The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1916-09-05


Of the United States with a distressed
and distracted people. All America
looks on. Test Is now being made Of
us whether we be sincere lovers OF pop.
ular liberty or not and are indeed 10
be trusted TO respect national sover-
: eighty among our weaker neighbors.
We have undertaken these many years
to play big brother to the republics Of
this hemisphere. This IS the day Of
our test whether we mean or have
ever meant 10 play that part for our
own benefit wholly or also for theirs
| Upon the outcome OF that test dts out
come in their minds. not In ours de
pends every relationship Of the United
| States with Latin America. whether Ia
politics or in commerce and enterprise
These are great issues and lie at the
heart OF the gravest tasks Of the fu-
ture, tasks both economic and political
and very intimately inwrought with
many Of the most vital of the new Is
sues Of the politics Of the world The
republics of America have In the last
three years been drawing together in a
new spirit Of accommodation. mutual
understanding and cordial co-opera-
ton. Much Of the politics Of the world
in the years to come viii depend upon
their relationships with one another
1t is a barren and provincial states
manship that loses sight Of such
thingsl
New Problems After War.
The future. the immediate future.
will bring US squarcly face to face
with many great and exacting prob
lens which win search us through and
through whether we be able and ready
to play the part in the world that we
mean to play. II win not bring us into
their presence slowly. gently, with Ger
emonious introduction but suddenly
and at once the moment the war In
Europe is over. They will be new
problems, most of them; many will be
old problems in new setting and with
new elements which we have never
i dealt with or reckoned the force and
meaning of before. They will require
for their solution new thinking. fresh
some matters radical considerations
of policy. We must be ready to mobi-
lie our resources alike of brains and
of materials.
1t is not future to be afraid of. 1t
is, rather, u future to stimulate and
excite us to the display Of the best
powers that are im us. We may enter
| .t-tvh
that we understand it, and we have
provided ourselves already with the
means of understanding it.
Look first at what it will be neces-
sary that the nations of the world
should do to make the days to come
tolerable and fit to live and work in,
and then look at cur part in what is
to follow and our own duty Of prepara-
tion. For we must be prepared both
in resources and in policy.
There must be just and settled
peace, and we here i'll America must
contribute the full force Of our enthu-
siasm and of our authority as a nation
to the organization of that peace upon
worldwide foundations that cannot cas-
forced to take sides In any quarrel IN
which its own honor and integrity and
the fortunes Of its own people are not
involved, but no nation can any longer
remain neutral as against any willful
disturbance of the peace of the world
The effect of war can no longer be
confined to the areas of battle. No
nation stands wholly apart in interest
when the life and interests of all ma
tions are thrown into confusion and
peril. If hopeful and generous enter
prise is to be renewed, If the healing
and helpful arts of life are indeed to
be revived when peace comes again, a
new atmosphere of justice and friend
ship must be generated by means the
world has never tried before. The ma
tions of the world must unite In joint
guarantees that whatever is done to
disturb the whole worlds life must
first be tested in the court of the whole
worlds opinion before it is attempted.
These are the new foundations the
world must build for itself, and we
must play our part in the reconstruc-
ton generously and without too much
thought of our separate interests. We
must make ourselves ready to play it
intelligently, vigorously and WELL
Contribution to World Peace.
One of the contributions we must
make to the worlds peace is this: We
must see to it that the people in our
insular possessions are treated in their
own lands as we would treat them
here and make the rule of the United
States mean the same thing every
where-the same justice, the same con-
sideratlon for the essential rights of
men.
Besides contributing our ungrudging
moral and practical support to the es-
tablishment of peace throughout the
world, we must actively and intelli-
gently prepare ourselves to do our full
service In the trade and industry which
are to sustain and develop the life of
the nations in the days to come.
We have already been provident in
this great matter and supplied our
selves with the instrumentalities of
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