The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1918-04-07
TWO NATIONS
BY ELLIS PARKER BUTLTR

EVERY person of middle age, and those
who have studied the matter even slight
~ OF Whatever age cannot but be aware
with what extreme reluctance the United
states took its place as a world power"
our whole instinct has been against
becoming anything of the sort. We hal
no desire to NEEDLE in the affairs of tba
word across the Atlantic. We had been
urged by the founders of our nation to
avoid foreign -"entangling"
ones We're specified, but all foreign alli
ances are 'entangling," or they are not
alliances-and the advice fingered in orr
minds. Added to this was the fact that
we mad suf. Gent unto ourselves. We
had abundant land, abundant food and
were able to consume more manufactured
afticies than we could produce. From
the nrst me intent of the United States
was to live quietly at home, attending to
our own affairs, and pursuing hapniness
IN our own way without bothering orr
neighbors. I might say that the United
states, from the beginning, resolved to
settle down to quiet family life.
am not an old man, but can remem
Der when it was first printed with some
we were growing at such ar ate CONNER
cialiy and in population that we were
actually becoming world power. 1t
was new thing. a new thought 1t was
not unlike hearing that Johnny had cot
his first long pants when we had hardly
thought of Johnny as anything but a
small boy. The United States did not seek
TO be worlo power; it simply grew to
be one. as Johnny grows from bovhood
to m1nhOO1 Thoro uac into
it was inevitable, A nation with so many
people and such industrious people.
shipping goods to all parts of the world
became world power by the mere
process of growth We did not seek the
status; it came to us.
When we discovered that we were a
world power in spite of ourselves we
tried to decide how we would behave in
this new state of being. We might build
ourself a great army, swagger around
and issue ultimatums. combine with 9TH
er world powers and bully the world,
II we chose. No American can ever be
made to believe we did this because we
did not. We chose to be kindly giant,
benevolent world power We wanted
nothing but peace. here or elsewhere. We
had grown to manhood and the world
knew we were strong, but we wanted
nothing but to be permitted to stay on
the old farm. doing an honest days work
each day. attending to our own affairs in
our own way. From the world we aske
only that we be permitted fair market
in common with other nations, and a
safe road to market.
In contrast with the manner in which
the United States grew to world power I
put Prussia. I say Prussia instead of
Germany. because Germany outside
OF Prussia would never have thought OF
becoming world power. Germany
which was Bavaria and the many small
states that Prussia bounded into the
German empire, had no dreams of world
powerfulness. Prussia had, Austria had,
but the other Germanic states were quite
satisfied to exist.
Instead of Prussia, ought. perhaps to
say Hohenzollern, and by that I mean
the Hohenzollern family that practically
owned Prussia, as you own a flock of
sheep. or a farm, or a pocket knife.
The Hohenzollern family had mania,
and that mania was power for Prussia.
Prussia must be the most powerful Ger
man state; more powerful than Bavaria,
than Baden. more powerful than Aus
tria This was the fixed idea in the back
of every Hohenzollern head 1t orig
mated no doubt. with Frederick the
Great, who left when he died the dictum,
EVERY Hohenzollern King of Prussia
should add at least one bit of territory
to Prussia
1t is only fair to the first Emperor Of
Germany civilian u that If left alone he