Omaha daily bee., 1916-06-14

gathering out OF every civilized ma
ton of the world on an unused con-
tinent and building up the polity ex-
actly to suit themselves, not under
the domination OF any ruling dynasty
or Of the ambitions OF any royal fam
lily.
Now, what we are preparing to
do Is to see that nobody mars that,
and that, being safe itself against in
reference from the outside, all OF its
force is going TO be behind its moral
idea, and mankind is going TO know
that when America speaks it means
what it says. ! heard man say to
another: If you wish me to consider
you witty ] must really trouble you
to make a joke. We have right to
say to the rest OF mankind: III you
don't want to interfere with us, II
you are disinterestcd, we must really
trouble you to give the evidence OF
that fact We are not in for anything
selfish and we want the whole mighty
power OF American thrown into that
scale and net into any others.
Militarism Is System.
"You know that the chief thing
that is holding many back from en-
thusiasm for what Is called prepared
ness Is the fear Of militarism. |
want to say word to you young
gentlemen about militarism. You're
not militarist because you are mill
tary. Militarism does not consist in
the existence OF an army. not even
in the existence Of very great army.
Militarism is spirit. II is a point OF
view. II Is system. 1t is a pur-
pose. The purpose Of militarism is
to use armeis for aggression. The
spirit Of militarism is the opposite of
the civilian spirit--thc citizen spirit.
In country where militarism pre-
walls, the military man looks down
upon the civilian, regards him as in
ferior, thinks Of him as intended for
his, the military mans, support and
use; and just so long as America is
America, that spirit and point Of view
Is impossible with us. There is as yet
in this country so far as can dis
cover no faint of the spirit Of mill
tarism.
Civil Power Is Superior.
"You know that one thing in which
Our forefathers took pride was this,
that the civil power is superior to the
military power in the United States.
Once and again the people OF the
United States have so greatly admired
some military man as to make him
president OF the United States when
he became commander in chief Of all
the forces Of the United States, but
he was commander in chief because
he was president, not because he had
been trained to arms and his authority
was civil not military. can teach
you nothing Of military power, but
am instructed by the constitution to
use you for patriotic purposes and
that Is the only use you care to be
put to. That Is the only use YOU
ought to care to be put to, because
after all what Is the use in being an
American II you do not know what
il isi
Americanism Defined.
I'VE have talked a good deal about
Amerieanism. II ought to be mat
ter OF pride with us to know what
Americanism really consists of.
Americanism consists in utterly be-
lieving in the principles Of America
and putting them first as above any
thing that might by chance come in.
to competition with il. And for my
part believe that the American ties,
IS spiritual test II an American
has to make excuses for what he has
done as an American doubt his
Arlericanism. He ought 10 know a,
every step OF his action that the
motive that lies behind what he does
is motive which no American need
be ashamed OF for moment. Now
we ought to put this test to every
man we know. We ought to let it be
known that anybody who does moi
put America FIRST cannot consori
with us. But we ought to Set them
the example. We ought to set them
the example by thinking American
thoughts, by entertaining American
purposes and those thoughts and pur,
poses will stand the test OF example
anywhere in the world, for they arc
intended for the betterment OF man.