The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-06-14

! she wants to do with her force. Amer
lea came into existence for a particular
reason. When you look about upon these
beautiful hills and up thiss stately stream,
and then let your imagination run over
the whole body OF this great country
from which you youngsters are drawn
far and wide. YOU remember that while
II had aboriginal inhabitants. while
there were people living here. there was
no civilization which we displayed. II
was as II in the providence Of God a con-
tinent had beer kept unused and waiting
for n peaceful people who loved liberty
and the lights of men more than they
loved anything else. to come and set u''
an unselHsh commonwealth. IL Is a very
extraordinary thing. You are so familia.
with American history. at any rate tn
It's general character don't accuse YOU
of knowing the details OF IL, for | never
found the youngster who did-hu you
are so familiar with tho general char
acter OF American history that 1t does
not seem strange to YOU. but It is a very
strange history. There Is none other
like it in the whole annals of mankind.
| OF men gathering out Of ever. civilized
nation OF the world on an unused CONT
nent. and building "A policy exactly 10
suit themselves. not under the DONNA
ton of any ruling dynasty or Of the am
billions OF any roya. family, doing wha;
they pleased with their own life on a
free space OF land which God had mad,
rich with every resource which was
necessary for the civilization they meant
, to build VI.
Views ON N~ilitnrism.
"Now. what We are preparing to d. H.
to see that nobody mars that. and that.
heing safe against Interference from the
outside. all Of its force is going 10 be
behind its moral idea. and mankind il
going to know that when America speaks
she means what She says. | heard -
man say to another. II YOU wish me to
consider you witty. I really must trouble
you to make a joke We havc a right
o. say TO the rest of mankind, IF you
don't want to interfere with us, II you
are disinteresteu. we must really trouble
you to- give the evidence OF hat fact
W. are not In for anything selfish.
and we want the whole mighty power OF
America thrown into that scale and not
INTO any other, OF know that the
chief thing that is holding many people
back from enthusiasm for what is called
preparedness Is the fear of militarism.
want to say "A word to you young gen
tlemen about militarism. You are not a
milltdrist. because you are military.
"Militarism does not consist in the
existence Of an army. not even in the
existence OF n very great army, Mill
,arlsm is a spirit. II is n point OF view,
II Is a system. II Is a purpose. The
purpose of militar!sm Is TO use armies
for aggression. The spirit or mill
tarism is the opposite Of the civilian
spirit, the citizen spirit. In a country
, where militarism prevails the military
man looks down upon the civilian. re.
CARDS him as inferior, thinks OF him as
Intended for his, the military mans, sup
mort and use, and just so long al
America is America that spirit anc
point OF view IL impossible with us
There Is as yet in this country, so fal
as I can discover, no faint of TN
spirit OF militarism.
w Caste Requirement.
You young gentlemen are not pre-
. felred in promotion because OF the FAM
lies you belong to. You are not hraw'
into the academy because you belon'
, to certain influential circles, YOU do no
come here with a long tradition OF MN
= tary pride back OF YOU. You are plcke'
out from the citizens OF the unite'
|, states to be that pat OF the force o
the United States which make it's polio!
safe against Interference. You are Tn
part Of American citizens vino say I
; those who would interfere, You must mol
, and you shall not But you are Amer
= can citizens. and the idea | want to leav'
with you boys to-day Is this: No maj
I, ter what comes. always remember ina
. first Of all you are citizens OF the ohlt''
. States before you are officers. ana ina
p you are officers because you represei'
in your particular profession whal IN
citizenship of the United States stand
for. There is no danger of militarisf
if you are genuine Americans, and
9 for one do not doubt that you are. Whe
YOU begin to rave the militaristic spiri'
q not the military spirit-that Is all rish
then begin to doubt whether you ar
"A Americans or not.
"You know that, one thing in whic
our forefathers took pride was this tina
the civil power is superior to the mn
tary power IN the United States. One
and again the people of the United state
have so admired some great militar
man as to make him President of tn
United States. wher he became com
mander-in-chief Of all the forces of tn
United States. but he was commander
. in-chief because he was President, nc
:, because he had been trained to arms
and his authority was civil, not militar,
"A II can teach you nothing of militar
power, but ! I'm instructed by the Cor
stitution to use you for constitutions
and patriotic purposes. And that Ia IN
only use you care to be put to. That
a the only use you ought to care to l.
put to, because. after all. what Is IN
ID use In being an American II you do ne
ID know what II IL"
n you have read a great deal In IN
IL books about the pride Of the old Roma
70 citizen, who always felt like DRAWN
10 himself to his foil height when he said
~ am a Roman but a. compared wit
II the pride That must have risen TO HI