Evening star., 1923-09-24
RED CROSS IDEALlSM
NEEDED, SAYS PRESIDENT

CONTINUED from First Page.l
geney has resulted In human suffer
| ing, to the extent of Its ability 1t ad-
ministers whatever fray be necessary
for temporary relief
Embodies Hope of Progress.
'It Is In this direction that there
lies the nope of real progress. The
ancient ideals of human brotherhood,
of service, the application OF the
golden rule, of peace on earth and
good will toward men, nre idte
dreams, unless they can be translat-
ed into practical Gction. 1t is naces-
sary. oil the one hand, to avoid the
illusions of the visioraries, and on
the other hand, the Indifference OF
the selfish. Each individual and
each nation owe their first duty to
themselves. Beyond that there Is the
liGa ton of the strong to serve the
In way that will not destroy or de-
grade by making mendicants, cut
will restore and strengthen by max
ing character. 1t is the policy which
helps in an emergency: byt realizes
nation must work out their own des-
tl3y;;,
Is for n practical idealism OF this
Sind, It does not attempt to per.
seek to reform merely by an act of
legislation. thinking that II can un-
load its burden on the government
and be relieved from further effort.
Ii does not undertake to assume re-
sponsibitey for all humanity. But it
realizes that redemption comes only
through sacrifice. When crisis
arises. 1T does not hesitate TO go out
and make whatever sacrifice is nee
ossary to master the occasion.
Part OF U. $. Character.
at is this kind OF practical ideal
ism that is represented in the his
tory of our country, a deep faith in
spiritual things, tempered by a hard
common sense adapted to the needs
OF this world. 1t has been illustrated
in the character of the men who
planted colonies IN the wilderness and
l,raised up great states around the
church and the schoolhouse. who
bought their independence with their
blood and cast out slavery by the
sacrifice of their bravest sons: who
offered their lives to give more free
dom to oppressed peoples; and who
went to the rescue of Europe with
their treasure and their men when
their own liberty and the liberty of
the world was in peril, but when the
victory was secure, retired from the
field unencumbered by spoils, inde-
pendent, unattached and unbought
still continuing to contribute lavishly
to the relief of the stricken and des-
titute of the old world; and who,
but recently, being asked for five
million dollars, Immediately gave
about twice that amount for the
afflicted people of Japan. Such has
been the moral purpose that has
marked the conduct of our country up
to the present hour. The American
people have never adopted and are
not likely to adopt any other course.
"A contemplation of these principles
and the works which they have wrought,
both in our country and among the
other nations, for this spirit Is world
! wide, Is helpful and feassurlngi They
are among the convincing evidences that
! justify our faith In mankind. They re-
veal the fundamental strength of civil
ization. They demonstrate the eupFen-
acy of the spiritual life.
Must Continue.
Here we beheld the race struggling
up through barbarian, overcoming ig-
norance, establishing order, instituting
government, painfully working out their
own destiny under free institutions, ac-
knowledging and accepting the truths
of religion, gradually casting aside self
| ishness, endowing the great charities
which heal the body, inform the mind,
and minister to the soul, making on
every hand unending sacriflceS that the
| truth may be supreme, Such Is the
| strength of the influence, es which this
/ organization is one of the representa-
tives. 1t Is inconceivable that 1t could
have come thus far only to retreat, that
| it cou'd have succeeded UP to the pres
ent time only to fail 81
! 'These are the encouraging, the
| hopeful things of the world. While
| it is necessary to admit that progress
| has been slow, that there have been,
! and undoubtedly will be, many disheart-
I ening failures, l believe the conclu-
sion to be inescapable that there is
every warrant for confidence. The
encouraging. feature of these results
lies in the fact that they come from
the voluntary actions of the people.
They are not mandates from privi-
lege, they are not imposed from with
out, they arise from within, they disclose
the cenquering, the victorious strug-
gle of q higher nature. They do not
represent q law of man, they reveal
law of God.
1T Is for these reasons that I take
large satisfaction in extending a
welcome to this convention and act
ing as It's presiding officer. I respect
is. I am mindful of its purpose and
it's origin. This organization had it's
beginnings in the. day of Abraham
Lincoln. It is representative of the
dominant influences of his time. 1t
partakes of his spirit. 1t shows the
way to a larger freedom. Our coun-
try could secure no higher COM
mendation, no greater place In his
tory, than to have 1t correctly said
that the Red Cross 10 truly Ameri-
can"