Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-12-30
TO LEAD,
POINTING WAY TO
men and NATIONS
John N. Dryden, Nebraska Bar
Association Head, Says Task
Should Be Chiefest Factor
in Reconstruction ~NN
WHAT OF THE Dr. w4NSY7
Problems Of - tut Great
Task Up y Worlds
s Statesmen.
WHICH IDEA IS TO LIVE?
WHAT OF THE Dr.
WHICH IDEA IS TO LIVE?

Contending that as a result of the
European war and internal strife the
public mind OF the country is in utter
chaos, John N. Dryden Of Kearney,
president of the Nebraska State Bar
association, speaking before the sew
entecnth annual meeting at the Hotel
Fontenelle, declared that the United
States is at parting Of the ways,
Mr. Dryden, who opened the two
days convention with an address on
the subject, "The American Lawyer
and His Present Task" touched upon
such timely and outstanding topics
as the European war, the Mexican
trouble and domestic difficulties. He
gave as his opinion that this country
is the most competent leader in a
new international purpose and that
the legal profession should be the
chiefest factor in the reconstruction
which is to be-unless government by
law shall perish from the earth.
The state bar association head re-
marked that If our generation does
not devise some better plan for the
settlement of international contro-
versies than liquid fire, poisonous
gases and single shells which de-
stroyed thousand men, it will be a
confession of intellectual and moral
bankruptcy.
Germany Most Competent.
Mr.. Dryden paid glowing compli-
ment to the Teutons, terming them
the exponents of what he character
lied the newest nationalism." He
said that we have heard much of the
new nationalism, but if we seek the
newest nationalism, we must look to
Germany. Reduced to its simplest
terms, Mr.. Dryden asserted that it
means in the competition of nations,
Germany alone is fit to survive, add
ing that it proves its case by achieve
ment without parallel in the evolu-
ton of the race.
Germany Of today, is the suprcm-
est product Of mere intclleotualism,"
Mr.. Dryden said. "I1literacy is the
lowest BY far on the planstNotle-.
sixteenth of 7 per Cent. The re-
suit Of it all is imperial Germany in
every way competent, its emperor, the
ablest and most influential man in
Europe; it is the apotheosis of mill
tarism.
"I have selected Germany, not for
the purpose OF criticism, or invidious
comparison, but because it repre-
sents distinct type of national de-
velopment, and we are at the parting
OF the ways and must choose the right
path or the left"
Dwelling upon the agitation for
preparedness, Mr.. Dryden pointed out
that as yet no one has made it quite
clear as to our neeL "The president"
said Mr.. Dryden, shortly after the
present war began declared himself
after the most conservative fashion
in that regard. A year later he said
our navy should be equal to the
greatest, and quite, recently he has
made the significant statement that
the time of neutrality is past. a
Chaos of Public Mind.
Meanwhile an expert insists that
our navy should be twice as power
full as that of any other nation.
These, and a multitude of counter
opinions, indicate the utter chaos of
the public mind, but there is agree
ment that we desire peace at all
honorable hazard"
Preparedness can never be more
than relative" he added. absolute
preparedness means the supremacy of
brute force. If our nation is sincere
and in earnest, and we are to have
what is rather vaguely understood as
adequate military preparedness, a sim
gle illustration ought to indicate in
some sense its value as an American
policy. | have called attention to the
demand from some quarters for
navy twice as powerful as that of any
other nation. 1t is conceivable that
we might have reached that standard
of equipment, but in the meantime
Great Britain has launched eight new
dreadnaughts in single day, more
powerful than any heretofore con-
ceived, and this one incident would
compel the building by us of sixteen
additional war craft, preferably OF
more powerful pattern. ...
England is Arrogant.
England is much pleased with us
now, for obvious reasons. But she is
arrogant, unreasonable, selfish and the
mistress Of the seas. She has vast ter
ritory to our north, populated by de-
voted and patriotic sons. In addition
to competitive naval armament we
should, for peaceful purposes and to
induce friendly regard on the part
OF our mother country, build and
equip line of forts across the conti-
ncnt with bristling cannon pointing
toward our Canadian neighbors on the
north. This would doubtless have an
altogether soothing effect,
"A year ago we were congratulate
ing ourselves that in the matter of
preparedness we had within our bor-
ders a superman in the domain of
electrical science, and that the genius
of Mr.. Edison would produce some
mechanism so deadly in an altogether
ominous fashion, that in comparison,
the Krupp and the submarine and the
dreadnaught would be regarded as
the toys of children. Prior to Au-
gust, 1914, such conception would
have been unworthy of the American
character.
I'VE do not need great army nor
a powerful navy. and should set nur