The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-08-01


 augury. It means the strength of re- | union. It means that the party of Lin coin is restored alert, effective. It means | unity of a common perception of para mount national needs. It means that we are neither deceived nor benumbed by abnormal conditions. We knew that we are in a critical period, perhaps more critical than any period since the civil | war. we need a dominant sense of nationa. unity; the exercise of our best construc- | tive powers: the vigor and resourcefulness of a quickened America. We resire that l the republican party as a great liberal party shall be the agency of national | achievement, the organ of the effective expression of dominant Americanism. | What do I mean by that?
 q mean American conscious of power, awake to obligation, erect in self-respect, prepared for every emergency, devoted to | the ideals of peace. instinct with the spirit of huamn brotherhood, safeguard | ing both individual opportunity and the public interest, maintaining well-ordered constitutional system adapted to local self lf-government without the sacrifice of essential national authority, apprecating | the necessity of stability, expert knowl- | edge and thorough organization IS the l indispensable conditions of security and progress; country loved by its citizens | with a patriotic ferver permitting no d. vision in their allegiance and no rivals | i'll their affection-I mean America first and America efficient. It Is. in this spirit that respond to your summons. FOREIGN RELATIONS l Appointments: Our foreign rela- | tions have assumed grave importance | in the past three years. The conduct l of diplomatic intercourse is in the | keeping of the executive. It rests chief | ly with him whether we shall show 1 competence or incompetence; whether l the naional honor shall be maintained; i; l whether our prestige and influence shall be lowered or advanced. What is , the record of the administration? The l first duty of the executive was to com mand the respect of the world by the personnel of our state department and our representation abroad. No party | exigency could excuse the nonper- | formance of this obvious obligation. ! "Still. after making every allowance | for certain commendable appoint | ments, it is apparent that this obli- gation was not performed. At the very beginning of the present administra-
 tion. wherein the direction of dip | lomatic intercourse there should have been conspicuous strength and expert ness, we had weakness and inexpert-
 
 invited distrust of our competence and speculation as to our capacity for firm ness and decision, thus entailing many difficulties which otherwise easily
 could have been escaped.
 | Then, in numerous instances, not l ably in Latin America, where such a | course was particularly reprehensible,
 and where we desire to encourage the most friendly relations, men of long ! diplomatic experience whose knowl. edge and training were of especial value to the country, were retired from
 the service apparently for no other
 reason than to meet partisan demands in the appointment of inexperienced | persons.
 l Whereas, in San Domingo we had as- l suned an important special trust in the interest of it's people, that trust was shockingly betrayed in order to satisfy 1 deserving democrats. The record show 1 ine the administrators disregarding of l it's responsibilities with respect to our | representation in diplomacy is an open 1 book. and the specifications may easily be had. It Is a record revealing profess sions beled. It is dismal record to | those who believe in Americanism. HERRICH IN FRANCE Take, for example, the withdrawal of l Ambassador Herrick from France There
 
 very embodiment of courage, of boise, of executive capacity, universally trusted and beloved. No diplomat ever won more completely the affections of foreign peo- 1 pie; and there was no better fortune for this country than to have at the capital of any one of the beligerent nations a representative thus esteemed.
 Yet the administration permitted itself to supersede him. The point is not that l tho man was Ambassador Herrick, or that l the nation was France, but that we in- vited the attention of the world to the l inexcusable yielding of national interest to partisan expediency. It was a lament able sacrifice of international repute. If we would have the esteem of foreign na- tions we must deserve it. We must show our regard for special knowledge and ex- | perience. propose that we shall make the agencies of our diplomatic inter- course in every nation, worthy of the | American Ilame.
 MEXICO
 "The dealings of the administration with Mexico constitute canfused chapter of blunders We have not | helped Mexico. She lies prostrate, im- poverished famine-stricken, over whelmed with the woes and outrages of | intrnecine strife, the helpless victim l of a condition of anarchy which the course of the administration only served to promote. | For ourselves. we have witnessed the murder of our citizens and the ee- struction of their property. We have made enemies, not friends Instead of commanding respect and deserving good will by sincerity, frmness and Inconsistency. we provoked misapprehen- sion and deep resentment. In the light ] of the conduct of the administration no one could understand its profess sions Decrying interference. we inter- | fered most exasperatingly. We have Inot even kept out of actual conflict and the soil Of As3ico is stalnsd with the