The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-06-14
IS FINANCIAL AND COMMERCIAL NEWS

what she wants 10 40 Win nof IQrc0.
America came into existence for 4
about upon these beautiful hills and
up this 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 remembered that while Il
had aboriginal inhabitants, whsie
there were people living here. there
was no civilization which We dis
placed. II was a. II In the providence
Of God q continent had been kept un-
used and waiting for = peaceful peo-
pie who loved liberty and the rights
OF men more than they loved any
thing else. to come and set up an UNI
selfish commonwealth. II II avery
miliar with American history. at any
rate in it's general character. don't
accuse you of knowing the details OF
1t. for l never found q youngster who
did--but you are so familiar with the
general character of American hts
tory that IL does not seem strange to
you, but 1t is a very strange history.
There is none other like 1t In The
whole annals of mankinc-of men
gathering out OF every civiliSed ma
ton of the world on an unused con-
tinent and building up a policy ex-
actly to suit themselves. not under
the domination of any ruling dynasty
or of the ambitions of any royal fam
lily: doing what they pleased with
their own life .on a free space OF land
which God has made rich with every
resource which was necessary for the
civilization they meant to build up.
There is nothing like It, Now, what
we are preparing to do Is to see that
nobody mars that, and that. being
safe itself against interference from
the outside, all its force Is going to
be behind It's moral idea, and mankind
is going to know that when America
speaks she means what she says. I
heard man say to another: If you
wish me to consider you witty ] must
really trouble you to make joke
We have a right to say to the rest
OF mankind: If you don't want TO
interfere with us, IL you are disin-
terested, we must really trouble you
to give the evidence of the fact We
are not in for anything selfish and
we want the whole mighty power of
America thrown into that scale. and
not into any othtr,"
Fear OF Mihtarism.
You know that the chief thing
that is holding many people back from
enthusiasm for what is called pre-
paredness Is the fear OF militarism. /
want to say a word to you young gen.
tlemen about militartsm. You're not
a militarist because you are military.
Militarism does not consist in the ex-
!stence OF an army, not even In the
existence OF very great army. Mill
tarism is spirit II Is a point OF
view. II is a system. 1t Is a purpose.
The purpose of militarism Is to use
armies for aggression. The spirit of
ilian spirit--the citizen spirit. In
country where militarism prevails, the
man looks down upon the
civilian. regards him as inferior,
thinks of him as intended for his. the
mans support and use and
just so long as America Is America
that spirit and point of view Is i'm
possible with us. There Is as yet in
this country so far as can discover
no faint of the spirit of militarism.
America First.
You young gentlemen are not pre-
ferred in prom otion because of the
families you belong to. You are not
drawn into the academy because you
belong to certain influential circles.
You do not come here with long
tradition of military pride back of
you. You are picked out from the
citizens of the United States to be
that part OF the force of the United
States which makes 1t policy safe
against interference. You are the part
of American citizens who say to those
who would interfere; You must not
and You shall not But you are
American citizens and the tdeaI want
10 leave with you boys today Is this:
No matter what comes always remem-
Der that first of all you are citizens
Of the United States before you are
officers, and that you are officers be-
cause YOU represent in your particu-
lar profession what the citizenship of
the United States stands for.
There Is no danger of militarism
IL you are genuine Americans and I
for one do not doubt that you are.
When you begin to have the miiitaris-
tic spirit--not the military spirit that
is ali right-then begin to doubt
whether you are Americans or not.
Owl Power Superior.
You know that one thing In which
our forefathers took pride was this.
that the civil power Is superior to the
military power In the United
States. Once and again the people OF
the United States have so admired
some great military man as to make
him president of the United States,
when he became commander in chief
of all the forces OF the United States,
but he was commander in chief be-
cause he was President, not because
he had been trained to arms. and his
authority was civil, not military.
can teach you nothing Of military
power. but 1 am instructed by the
constitution to use you for constitu-
tional and patriotic purposes. And
that Is the only use you could be put
put to. That Is the only use you ought
to care to put to, because after all
what Is the use of being an American
IL you do not know what 1t Is
You have read a great deal in the
books about the pride OF the old Ro-
man citizen who always felt like draw
fcg himself to his full height when he
sale, am a Roman. but rs COM