Evening journal., 1918-12-11

/ Jndfles NJ. Gurus, president or inc clubf
presided Mr. Snellenburg's address
was on "Wlmlngton's outlook" He
said:
Il am here to reason along with you
for a few moments on the theme: Will
lMINGTON'S OUTLOOK 10 Is FOR me a
I facinatlng and a familiar theme. and
might also say Il Is a habit with me.
am always coniuring with my faith In
Wilmington's future and that might
senslbly be called 'Wilmington's out
look
u take u that you do not expect me
to talk in the language OF the booster I;
neither do / believe that my motive
Will be questioned II, in that frankness
which should always prevail among
friends. might say some things which
i might appear TO invade the land Of
what Is called fault-nndlng
IN this mighty day and hour. IL is
almost impossible that we can cUn-
slider anything affecting vitally, even
our personal needs, not TO speak Of the
community, without first taking into
consideration the marvellous possibili-
ties that await the peace decision
which, for our time at least. must we
think be a settlement to end war for
ever.
~ do not understand how ! could in
telligenily discuss 'Wilmlngt0n's Out
look without thus calling attention TO
where we are, where we stand and
from where to look.
wilmington finds itself today as a
detail in the great war awaiting settle
ment. 70 is a different Wilmington
from what Il was five years ago. You
may be sure that the thinkers in VIII
minglOn are reasoning more I'm world
terms than they are In Wilmington
terms, than they would 1--WE years ago.
"May ] be permitted 10 say that how
Wilmington's thinkers are rejecting and
will think, Is the all-important thing u
our considerations while we are coIt
] lemplatlng our ousOok?
Look at the matter from a mate
rial or physical point Of view. VIII
mingion's outlook could not be
more flattering The Delaware
river looms up as one of the
worlds most prospering and thriving
commercial highways. On this Della
ware river Is Wilmington, so located
and so Situated that IN the very nature
I Of things we would be forced. even in
spite OF ourselves, TO thrive and pro-
gress.
"The world outside OF our United
States Is mortgaged for three or four
times as we, and they are our debt
Ors. Our resources from which we draw
the sustenance OF life are inestimably
than is that Of any Of these debt bur
dened people. Our advantages In the
days Of peace, that are 90 come, are too
obvious and too apparent 10 need any
argument or any exploitation other than
is necessary, for we In Wilmington,
who are considering Wilmington's out
look to glance at before even we look.
ITO the north and northeast OF us
the great manufacturing giant is com
ing to us step by step and we already
can feel his hand as he estimates our
brain and Drawn. To the south and east
OF US Is the mighty Delaware river,
the highway 70 the world, and II you
estimate things in the mere realm OF
physical value you must conclude that
greatness is already at our door and
IS insisting upon entrance and we may
not refuse. Then there Is the coming
Delaware and Chesapeake canal which
will multiply the potencies Of the Del
aware so far as we are erconcerned.
Briefly as / could ] have hinted
where we are and where we stand In
our outlook. This brings MS up TO the
question which IS always submitted TO
the sensible man-what are we going
to do about &C.?
wilmington really had her start IN
dream. The Quaker wife Of William
Shlpley Of Ridley Pa, dreamed that she
was travelling on horseback and came
20 a wild and turbulent stream which
she forded with difficulty. Then, she
mOunted a long, steep hill, from whose
summit she beheld a view OF surprising
beauty
ION either side OF the hin ran a
stream. Her guide, in answer to her
inquiry. told her that beneath her lay
new land and fruitful and that IL was
the design Of Providence that she should
enter In thereto. year passed and in
response TO a call 10 preach she set
forth one day. After a journey Of six
teen or eighteen miles she came TO a
roaring stream which seemed strange
ly familiar 60 her. Crossing 10 she
came TO a hill, at the top OF which was
a clearing, from which Is a wOndrous
panorama spread out. On one side was
a sluggish river curving through the
meadows, on the other the stream she
had lust crossed. ClaspiHg her hands,
she exclaimed: Behold, it is the land
Of my vision and here viii l pitch my
tent
Nearly a generation ago came here,
a mere boy, and ], too, climbed your
western hills and had my outlook.
saw the Delaware river and had a VI
sion Of the mighty shlpyards and manu-
features, and the ships coming and go
ing 90 the ends OF the earth on the
seven seas.
81 made myself believe that I could
bring this about; ] wondered why u
was not already done and am still
wondering.
1T will, however. be useless TO dis
cuss an outlook, unless we have the
ability and the willingness 20 have an
outlook. aud a backlook. II you please.
An outlook is only another word. as
take it. for a forward look We must
have a knowledge Of the past and pres
ent or our future will be mute for us.
Now, If il is true that Wilmington
in the past had an outlook, that was
nattering to us, and we were fond and
enthusiastic in conjurlng with the pos
sibllities Of it, may ] not ask and try
TO answer the question, why did we not
realize on that outlook2
MAY ! not, without offense, talk as
one among friends and express an opin-
ion as 10 why we did not realize on
that sDlendid promise?