Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-08-18
"AMERICA EXPECTS"

T1HE following letter has been received
i from Riverton. N. j.:
Dear Editor-Jdst what does the U.
g Government expect from each citi-
zen Of the United states after It's ap-
peal for preparedness? -
WILLIAM 6 HARRIS.
A fair question. Three months ago it
| could have been answered offhand. Six
months ago a bill Of particulars could
have been printed. What has happened
! that Mr.. Harris, and hundreds Of thou
! sands more, do not know what the Gov
| ernment expects?
we have an inadequate army bill and
! a modest navy bill. Our National Guard
/ has been "Federalized." Plattsburg
camps and naval cruises have enlisted
citizens. These things and the furry In
Mexico have advanced preparedness a lit
tie way. and. naturally. once we started
going we stopped :alking. But we stop.
ped too soon.
Preparedness has been convenient
name for political conjurors. and in spite
OF them 1t has done heroic labors. 1t
has made the country think interna-
tionaiiv 1t has brought up many ques-
tions. It has settled none. Not even the
perfectly simple question Of Mr.. Harris
It is much easier to explain what the
Government should expect, what it could
do. than what 1t does expect and what it
will do.
Above all, the United States, no matter
what it's Administration may be, has
the right to expect a loyalty which
knows no restrictions, recognizes no
other allegiance. serves no other purpose
than the purpose of this country. That
means definitely that the interests OF
any other country are not to be con'
sidered before the interests Of the United
States. and IT means that the laws and
customs of this country shall not be
changed to meet the requirements Of
other countries. It does not mean that
criticism is treachery. 1t does mean that
criticism must have America first in
mind.
After loyalty comes service, and with
service a willingness to prepare for serv'
ice and to undergo hardships in service
Every Government undoubtedly has the
right to call for the universal service OF
its citizens. The United States. as |
democratic government, has the right, If
II seems requisite, to expect that |
service to be given generously and |
The Government probably |
does expect taxes to be paid for national |
defense 1t expected the National Guard |
to accept Federal oath, and it was |
largely justified. 1t expected popular |
support for the two defense bills, and it
was scantily justified.
The country can expect, even If the |
Administration does nothing to further |
it, that the industries which prosper here |
will give themselves TO the country's de- |
fense. will cooperate with the army Off |
cials, will make ready to execute war or
ders, will become q part of national pre-
paredness. II it expects men to give
their vacations to their country, and to
give their lives for 1t, it can, by stretch |
of the imagination, expect men to give
even money toward it's preservation.
After the war there will be an almost
irresistible pacifst movement, beneath !
which the new preparations for war will,
no doubt, be concealed. The United
States can demand of its citizens that
they be not carried away in this hys.
teria II will further the work of peace,
but its citizens must not make that work
fruitless by placing their country in the
position OF a powerless suppliant.
Finally, the United States can expect
a more real cohesion of it's component
States, a closer welding OF its strangely
assorted citizens as the result of its
appeal for preparedness" We have
been asked to prepare for our country.
We have been suddenly faced with the
fact that our country really exists, as
distinct from other countries,
with its own problems and its own poss-
bilities. To solve the first and develop
the others is the first part of prepared
ness.