The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-12-09
Transition Wonderful.

Transition Wonderful.
IA democracy making var is never
an agreeable sight for it is not in its
normal line Of life. And those who
sheer or lcel. because it does not play
the game as We'll as might be. pay
an unconscious compliment to the
merits of free institutions. IT takes
time To accustom men to the short,
hard words Of command. and to the
surrender Of personal judgment II is
not easy, either for nation to turn
its hacl, upon the cnuce ption Of a work
where Justice works out its Glas BY
quiet processes, and in its stand come
to the stern belief that the ultimate
court is battlefield So, if there is
wrenching and side slipping and con-
fusion there should be no surprise. The
surprise to me has been with that
comparative ease the transition has
been made. and how much unconscious
preparation for the new work had been
already made.
"NoW. that our problem IS to produce
more than ever before, it is clearly to
be seen that the physical resources of
| the United States are today almost
| completely at the command of the
worlds needs. If, indeed, for the past
| forty years the nation had been plan
| ming TO make w.}r upon its neighbors,
and SO seize the continent for itself,
what more would have been done to
make our resources available for such
an adventure This is. perhaps. the
hardest test to which the problem of
our internal development could be put.
Yet the answer must be that very lit
tie more could have been done or would
have been done by a people necessarily
doing SO much,
But this war is not to be won by
the measuring Of resources, for If wars
We're TO be so won China possibly
would be our only rival. The spirit Of
the peoples is the making of the ma
tion, in war as in peace. The extent
to which a people can cooperate
marks the point of civilization they
have reached. Now, the greatest out
standing fact of the past year, as clear
~ shown in the work of this depart
ment alone, is that under the crystal
lizing influence of a common danger
and under the inspiring impulse of a
common purpose.
Americas Mission.
Men are already thinking of the
greater America that they believe to
/ be coming when the war is done. We
are in ths,wa ras the trustees Of social
and political ideals, most Of them un-
formed. even embryonic. and these we
hope to realize through the strengt h
of the nation. our nationalism, in :
tense, sirile, and of the fighting kind,
| is "A part Of the machinery through
which we are working to make all men
| our debtors. Our national purpose is
to tfansmnte days of dreary work into
happier liVes-for ourselves first and
| for all others in their time This is
| the large view, the idealistic view, if
/ YOU please, of Americas mission II
| is the subconseious philosophy of all
our hlstorF-our wars, our public
school system, our conservation
| schemes, orr enterprise
This greater America is not to he
the filmy product of a nations fancy,
| the day dream of a monumental ma :
| tional ego. 1t is to be substantial
as hard thought and hard work car
make it, thing Of good roads, ships,
| and railroads, well fortified farms
| and Well organized industry, resulat-
cd rivers put to use, and schools and
schools and schools, and laboratories
and more laboratories, War has
ta1ght n9land and France much one
thing, perhaps, above all others, how
all important in this day is the nan
who has the new king of SAVIOR faire
II VIC are to meet the full rivalry oil
the world, we must rest chance for sue
cess upun Oh" ability 20 produce men
who, i'll character, i'll trained capaci-
| ties, and in radioactive Imagination
will ontmatch those whom they ar,
| To meet.
What Our Future May Be.
This new America, as the old, will
contribute 10 the world raw product.
with most generous hand. But the III
| innate resource of the nation is no
/ tfat which lies within the ground, hut
| that which vibrates III mans brain
Therefore out nt the struggle and tor.
/ tire That We shall pass through, an,
/ the reNerses ana triumph that we shall
/ meet, there should evolve the contep
! ton Of America as the center of tn,
! worlds thought an America that vii
give that leadership and direction I,
The scientific. literary, and socia
thought of the world that we pride our
selves We have recently given to it's DO
hilcal thought. Our status in this wa
gives us a place of moral ascendanc,
from which If we are great enough
To be humble we can become real mas
tefs OF men, conquerors of the inyisi
Bile kingdom of mans mind