New Britain herald., 1916-05-10

| war, the standard or peace. To pre- serve peace, under such circumstances is a far nobler accomplishments than to lead a nation in war. One can aI- ways have war. It should De a last resort. All our great statesmen have l warned Us against it.
 The pages of history are filled with their admontions.
 Washington and Jefferson and Franklin and Lincoln and Grant all had a horror of war, but shall any one say that they lacked courage or that when the time of test came they f1inched or failed? The American people have sufficient discernment to distinguish between the spurious pa trlotlsm that rushes headlong into controversy and that real patriotism ; Which is not easily provoked to bit terness or violence Or reprsal and Wh1ch Tor that very fact may be counted upon for all the great stead 1astness in the real hour of national peril.
 Belgium.
 The American people no matter what their feeling may have been with regard to Belgium know that the attitude of neutrality assumed by our president was the only correct posi- tlOn that could have been taken. Had a contrary position been assumed the sinking of the Lusitania, when it came, would almost inevitably have required us to join the international conflict.
 It may be true that some of our citizens would have approved this course and have accepted the results gladly but they are but mere frac tion of our people.
 MT. Root was United States sena tor when the Belgium representative came to this country, and Senator Mclean was also in the senate. I do not recall that either of these statesmen arose to suggest the pro- prlety upon the part of the presi- dent of writing a note of disannrovaj to Germany. Seven weeks later. MT. Roosevelt in the Outlook of Sentem- Der 23rd 1914, said: Of course if would have been folly to iump into the gulf ourselves to no good purpose and very probably nothing we could have done would have helped Bel. gium. Only the clearest and most urgent national duty would ever ius- tlfy us in deviating from our rule of neutrality and non-interference.'
 Since that time. my friends. w, have heard a deal of nonsense about what the government ought to hav. done; but the commo on sense of Amor ican citizenship will appraise these criticisms at their just value.
 American Diplomacy.
 Some sensitive and nervous people are alarmed lest we become the laughing stock of Europe Let them be treasured. The diplomacy of the old world, in the light of the tragic events of the last two years has little to commend it to the free peo- pie of this country. It is much more important to know what America thinks of the statesmanship of Flu rope than what Europe thinks of the statesmanshiD of America.
 The democratic party is treading the traditional path of enlightened policy.
 Washington, in his farewell ad dress, expressed the hope "that we may never unsheath the sword cx- cept in self-defense so long as jus uce and our essential rights a.,d national responsibility can be pre- served without it."
 Our president. speaking recently in New York, expressed the same idea when ne said: Americans WOuld hOt seek a contest or cravenly avoid one. They would fight for the vindication ot their honor and character. for liberty and for free institutions.'
 We are a peace loving people; we are a patient people; we are a power- ful people and, let us hope, we are a just people. And any nation which has the courage to avoid an unneccs- sary war will not lack the coura se to wage righteous one.
 The World Conflict.
 We may not be able to maintain peace. No one can foresee what day may bring forth. But this We know, up to the present moment our president has kept us out of this world conflict. If trouble comes we are immeasurably better prepared for it than we were year ago. Tn the matter of the ability to produce the munitions of war, perhaps the most important thing of all. we are a thousand per cent. better off than we were when this war began. If the services of the president have merely delayed the hour of our entry into the conflict, America can never re- pay the debt it owes him.
 Away I say. with the evil counselS of 1mpatience. We must have the fairness to appreciate that while we negotiate there are millions of our 1 fellow creatures Ito whom the war has changed the aspect of the earth ! and imagery of heaven.'
 The grave-heaps and heart-breal1s, the utter agony and despair of mar kind-surely these things should ! teach us humanity and forbearance and patience. We must make allow for thpCo 1,nnrpcaHon+oI