New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-30

a
made efficient by a few men. We must
make America efficient within us
own borders. efficient 20 repel at
tack from beyond its own borders
and vet friend and not
menace 70 other peoples. We must
make ourselves serviceaDle 10 Ge-
uocracy. TO the cause OF popular
rights and popular duties IN na'lohA'
and also in international matters.
A happy go-lucky belief that we can
become serviceable by combining senu-
mental speeches with selfish actions
will bring us to futility. Serviceaoie-
ness comes only through preparedness;
and both the training and the service
through economic. social and MIL
itary eficiency-imply courage sus-
tanned effort. clear VISION ana INC
power for self-sacrlilce. =,
| speak for military preparedness
speak for industrial preparedness.
speak for the performance OF lnterha-
ito nal duty. which can only come wnen
we fit ourselves TO do our duty 10 our
selves and when we have made up our
minds never 10 make a promise 70 any
other nation which cannot be kept,
which ought not 10 be kept and when
will not be kept. | speak OF all TINS
in tn. interest of national unity anu
manhood. of international peace, ana
Of the service Of our country and OF
the world at large. IL is our duty 10
secure Justice and wellbeing at home;
but we live in a FOOLS paradise II We
think that we shall be permitted TO
secure such justice and wellbeing. as
the world now is, unless we are pre-
pared 10 hold our own against all alien
enemies.
appeal 10 all the men OF the
West. | appeal TO Americans every
where. 10 stand against the Grass ma
terialism which can show itself JUST
as much in peace as in war. | appeal
20 our people to prepare IN advance so
that there shall be no hideous emer-
gency which renders Il necessary 20
submit 70 inordinate profit-making by
the few simply because, WHOM the
emergency comes, we must improvlse
at whatever cost the things that for
our sins We have failed TO provide be-
forehand. We cannot afford TO leave
this democracy of ours inefficient.
Cannot Afford To Be Indifferent.
II We do. it will some day go
down in ruin. We cannot afford 70
tolerate with cynical indifference the
pork barrel theories OF government so
dear TO the hearts of politicians OF the
baser sort. With wealth OF billions
of dollars and a population of a nun
dred million. we cannot afford 10 be
in a condition of utterly unstable
social and industrial equilibrium, nor
to see our sons grow up STEPPED IN
spirit Of mere selfish indivldualism,
without self-control or discipline or
sense Of cooperation, or trmness OF
purpose. We have great individual
capacity. This we must keep. But we
must train it so that we shall have
great collective capacity, so that there
NAV be that collective democratic
power and discipline without which no
great modern democracy can perms-
nently suDsist.
We must not only do away with se.
tionslsm. but we must see that our
land really is a melting pot Of citizen
ship and that all peoples who come
here become Americans and nothing
else. We have equally 70 dread me
sleek, well fed materialist whose be-all
and cnd-all in life are ease and COM
fort; and the base, selfish man who
thinks only Of his individual aggran-
OiIemcnt, ana inc lOOllSU. Oohstl u,
vordy sentimentalist who with amazing
ignorance fancics that Americans
armed only with words can successfully
oppose strong and brutal men with
rifles.
Our national character is in the bal
ance Am.ricanism is on trial. II we
produce merely the self-seeking. ease
loving, duty-shirkins man. whether he
be a mere materialist or a mere silly
sentimentallst; II We produce only he
Americanism Of the CRATER and the
mollycoddle and the safety-frst. get
rich-quick. peace at-any-price man, we
will have produced an American faith
full only TO the spirit OF the Tories of
1916 and the Copperheads of 1861, and
fit only TO vanish from the earth.
Cannot Sit Apart.
Love OF ease. Sinking of duty,
unwillingncss to face facts. the desire
TO comfort ourselves by words that
mean nothing all these spell worth
leSsncss while our civilization lasts,
and spell also a speedy and an ignoble
end of that civilization. In this ire
mcndous crisis of the world. If wc
think we can sit apart. do nothing. utter
lofty platltudes and devote ourselves
only TO money making. we shall surely
60 down with crash. ask you OF tn.
West TO take the lead in the effort for