The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1924-06-20

INDEPENDENCE
America Cannot Live Alone,
Hon. VIM. {. Redfield Told
Elizabeth City Audience

There is no such thing as
America being independent OF
other nations" said Hon. Will
liam c. Redfield, in n lecture
to an Elizabeth City audience
Monday night, in which he
stressed the Importance of re-
naming on friendly terms with
all nations, and proved by num-
erouS examples. that many of
our every day necessities are
brought to us from other lands.
The former Secretary of Com
merce In President Wilson's cabl.
net. Is plain and forceful speaker,
who presents his arguments in an
everyday fashion and makes himself
clearly understood. He came to
Elizabeth City with the Chautaulua
Association to deliver his lecture on
"We. and the World"
Mr.. Redficld showed. that even
In the kitchen, such ordinary arti-
cles as the loaf of bread, n tin cup,
and the linoleum on the floor, tho
manufactured I'm this country. could
not be produced. without the aid of
other nations. our wheat was first
imported In this country from other
nations, he said. the cloth used In
screening Is made from silk grown
in japan. Our tin cans are made
from metal from other countries,
for none II found In America: and
the linoleum ON the floor Is partly
made mp OF sisal hemp from Mexi-
co and other countries, and cork
from Spain and Algeria.
Bringing the men into the argu-
ment. Mr. Rcdfield told his audience
that il Is impossible To pass one
day without the use Of articles from
other lands. our automobile tires
are made from Egyptian cotton,
aud African rubber and roll on
streets covered with. South .Amcri-
can asphalt. We could not have
the Use of the telephone which is
composed Of products furnished by
a., h.s fnI hn
audience. nor could the men enjoy
n game of baseball. tennis, football
or golf. for the manufacture of these
depends upon rubber, product
that Is not produced in this coun-
try.
With reference 10 the recent
japanese unpleasantncSS, Mr.. Red
field said this country could i'll af-
ford To incur the displeasure Of the
japanese when we are dependent
on their country for 80 many pro-
duets. Going further hack In his
tory To the foundation Of the Ameri-
can Republic. he recalled that we
could not have won the Revolution
and gained our independence from
Britain. without the help of the
governments of Russia, Prussia,
Holland. Spain and France. All of
these countries had men to fight
our battles against the British he
said. and some Of them lent us
money without hope of cettin: II
hack. France especially advancing
large sums I'm gold without interest
or security. at time when our
Continental paper wasn't worth one
cent on the dollar. He further EN-
phasiZcd this argument with the
Illustration that when Washington
marched on Yorktown to drive ont
the British, he had only 1000 sol.
dierS of infantry, ragged and under.
fed. the pick Of his army, while re-.
inforcing him. were G,OO0 French
soldiers, more than two thirds of
the force that was fighting for
America on that occasion.
That the whole world Is like
being one big family, and that no
nation can do without the aid of
other nations, was the closing
thought of his lecture in which he
likcned the ships Of the world to
giant shuttles in the loom Of things,
weaving back and forth across the
end held by America, and the other
ocean. giant threads of which one
end 10y the other nations Of the
world. OF which none can afford
to turn loose.