The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1918-11-29

lea Is a worldwide program, because
existing conditions compel the consid-
Grafton henceforth of all human well
fare problems in world terms.
The new age is to be the age of in
ternationalism.
Already the trade of the world is
international. The press spans the
oceans and organizes the atmosphere
for its service. Labor movements are
being organized on the world basis.
Education breaks the boundary lines
of governments and the seclusion of
races. Travel and modern invention
have reduced the vast earth of thou
sand years ago to neighborhood;
and the Christian religion holds the
\ nations of the globe as its parish.
No great problem which has to do
with human welfare can be solved
fully and permanently, by single ma
tion regardless of the attitude of other
nations. Consequently the law of
self-preservation and self-defense COM
pe1s one nations effort for the solu-
tion of the same problem by neighbor
nations. The revelations of this war
are conclusive on this point. A dem
ocratic government in the United
States was not safe so long as there
existed anywhere upon the earth's
surface powerful autocracy.
Moreover, races and nations alike
must be subject to the high law of
international ethics which insists that
the solution by any nation, of prob
lem which concerns the world, places
upon that nation the duty and respon-
sibility of passing on such solution to
other nations. AS mo man liveth
unto himself" so it may we'll be said
that in this new age no nation liveth
unto itself.
The Robinson Crusoe stage of the
Prohibition movement is past. The
liquor problem is world problem and
the reform institution which would
solve this problem must be world
wide in its scope.
As the United States of America it.
self becomes Prohibition country in
accordance with the will of the people
of this republic, the official agents of
this nation abroad should actually rep
resent the sentiment and attitude of
the American people on this great
question as that sentiment and atti-
tude is expressed by the legislative
bodies Of the different states and by
Congress. Moreover, since these
agents of the government are the rep
resentatives of the President of the
the Prohibition forces of America
should see to it that from the begin
ming OF the Prohibition regime the oc-
nfupant of the White House, who di-
vrects all the diplomatic agents of the
United States in all the countries Of
the world, should himself represent
the great body of the American people
on this important question.
Nothing is clearer than that now is
the psychological time to strike for
world Prohibition. The remarkable
success of the anti-liquor movement
in America has encouraged the tenn
perance forces of the world and has
correspondingly weakened the de-
lenses of the liquor traffic. ~
The present close international rela-
tionships of majority of the worlds
great nations furnish opportune con-
ditions for international representa-
tons on practically all questions of
reform. The twenty-four nations that
have declared war on Germany rep
resent three-fourths of the population
of the globe, and are not only united
for harmonious military action but are
enthusiastic for cooperation of every
kind with other nations of the group.
With such conditions existing, the
part that the United States of Amer
lea has played gives this country a
greater opportunity to speak with
force and influence on the liquor ques-
ton, as well as on any other question,
than America has ever had before.
Moreover, the intensive world move
ment toward democracy which is rad
ically affecting every country opens a
clearer way for political action on
moral reforms by the very fact that
the reactionary political forces in all
these countries have been greatly
weakened, while the progressive forces
in political life throughout the world
have been proportionately greatly
strengthened.
This is also the psychological time
to strike because of the fact that the
spirit of the world war in peculiar
tense has turned the worlds attention
ITO moral and spiritual realities. Bust
ness and politics, so far as their hold
upon the people is concerned, have
been temporarily relegated to the rear,