East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1914-12-08

CONTINUED from page One.)
which sustained us at every step oi
the difficult undertaking; but IL Il
done. II has passed from our hands
IL Is now an established part OF the
legislation OF the country. It's use.
fulness, Its effects will close them
selves In experience. What chiefly
strikes us now as we look about these
closing days OF year which has
been forever memorable in the his
tory OF the world, in that we face
new tasks, have been facing them
these six months must face them in
the months to come-face them with
out partisan feeling-lIke men who
have forgotten everything but COM
mon duty and the fact that we are
representatives OF great people
whose thought Is not OF us but Of
what America owes TO herself and
TO all mankind In such circumstances
as these upon which we look amazed
and anxious.
War Interrupts Work.
War has interrupted the means Of
trade not only, but also the process
Of production. In Europe II Is de-
stroying men and resources wholesale
and upon a scale Unprecedented and
appalling. There Is reason TO fear
that the time is near, II II be not al
ready at hand. when several OF the
countries OF Europe will find II diff
flcult 10 do for their people what
they have hitherto been always cas-
fly able 10 do-many essential and
fundamental things At any rate.
they will need our help and our man
fold services as they have never
needed them before; and we should be
ready, more fit and ready than we
have ever been.
II Is Of equal consequence that the
nations whom Europe has usually
supplied with innumerable articles OF
manufacture and commerce OF which
they are in constant need and without
which their economic development
halts and stands still can now only
get a small part OF what they for
merly imported and eagerly look to
us to supply their all but empty mar
kets. This Is particularly true OF our
own neighbors. the states. great and
small. OF Central and South America.
Their lines Of trade have hitherto run
chiefly hthwart the seas. not to our
ports. but TO the ports OF Great Brit
ain and OF the older continents OF
Europe. I do not stop to inquire why, I
or to make any comment on prob
able causes. What interests us Just
now is not the explanation. but the
fact, and our duty and our opportuni- |
ty in the presence OF It. Here are
markets which we must supply and
we must find the means OF action. |
The U. s.. this great people for whom
we speak and act, should be ready. as
never before. TO serve itself and TO
serve mankind: ready with its re-
sources its energies, its forces OF
and its means of dlstri-
button.
We have Resources
II is very practical matter. a
NN-NNNa NA "osc anu We ldNt
he resources but are we fully ready
o use them? And, II We can make
'eady what we have. have we the
means at hand to distribute It? We
ire not fully ready. neither have we
he means OF distribution. We are
Wiling but We are not fully able. We
lave the wish to serve and TO serve
-reatly, generously: but we are not
prepared as we should be. We are
lot ready to mobilize our resources at
nee.
We are not prepared to use them
and at their best with
ut delay and without waste.
To speak plainly, we have grossly
rred in the way in which we have
,unted and hindered the development
our merchant marine And now.
hen We need ships. we have not got
lem. We have year after year de- ,
ated, without end or conclusion. the
est policy TO pursue with regard to
he use OF the ores and forests and