South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-10-06

it at once. But in order to carry
l out a program you must have a uni
/ hcation Of spirit and purpose in
/ America which no influence can in
wade.
In making that program what
are we 70 say TO ourselves? And
what are we going 10 say 10 tho
I world2 IL is very important that
the statesmen Of other parts Of the
world should understand America.
America has held of from the pres
/ ent conflict with which the rest OF
/ the world is ablaze not because she
was not interested. not because she
was Indifferent, but because the
part she wanted 10 play was a dif-
\ ferent part from that
/ The singularity OF the present
war is that its origin and objects
I Eever have been disclosed. They
/ have obscure European roots which
+ we do not know how 10 trace. So
great a confagration could not have
/ broken out if the finder had not
/ been there and the spark in danger
! Of falling at any time. We were
not the finder. The spark did not
/ come from us 1t Will take the long
inquiry OF history 10 explain this
war. But Europe ought not to mis-
I understand us.
L. :. Wants TO Know.
We are holding off, not because
/ we do not feel concerned, but be-
] .
this nation we want to know what
we are exerting it for. You know
that we have always remembered
! and revered the advice Of the great
/ Washington who advised us To avoid
I foreign entanglements. BY that
/ understand him TO mean avoid be-
ing entangled in the ambitions and
the national purposes Of other ma
tions. 1t does not mean, if [ may
7 be permitted to venture an inter
probation Of the meaning Of that
| great man, it does not mean that
we are 10 avoid the entanglements
OF the world for we are part OF the
world and nothing that concerns
the whole world can be Indifferent
10 us. We want always 10 hold the
force Of America TO fight for what?
NOt merely for the rights Of prop
I crJy or of national am bitiOn but for
the rights Of mankind. Nothing
that concerns humanity. nothing
that concerns the essential rights of
mankind can be foreign or indiffer-
ent to US. But in lighting for these
things my fellow citizens. we ought
10 have a touchstone We want to
have a test. We ought 10 know
whenever we act what the purpose
is, what the ultimate goal is.
Rights of Man.
"Now the touchstone is this: on
our ov- part absolute singleness OF
heart and purpose is our allegi-
ance to America and then a justi-
ficatiOn OF that allegiance to Amer
lea by holding the doctrine that is
truly American, that the states of
America were set up TO vindicate
the rights of man and not the rights
Of property or the rights of self ag-
grandizement and aggression. Prop
erty. we have found to be the indis-
pensible foundation of stable insti-
tutions. but the rights of humanity
are the essence of free institutions
and nothing can take precedence of
them.
$50 that when we look forward
to the years TO come wish ] could
say the months To come-to the end
OF this war. we want all the world
to know that we are ready to lend
our force without stint TO the pres
! ffr,r, r.F q
mankind. The world is no longer
divided into little circles Of interest.
The world no longer consists OF
neighborhOods. The world is linked
together i'm a common life and in
terest such as humanity never saw
before and the starting of wars can
never again be a private and indi-
vidual matter for the nations. What
disturbs the life Of the whole world
is the concern of the whole world
. and il is our duty to lend the full
force of this nation, moral and ply
steal, TO a league of nations which
shall see to il that nobody disturbs
the peace of the world, without sub
hitting his case first TO the opinion
CT mankind. When you are asked
Are you not willing to fight?' you
reply yes. but YOU are waiting for
something worth lighting for. You are
not looking about for petty quarrels
but you are looking about for that
sort of quarrel within whose in
/ tricacies are written all the texts of
the rights of man; you are looking
for some cause which will elevate
your spirit. not depress it, some
cause in which it seems a glory TO
shed human blood if it be neces-
sary, so that all the common COM
pacts of liberty may be sealed with
the blood OF free men.
Act With Purpose.
Every man has 10 die. Ii is
done only once and being a single
and distinguished act ought 10 be
done for a single and distinguished
purpose. IL ought TO be thrilled
through with the purpose of life so