El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-06-13
PRESIDENT SAYS
AMERICA FIRST
Tells West Point Cadet Dan
ger Lies in Militarism But
Not in Patriotism.
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states wants that il has to get bv war.
but there are "A great many thing the
United states has to do 1t has to see
that its life is not interfered with by
ANYBODY else who wants something
These are the days when we are
making preparation, when the thing
! most commonly discussed around every
/ sort of table. in every sort of circls
I in the shops and in the streets. is
! preparedness and undoubtedly that is
| he Dresent imperative duty of
America. to be prepared But We ought
4 10 know what we are preparing for
| I remember hearing wise man say
once that the old maXmim that every
/ thing comes TO the man who waits
/ i All very we'll provided he knows
what he is waiting for and prepared
ness might be very hazardous thing
/ n we did not know what we wanted
/ to do with the force that we mean
! 10 accumulate and to get into fight
I ing shape
America. fortunately. does know
/ whaf-she wants TO do with her forces
/ America came INTO existence Tor
I particular reason
You are so familiar with American
I history at any rate IN its general
1 80 cfer-I don't accuse YOU Of
S-.o,.1ine the details OF it Tor never
I found the youngster who debut you
1 are so familiar with the general char
/ acter Of American history that it
/ does not seem strange 10 you, but II is
/ a very strange history.
None Other Like It
There is none other like it in the
| whole annals OF mankind-of men
/ gathering out of every civilized nation
! Of the world on an unused continent
/ and building up the polity exactly 10
( suit themselves, not under the comma
( ton Of any ruling dynasty or OF the
/ ambitions OF any royal family
/ Now what are we preparing 10 do
is TO see that nobody mars that. and
that. being safe itself against inter
J ference from the outside. all Of its
idea. and mankind is going 10 know
! that when America speaks she means
! what she says j heard a man say to
/ another. If you wish me to consider
/ you witty 1 must really trouble you 10
make a joke We have a right to say
+ to the rest Of mankind, If you don't
! want to interfere with us. II you are
[ disinteresteO, we must really trouble
/ you TO give the evidence OF that fact
I We are not in for anything selfish and
we want the whole mighty power OF
America thrown into that scale and not
I into any other
8Initarism a Spirit.
/ You know that the chief thing that
/ is holding many people back from en-
/ thusiasm for what is called prepared
{ to say a word TO you. young gentle
men. about militarism- You are not
a militarist because you are military.
I Militarism does not consist in the
existence OF an army, not even in the
! existence OF a very great army. mill
tarism is a spirit II is a point OF
view 1t is a system II is a purpose
The purpose Of militarism is 10 use
armies for aggression The spirit OF
militariSm IS the opposite OF the
civilian spirit the citizens spirit. In
q country where militarism prevails
| the military man looks down upon
civilian. regards him IS Inferior. thinks
Of him as intended for his the milf
as long as America is America that
spirit and point OF view is impossible
with US. There is as yet in this country
so Tar as can discover. no faint OF the
spirit of militarism.
You, young gentlemen. are not pre-
ferred in promotion because OF the
! families you belong to. You are uot
drawn into the academy because YOU
I belong TO certain influential circles
GU. DO not come here with a long
tradition OF military pride back OF YOU.
You are picked out from the citizens
or the United States 10 be that part
Of the force Of the United States which
makes its policy safe against Interior
ence- You are the part Of America I'm
citlzens who say 10 those who would
interfere. You must not and YOU
shall not But YOU are American citi-
zens and the ideas l want 10 leave with
you boys today is this,
NttlAenA ElrHI- Iheu Officers.
No matter what comes always re-
, member that first Of all you are citi-
gems of the United States before you
are Officers. and that you are officers
because you represent in your profess
sion what the citizenship or the United
states stands for. There is no danger
Of mllltarism II you are genuine Amer
leans and l for one DO not doubt that
You are When YOU begin to have the
militaTistic spirit-not the military
spirit. that is all right-then begin TO
doubt whether you are Americans or
not
You know that one thing in which
our torefathers took pride was this. that
the civil power is superior TO the mill
tsry power in the United States.
Honor for Military Men.
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 but he
was commander in chief because 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 constitutional and patriotic
purposes. And that is the the only use
you care TO be put to- That is the only
use YOU ought TO care to be put TO- for
after all what is the use in being an
American II you do not know what il is
Whit Americanism Really L.
We have talked a good deal about
Americanism. It ought TO be a matter
Of pride with MS 10 know what Ameri-
canism really consists in. Americsnism
consists in utterly believing i'm the prin- (
cIples Of America and putting them first
as above anything that might by chance
come into competition with it. and I for
my part believe that the American ties.
IS a spiritual test. II a man has to
make excuses for what he has done as
an American 7 doubt his AmericauiSm
He ought to know at every step Of his !
action that the motive that lies behind I
what he does is a motive which no
American need be ashamed OF for a |
moment
Vow We ought TO put this test 10 +
every man we know We ought TO let il 4
De known that no body who does not /
pul America first can cousort with us.
But we ought 10 set them the example. I
We ought to set them the example by i
thlnking American thoughts. by enter I
talhlng American purposes and those !
thoughts and purposes will stand the 4
test OF example anywhere in the world. 4
Tor they are intended FOR the better !
or