Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-01-08
American solution Of the problem of world

American solution Of the problem Of world
power.
our intimate relation with Great Britain
springs from this circumstance, that we two
iand Russia, II Russia recovers without re-
action) are not concerned with territorial
aggrandizement compare what Britain Is
supposed 10 have got in the secret treaties
published by Trotsl<y with what other nations
got; YOU cannot help seeing that territori-
ally Britain is almost at the saturaton pont.)
therefore we can hold out for another basis
OF vettlement. The Germans are accusing
or striking for world power. Apparently the
ancient words cannot keep out of the Ger
mans mouth. But If we are it is not world
power in the German sense
We are far more closely concerned with
the world power to trade, for example. We
Tem.iih after the war commercial and indus
trial nation of unparalleled powers and we
wiz look for the freedom of commerce. We
MAJ come into passing conflict with Britain
there, but j think ii unlikely. But when we
nave settled minor differences with Britain
We VIII certainly Join her in the greatest
union for commercial freedom which the
world has seen. In some ways Great Britain
mas gone far ahead Of us her treatment of
hef African protectorates has been more lib
eral, in the way of open opportunities for
Uade' than our treatment of ourselves In
"'"erS' II seems TO me. We are in advance.
"The Most High Minded Nation"
The full import Of this new orientation for
the most powerful of European nations cam
not even be sketched at the moment. 1t is
the beginning of a new world and we Ameri-
cans ought to be particularly careful of
everything we do and say While this would
Is growing. We might. for one thing cling
TO our most liberal principles in the assur-
ance that we have the support of all that
is worth while in Europe, although we lack
the approval of some who are in power. We
might go on thinking out our own national
policy in these international matters. Be-
cause the more individual thinking goes into
this matter, the more certain our position
will be after the war
And one negative thing I have just seen
book advertised in which the author is
said to arrive at unique conclusion: that
the United States is the only truly high
minded nation on earth. Well, the competi-
tion Is terrific: Germany has been bidding
to the tune of 100000 serious casualties
for that position. The high ndedness of
England in regard to Belgium was so obvious
that Englishmen refused TO talk about 1t for
a time and only began under protest What
OF France and Italy: doo't they think that
they are high-mnded enough?
That sort of stuff won't go down We
are high-minded because we can't help it
If are. \ friend of mine has Just come
back from Denmark. There he was told
that the Danes We're glad to sell us the
Virgin Islands. If they hadn't sold thew
sad we would have stolen them. And when
my friend protested that America didn't do
that sort of thing they threw Cuba and
Texas @ in his teeth. We are pursuing
certain ideals in this war and hope, after
the war. because they suit our national needs
and national temperament best. If thev turn
out to be the worlds ideals and are justified
by posterity as high-minded, thank heaven
But let us say little or nothing about IT,