Evening star., 1925-07-04

other instance he more than once
found his former enemies ready TO
meet him half way. AS we look back
now on century and more of un-
interrupted peace between the two
nations, we cannot but feel that such
peace and the long period of inter
national cooperation which 1t has
made possible have been in no small
part a testimony to the generous
Willingness of all men everywhere to
recognize as the first citizen of the
world him who has been so long ac-
claimed as the first American.
1t had been my expectation to con-
fine my address to Gen. Washington
and leave the stately and solemn
grandeur of this great figure as the
sole subject for the thought of those
who might hear me. I shall not
enter into the vain speculation of
what he might do If he were living
today. Yet his farewell address shows
conclusively that he hoped to be able
10 lay down certain principles of con-
duct for his fellow countrymen which
would be of advantage to them so
long as the Nation into which he had
wrought his life might endure. No
doubt he knew the whole world would
hear him. He had seen the life of
the soldier in time of war and after
that of the statesman in time of
peace. He had an abiding faith in
honesty. He believed nightly in his
fellow men. The vigor with which
he insisted on the prosecution of war
was no less than the Vigor with
which he insisted on the observance
of peace. He cherished no resent
ments, he harbored no hatreds, he
forgave his enemies. He felt the
same obligation to execute the terms
n q roc do fAr he 4f
former foe that he felt to require the
observance of those made for the
benefit Of his own country. He real
lied that peace could be the result
only of mutual forbearance and mu-
tual good faith.
He harmonized the divergent and
conflicting interests of different ma
tionalities and different colonial gov
ernments by conference and agree
ment. He demonstrated by his argu-
ments. and our country has demon
strated by experience, that more
progress can be made by cooperation
than by conflict. To agree quickly
with your adversary always pays.
Cannot OutgrOw Principles.
The world has not outgrown, it can
never outgrow, the absolute necessity
for conformity to these eternal princi-
pies. l want to see America assume
leadership among the nations in the
reliance upon the good faith of man.
kind. / do not see how civilization
can expect permanent progress on any
other theory. If what is saved in the
productive peace of today is to be lost
in the destructive war of tomorrow,
the people of this earth can look for
ward to nothing but everlasting servi-
tude. There is no justification for
hope. This was not the conception
which Washington had of life.
If the people of the Old World are
mutually distrustful of each other let
them enter into mutual covenants for
their mutual security, and when such
covenants have been made let them
be solemnly observed no matter what
the sacrifice. They have settled the
far more difficult problems of repara.
tions, they are in process of funding
their debts to us, why can they not
agree on permanent terms of peace
and fully re-establish international
faith and credit? If there be differ
ences which cannot be adjusted at the
moment, if there be conditions which
cannot be foreseen, let them be re-
solved in the future by methods of
arbitration and by the forms of
judicial determination.
While our own country should re-
frain from making political commit
ments where it does not have political
interests, such covenants would al
ways have the moral support of our
Government and could not fail to have
the commendation of the public
opinion of the world. Such a course
would be sure to endow the partici-
pating nations with an abundant ma
terial and spiritual reward. On what
other basis can there be any en-
tempt to finance a revival of Europe?
The world has tried war with force
and has utterly failed. The only hope
of success lies in peace with justice.
No other principle conforms to the
teaching of Washington: no other
standard is worthy of the spirit of
America; no other course makes so
much promise for the regeneration of
the world.