Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-12-09
SERVICE TO NATION
MEASURED A MAN
Secretary Lane Warns That
Possession of Resources
Alone Does Not Win.

~Tbis is the curse and the glory OF
w.r-tbat it has but a single scale OF
measurement, it puts but one simple
question: What can you do to serve me
for now I am the nation
: So Secretary Lane, in a prelude TO
his annual report, which will be pub
liahed in detail later, portrays the
transition of peaceful democracy INTO
4 nation organized for war. The pre-
lude was made public today.
Secretary Lane warns the country
that possession of resources alone does
not win wars, and, recount1ng the
progress made on every hand, declares
the physical stores of the United states
are almost completely at the command
of the worlds needs.
"'What can you do to serve me
quotes the Secretary. TO that Ques-
tion each individual and eacn depart
fnent of the government must give an.
swer The answer of this department
is that 1t has put every agency and &C
tivity which it has at the service OF
those departments more directly con.
cerned with war making our men OF
scientific knowledge me.a,,u,s isls'
chemists, engineers. topographers
have found new work at their hands
The homesteaders and the miners on
the public lands have been released
from their obligations If they go INTO
the Army, or show themselves to be OF
greater service off their lands than on
them. The reclamation service on a
million and a quarter acres OF irrigated
lands and the Indians on a hundred
reservations Joined in the campaign Tor
more meat and more wheat. The pat
ent office has been searched for new
devices that could be brought into use
to kill the submarine or limit its de-
structiveness. for the plans OF hereto
the formulate of improved or unknown
sources of power.
Before war actually came this de-
partment had compiled the data which
showed the power of the nation in min
eral and chemical resources, our pos
sible needs. and how they could be met
at home or where abroad. Prepared
lists. of those men who had special
knowledge or were of skill along the
lines of our own activities enabled us
TO expand as the call was made.
Nations Ability to Stand Alone.
War forces a nation to an intensive
study of what it can do. Thought and
work-these are the answers to the
problems of material insufhciency. We
of America have had no little to boast
of through the quick century of our
march across a continent. And with
out doubt our ability to stand alone,
depending on ourselves for the things
that make a modern industrial nation,
is something of which we may be
proud, not SO much because we have
this land as because we have found out
its worth and made it ours by putting
thrown into such a struggle as this
war how far removed from entire in
dependence we are
A democracy making war is never
an agreeable sight. for it is not in its
normal line of life. And those who
sheer or jeer because it does not play
the game as well as might be- pay an
unconscious compliment to the merits
OF free institutions. 1t takes time to
accuStom men to the short hard words
of command. and to the surrender of
personal judgment. 1t is not easy.
either, for nation to turn its back
upon the conception of work where
Justice works out its ends by quiet
processes, and in its stand come To- the
Hstern belief that the ultimate court
Is battlefield So if there is wrench
ing and side-slipping and confusiqln
there should be no surprise. The suH
prise to me has been with what COM
parative ease the transition has been
made. and how much unconscious prep
aration for the new work had been al
ready made.
Thinking of Greater, America.
Men are already thinking of the
greater America that they believe to
De coming when the war is done. We
are In this war as the trustees of So
ciai and political ideals. most of them
uniformed. even embryonic, and these
We hope to realize through the strength
OF the nation. Our nationalism in
tense, virile and of the lighting kind.
is part of the machinery through
winch we are working to make all men
our debtors. Our national purpose is 10
transmute days of dreary work into
happier lives-for ourselves first and
for all others in their time. This ia the
large view. the idealistic view, if Won
pIease, OF AMERICAS mission. 1t is the
suoconscious philosophy of all our his
tory-our wars, our public school sys-
tenn. our conservation schemes. our
enterprise. Ni
This new America, as the old will,
contribute to the world raw nroducts
with most generous hand. But the uI-
t!mafA resource of the nation is not
that Which lies within the ground hut
mat which vibrates in mans hrain
therefore out of the struggle and tor
lure that we shall pass through ana
the reverses and triumph that We shall
sMseeh there should evolve the concep-
worlds thought, an America tbat Inc vne
give that leadership and direction To
the scientific, literary and snc;eI
tnought of the world that we nrida
ourselves We have recently given 70 Ire
poiitlcal thought. Our status In tb;s
var gives US place of moral ascend
ancy from which, If we snu
enough to be humble, we can bscome
iss.;. masters OF men, conquerors of the
Invisible Kingdom of mans mind ),
Flowers-The Gift Beautiful,
o. Guides homegrown dorars