Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-02-22
HANDS ACROSS SEA,
gen: CURR|E'S PLEA
Wants Ties Of Friendship Be.
tween Britain and U. S.
\ Kept Firm
ORATOR ON UNIVERSITY DAY

OTutOr To-Day at tue university -uus ~
ercises of the University of Pcnnsyl.
vania. in the Academy of Music. said
{, in part:
''1t is indeed a privilege to speak TO
this assembly on n subject suggested by
the life and work Of the illustrious
statesman whose birthday you commem-
crate. 1t il particularly interesting to
me to sneak in this city of brotherhood.
hallowcd as It is by the memories OF
the immortal men and by the glorious
Incidents connected inserarably with
your nations birth. II is an honor
too. not unfrlt 10 appear ns successor
to the many distinguished men who have
spoken on similar occasion in this
place. This honor. ! assure you, / deeply
appreciate on behalf of myself, my uni
versity and my country.
Celebrations such as these. OF the
BIRTHDAYS of former national leaders. are
hopeful tendencies of the present. In
the rush of modern life, with its fever
and it's fret. its widespread seltiShneSS
and cnervating idlcness. its vulgar os-
tentation and its fruitless chasing after
shadows. It is well to bark back. II only
for brief period to those who preached
a purer gospel and lived ana dicd TOT 'he
higher things Of life. ,,
strange and difficult, indeed. would
be the task of him who would say to
this audience anything distinctly new
about George Washington. But at times
in these later days his ideals are
clouded the motives which actuated his
efforts are obscurpd or ignored, and the
true relation Of his doctrines and his
theories to other countries than his own
Is not clearly understood.
George Washington represents the
best type Of the English country gem
tleman Of the eighteenth century. what
he desired most was reform rather than
revolution.
I'm formulating his theories Of justice
and freedom, his doctrines of the in
alicnable rights of life. liberty and the
pursuit of happiness. his principles OF
governments instituted among men and
deriving their just powers from the con-
sent of the governed. he represented the
ideals of the majority of the thinking
men of Britain. His was but one cIar-
ion voice in The great chorus singing
in his time the paean of freedom.
The weight OF power was against
him, it is true. but we must not forget
the courageous minority who sympa- :
thized with his views. Iocke's political
philosophy. expressed nearly century
before, had declared that all power was
rrvocable at the will of the people. 1t
had declared that no power should exist
without the consent of the governed.
Already that philosophy was coming into
practice. The alarm bell of liberty had
already been struck.
The lessons Of Washington were
being learned throughout the world. 1t
is interesting to recall that the grand.
son of one of the men who in my coun-
try in 1897 was denounced as rebel.
even as Washington was denounced. is
today the Prime Minister of Canada.
The unbeliefs of the past have become
the beliefs of the present.
..."And surely above the graves of your
fallen in the late war. with the Anglo
Saxon ideals of Washington to strength
on US. we shall remember in the future
only the common cause for which our
race has always struggled. There have
been at times misunderstanding. But
there have been friends. like the British
james Bryce. and your iliustrious
American statesmen nt the recent con :
ference. who have always understood.
II is the authors Of silly books. the
editors of silly papers and the drma :
gogucs Of silly parties that help to
estrange us.
There are problems still to be solved.
And ju meeting them the Anglo Saxon
ideals Of. Washington must not be for
gotten or ignored. Let me tell YOU in
nfl earnestness. in the words of a Cana &.
dian statesman who himself aways
advocated unity and tolerance and
friendship, that in the solution Of these
problems We have II safe guide. an un-
falling light, if we always remombcr
that faith Is better than doubt and love
is better than hate"
In an interview before the University y
Day exercises General Crrrie said:
a"You cant stop wars until yon
change human nature. The man who
says wars can be stopped by agreements
is--well somewhat astray in his con
clusions.''
Speaking of the Disarmament Confer.
ence General Currle said: THE Confer
epce came to very satisfactory con :
rfusion and gave promise Of future So
luton of international problems. Ar
Earnest purpose was shown. q sincere
desire to get somewhere along the road
There is Il disposition to put blam'
for wars upon military men. But tn,
fact is that the military man is tn,
poorest militarist you've got. The mill
tary man having gone through war
and knowing what wars are, does no
want to see any more.