Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-02-28
THE INCUMBENCY OF
GREATNESS
By DR.. Frank Crane

There seems to be little doubt that the
United States is a great country.
She admits it.
And what is probably more to the point
other nations are admitting it.
She is great not only in natural resources,
in wealth, and in the vigOr of her population,
but great also in her moral influence, as what
she says today has probably more effect in
the councils of the world than has the word
of any other nationality.
Two recent visitors have borne teStimo ny
to this situation. One is Briton Lord Rid
dell, a prominent British newspaper publish
er, who has returned home after having
served official press representative at the
Disarmament Conference. He says that he
detected distinct undercurrent of feeling
in America that the old world is on the
wane and that America is destined to be-
come the financial, commercial, shipping,
artistic and scientific centre of the world,
and that she is also destined to be the
source from which new political ideas will
emanate.
Marshal Foch, the distinguished French
man who commanded the allied forces in
the late war, made visit to the United
States, travelled throughout the country
and as he stepped aboard the steamer for
home, declared, according to the Paris
Times:
"America is a reservoir of inexhaustible
energy and labor. I had guessed it's capac-
| ity, it's power, from what we had seen the
was brought home to me just what are the
fertile fields and extraordinary industries of
the country. And we see only the com
mencement. When both fields and indus
tries are fully exploited and giving a full
yield the result will be prodigious.
| Giving the due per cent off for national
| vanity, there still remain enough facts to
| justify the opinion that America is, at pres
ent, perhaps the tallest, broadest-shouldered
brother among the family of nations.
Concerning which fact if might be we'll to
remember that greatness has it's incumbency.
And it may have one of two mbencies,
| or some of both
In the first place, any sort of prominence
| is bound to produce envy. Any sort at all.
! If you are richer than your fellow towns
men, certain number of them will hate you.
| If you are the best-looking girl in the board
ing school, you can depend upon a certain
| amount of catty hostility. If you are the
| best player on the baseball nine, there are
quite sure to be some of the number who
would be glad to see you fall and break your
leg. Even in the matter of goodness or vir-
| tue the rule holds, for the best man in the
world whom none was able % accuse of sin,
was bounded to death and crucifed between
two thieves
| We can, therefore, depend upon a certain
amount of hostility from our neighbors.
The second incumbency is responsibility.
If the rich man uses his wealth to help
! his fellows and not trample upon them, if
! the witty-minded revotes his superior mental
qualities in making people happy instead of
ridiculing them, and if the endowment of
virtue is used for the welfare of ones fell
| lows in the long run such superiority will
not only be beneficial to Others but will pro-
vide security to the one that possesses them.
| If America realizes her responsibilities and
| turns her great power toward helping her
| fellow nations, it will be the best possible
means of making her position secure.