Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-05-30
THE ENGLISH SPEAKING
UNION
By DR.. Frank Crane

The English Speaking Union has its chief
value in the fact that it is an effort to think
of ourselves in larger terms. One cause Of
the wars which periodically impede the pro-
gress of the world b.. their outbursts of de-
structive mania is provincialism. We get too
hot nationally.
The nation is a good thing, but 1t is not
the best thing. The family is good thing
but for the sake Of OR common interest there
are times when our obligations to the family
must be superseded by our obligations to the
nation. In the same way our patriotism
should always be subject to humanity.
This does not mean gluey International
ism. It means that we should preserve all
our national traditions and Identities, but
that we should recognize them subservient
to the highest end which is the welfare of
the human race.
1 welcome the English Speaking Union as
a significant step forward in the progress of
human thought.
At bottom the American is seeking precise
ly the same thing the Britishtr is seeking.
He wants to get on anu to do business with
the world. That is ALL
There is no love Of conquest in the English
speaking people. All the conquering we do
is simply enough to maF9 nation behave it.
self and become fit to trade with. We want
other nations to quit loafing and numbering
and go to work. Unfortunately it is some
times necessary to fight them in order to
make them do this.
The spirit that actuates the English Speak
ing Union is not empire, which means control
over other nations, but federation, which
means an understanding with other nations.
The other side of federation is independ-
ence. The more independent and self-governed
and self-determined a nation is, the better
integer Of a Federation it becomes. This is
a truth that has never been sufficiently recog-
nized.
People object to League of Nations and
to other efforts to get the nations together
because it seems to be sacrifice of their in
dependence. AS a matter of fact, federation
is the only possible way to preserve the indie
pendence of a state.
like the expressio-, used by the premier
of Great Britain when he referred to his
country as 'the British commonwealth of
Nation. That's what it is.
know there is no desire to dominate the
United States on thc part of Great Britain
just as I know there is no desire in the
United States to dominate any ether country.
We are not in the dominating business. We
are traders. We are workers And the bust
ness of workers is not to rule the world but
to serve the world.
The English speaking people, the more
they prosper and the stronger they become,
stand for the elevation Of the plane Of liv-
ing all over the world, because they stand
for making every nation better customers
with which to carry on commerce.
\ l love my family because it is natural;
love my country more than my family be-
cause only in orderly state can families
exist in peace; l love the great English
speaking race, Of With my country is a
part, because it is a , '"rantee of my country s
security; and 1 love the human race best of
all and put it's claims above the claims of
any lesser group because, as Elihu Burritt
said, "Above all nations is humanity"
Copyright, 1922. by Frank Crane)