feeling fn approaching the most
commonplace public questions that the
soldiers on the ball field had when
they dropped their bats to salute the
eQlors We are not up to the mark to
carry out this mission and to make of
this nation one after the vision Of a
washington or a Lincoln
when we think Of Americanism not
e0ly as; thing belonging to our par
ttcular geographical division Of the
world. but as principle and thing
almost holy. new political gospel,
nxAt to guide the feet Of more back
ward races, do we see 1t as the his
1prians OF the future will see 1t or as
IA. ssOun who signed the declaration
Il the constitution beheld it-a white
heal In the times to be?
The most potent force in the world
y IN IDEAL 1t is our mission to make
Americanism the political ideal that
Win move the world.
a