New Britain herald., 1916-11-18
THE NEUTRAL VOTE.
Great American Vote Swamped Those
Who Lived Up On One Side Or
Other With European Belligcrcnts.
(Springfield Republican,

(Springfield Republican,
In the political map two things
stand out with special distinctness, the
concentration into limited area of
the two groups of partisans which,
with exactly opposite motives, sup
ported Mr. Hughes because of their
antipathy to the presidents foreign
policy, and the wide diffusion of the
Wilson vote, particularly in those
parts of the country which are most
solidly American and apparently least
disposed to partisanship i'll regard to
the war. That this is fortunate can
hardly be gainsaid. If one part of the,
country had been intensely pro-ally in
temper, and another part as intensely
pro-German, the result would have
been to accentuate sectional lines in
an unwholesome way. AS things have
fallen out, the votes determined by
foreign issues have in great part
fallen in the same area, which makes
them difficult to trace and easy to for
get. Both groups have been showed
under by the American vote
Those who have travelled much in
the United States during the past two
years, or who have made a careful
study Of opinion as reflected in the
newspapers Of the different parts Of
the country, agree that interest in the
war has been much less marked in the
south and west than in the eastern
states. If a clinical thermometer could
be applied to the map, it would be
found to show a marked temperature
in the corner which went almost solid
ly for Hughes, and to stand at normal
in the greater part of the vast eX-
hi o1, f~ hi in
dicates not only that the election, as
has frequently been pointed out
turned on domestic questions and that
the country is satisfied with a pacific
foreign policy, but that the majority, /
as it shows on the map, representsya
high degree of neutrality in regard to-
the war.
This Isl not to say that people in the !
southern, western and southwestern |
states are destitute of ideas and op1n- |
ions in regard to the war. Probably |
very much Of the same variety or
opinion exists there as elsehWere, out |
much evidence goes to show that feel-
ing is less intense, and parusanshlp |
less strong. The astronomer, to get d |
correct view of foreign planets mas TO
imagine himself at the center OF the
earth: to get the true American view
of Europe the political ASTRONOMERS
must not neglect the hinterland.
To imagine that there has been the
least falling off in vigor, courage or
patriotism in this vast region Wnere
the proportion Of native American
stock is highest is, of course, SheeF
nonsense. That there has been some
change of temper since the brief wave
of imperialism evoked by the Spanish
war is quite true, but that was IN 1t
self in great part artificial. 1t ap-
peaIed to the adventurous spirit which
had conquered the wilderness, but "
manifest destiny' was quickly seen
to be a hollow thing. Expansion as
Am ericans understood it, the creation
of "white mans country stopped
at the Pacific and the energy which
had gone into pioneering was turned
back on making America a better
for the people who live in it.
None of the energy has been lost, and
it has as much explosive potentiality
as ever but just now it is turned into
peaceful channels and is
much more concerned with domestic
matters than with questions of nation
IL prestige.
To a great part Of the most Amer
lean of mericans it, never occurs to
ask what foreigners think of our for
otgn policy; if it is good for America
is good enough; this may argue
7roVlncla ism, but certainly not weak
'eT5 a1d perhaps the true provin-
,tals orc those who take their opin-
on OF America from abroad. To look
at the map is to see the political
strength of President Wilson's APP
peal to America first"