New Britain herald., 1915-10-12

l
 of our own principles, conscious oi
 what we hope and purpose so far as
 our powers permit for the world at ! large, and it is necessary that we | should consolidate the American prin- 1 ciple. Every political action, every social action, should have for it's ob- l Ject in America at this time to chal- lenge the spirit of America; to ask that every man and woman who thinks first of America should rally to the standards of our life. There have been some among us who have not thought first Of America, who have
 thought to use the might of America
 in some matter not of Americas or iginatice and they have forgotten that
 the first duty of a nation is to ex-
 press it's principles in the action of the family of, nations and not seek to
 aid and abet any rival or contrary ideal.
 Neutrality Negative Word.
 Neutrality is a negative word. It is a word that does not express what American ought to feel. America has a heart and that heart throbs with all sorts of intense sympathies, but America has schoo1ed its people to love the things that America be- lieves in and believing that America stands apart in its ideals, 1t ought not to allow itself to be drawn, so far as it's heart is concerned, into anybody's quarrel. Not because it does not understand the quarrel, not because it does in it's head assess the merits of the controversy, but be- cause America has promised the world to stand apart and maintain certain principles of action which are grounded in law and in justice We ,are-not trying to keep out of trouble; we are trying to preserve the foun- dations upon which peace can be re- built. Peace can be rebuilt only up- on the ancient and accepted princi- ples of international law, only upon those things which remind nations of their duties to each other and to hu- manity.
 America has a great cause which is not confined to the American conti- nent. It is the cause of humanity it. self I do not mean that in anything I say to imply a judgment upon any nation or upon any policy, for my ob- ject here this afternoon is not to sit in judgment upon anybody but our selves and to challenge you to assist all of us who are trying to make America conscious of nothing, so much as her own principles and her own duty. I look forward to the necessity in every political agitation in the years which are immediately at hand of calling upon every man to declare himself, where he stands. Is it America first or is it not? We ought to be very careful about some of the impressions that we are form ing just now. There is too general an impression, I fear, that very large numbers of our fellow citizens born in other lands have not entertained the American ideal; but their num- bers are not large.
 Foreigners Staunch to America.
 Those who seek to represent them are very vocal but they are not very influential. Some of the best stuff of America has come out of foreign lands, and some of the best stuff in America is in the men who are natur- alized citizens of the United States. would not be afraid upon the test of America first to take a census of all the foreign born citizens of the United States, for I know the vast majority of them came here be- cause they believed in America, and their belief in America has made them better citizens than some peo pie who were born in America. They can say that they have bought this privilege with a great price. They have left their homes, they have left their kindred, they have broken all the nearest and dearest ties of human life in order to come to a new land, take a new rootage, begin new life and by self-sacrifice express their confidence in a new principle; where as it cost us nothing of these things. We were born into this privilege; we were rocked and cardled in it; we did nothing to create it, and it is, there fore, the greater duty on our part to do a great deal to enhance it and preserve it. I am not deceived as to to balance of opinion among the foreign born citizens of the United States, but I am in @ hurry to have an opportunity to have a lineup and let the men who are thinking first of other countries stand on one side biblically, it should be the left-and ] all those that are for America first, l last and all the time on the other side. 1
 Draws Comparison With HaZing.
 Now you can do a great deal in this direction. When I was a college | officer used to be very much opposed l to hazing; not because hazing is not 1 wholesome, but because sophomores are poor judges. I remember a very | dear friend of mine, professor of