The Washington herald., 1922-12-05

ONCh OuTuCu VI Lcu ulllllOuS
may be spared. Not to do tn
Europe's sake, is to shirk our
- On Sunday evening the bishop
Of a great church told an audi
ence in Evanston that the United
States had shirked its Obligations
to Europe BY NOT joining the
suming the part of q hand
maiden to the European re-
adjusters and reconstructors.
And this. was said before q large
audience Of American business
men and their families.
OUR OWN MEN TO BLAME.
Every bay The writer reads the
speeches of business men-mostly
men Of large affairs and not a
few Of them bankers-to the effect
that we did not enter the war
early enough. that we did not lose
enough dead, and that we have
not paid enough money to support
the wartime deeds and the peace
time struggles of Europe.
When Clemenceau suggested that
the United States was small and
mean because it refused to become
Europe's newer Of wood and drawer
Of water, in perpetuity. he did not
originate the insult. He merely
drew the straight conclusion from
the utterances Of such American
educators, business men and clergy.
men.
BUSINESS AFFECTED.
All true-nobody would venture
to dispute it-but what then?
What have these facts to do with
American business? Almost every.
thing, strange as 1t may SEEM
almost everything.
The first condition Of a nations
business is q nations self.respect,
which Is another name for national
pride, which is another name for
patriotism. And until this condi-
ton is restored in the United
States, until the present propa.
ganda for national humility, ma
tional subservience to foreign in
terests. national disavowal of our
own interests to further the in
terests of others, national tolera-
ton Of the ideal that this country's
idea Is to be the servant in the
house for the benefit of Europe
until all these misconceptions and
false preachments are cast away
there will be- no full and free
opportunity for this nation to full
fill even its business destiny.
Why did Germany rise to such
heights of prosperity after her vic
tories over France and Austria?
Because of her newborn pride In
her power and her nationality-be.
cause national self-respect was
revived after the years of humility
following the Napoleonic oppres-
sion.
Why after the civil war and
again after the little Spanish war.
did the United States experience
unprecedented development and
progress in domestic business and
foreign commerce? For the same
reasons.
The experience runs through all
financial and commercial history.
What is the lesson?
MUST NOT LOSE PRIDE.
That this country, in its bust.
ness relations with foreigners, must
be self-respecting or lose its bust
ness prestige; that II must assert
that proper pride, which is the soul
and spirit OF every mans personal
enterprise. or must retire into itself
and leave more self-confident ma
tions to master the trade Of the
world: that self-sacrific. for others.
humility under reproach. concession
before the aggressions of rivals and
competitors, meekness under accu-
sation and at best feeble resent
ment of arrogant demands must
come to an end and the weak tol.
Grafton Of those who. cross the At.
lantic only to effect the subordina-
tion Of this whole country to for
eign interests should be terminated
now and at once.
What man even succeeded in
business who lacked respect for his
occupation and pride ii. his achieve.
ment? None. What nation ever
succeeded in business which lacked
national respect fop its achieve
ment and pride in its accomplish
ments for its own people and its
own people only? None.
However high-pitched the lesson
may seem at first glance, It has
the facts behind it. 1t .an be de-
fined only at the peril of our coun-
try'S DrOsDerity