The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-05-19
ONLY MAKES
SUCH EXPERIMENTS

AUE OIHef DAY, discouraged the Idea
of the United States interfering for
philanthropic reasons in Mexico. II
spoke very truly of the long strug-
gle that every nation has had to
pass thru in order to form charac-
ter, and cited the different peoples
civilized by the Romans while the
empire was in formation, only to re-
lapse and be oyerfowed by barbar-
1ans when the supporting central
power crumbled. It summed up its
case as follows:
What help, then, did one nation
ever extend to another under like
dificnlties which advanced civiliza-
ton, promoted industry or establish
ed Law on a sound basis? Unless we
accept the example of Cuba, where
tne proof is yet to be furnished,
there is not one in history-not one
In all experience"
Hts the Stars opinion that the
Times-Union will hunt the pages of
a1lel the conduct of the United
States in Cuba, or what will proba-
bly, he the conduct of the United
States in Mexico. It is true enough
that such policy has no proven
Success TO point to. Neither has it
any Failures marked up against it.
1t has never been tried
The Roman eagles established
peace and order in western Europe
and Asia and northern Africa, but
they went forth only in conquest,
and reigned only in the spirit of do
minion
The first invasions in the history
al the world were prompted by the
desire for pillage-the disposition of
men to obtain things they needed
1nd wanted but hadn't worked for.
Later came the desire for territory
and revenue, and later on was added
the idea of national honor, mostly
WnefuIly distorted. The idea of
nation invading another to establish
peace and order and then withdraw
ing To see how to give it a chance to
work has never really occurred to
xny people but those of the United
States.
The nearest approach to it was
when the Dutch under William of
Orange went into England in 1859,
To straighten out the troubles be-
tween the king of that harassed
country and the great majority of
his subjects. But while William was
a great and broadminded statesman,
and his help was greatly needed, his
motives were mostly selfish, for they
Involved a throne for himself as
well as the good of the English peo-
pie
Almost century later France
semi an army and fleet to America
to aid our struggling people to form
a nation of their own, and when
success was assured withdrew with
ont asking for pay in either money
or land. And this has been up to
date the most shining example of
one people unselfishly helping an
other. 1t has been too much the
fashion among Americans to deride
the motives of the French-to say
that grudge against England had
more power with them than their
hove of America-but this fashion
did not occur to the Americans of
1776-S3.
However, there was no need for
France to help America in other
than military affairs, for in the ca
pacity for self-government the Am
ericans were then further advanced
than the French are today.
So there is no use in anyone
prophesying what will be the result
OF a powerful people accustomed to
self-government going with unselhsh
motives to the aid of nation weak
and distracted. A hundred years
from now the sages may speak with
authority. Today they know no
more than a child.
IT is we'll proven in the lives Of
individuals that strong character is
formed by overcoming difficulty. 1t
is also we'll proven that many strong
sSkaracters, which would be crushed
son1 of existence by difficulties, are
sometimes saved by timely help.
And 1t is proven more than any
other one thing on this line that
character helps and develops itself
more by helping others than in any