Evening star., 1925-10-06

when the storm was flercest. You
brought her safely and triumphantly
| into port. Out of that experience you
! have learned the lesson. Of discipline.
tolerance, respect for authority and
regard for the basic manhood OF your
neighbor. You bore aloft a standard
: of patriotic conduct and civic inteE-
. rity, to which all could repair. Such
a standard, with like common ap
peal, must be upheld Just as firmly
and unitedly now in time of peace.
Among citizens honestly devoted to
the maintenance OF that standard,
there need he small concern about
differences of individual opinion in
other regards. Granting first the es-
sentials of loyalty to our country and
to our fundamental institutions. we
may not only overlook. but we may
encoura &c differences of opinion as to
other things. For differences Of this
kind will certainly he elements OF
strength rather than Of weakness.
They will give variety to our tastes
and interests. They will broaden our
vision. strengthen our understa ndine
encourage the true humanities, and
enrich our whole mode and conception
OF life. ] recognize the full and com.
plete necessity OF 100 per cent Ameri
canism but 100 per cent America nism
may he made up of many various
elements.
II we are to have that harmony
and tranquility. that union OF spirit
which Is the foundation Of real ma
tional genius and national progress
we must all realize that there are true
Americans who did not happen to be
horn in our section OF the country.
who do not attend our place OF religious
worship, who are not of our racial
stock, or who are not proficient In our
language II we arc to create on this
continent d free republic and an en-
ligh,ened civilization that will be
capable OF rejecting the true great
ness and glory of mankind. II will be
necessary to regard these differences
as accidental and unessential We
shall have to look beyond the outward
| manifestations of race and creed.
Divine Providence has not bestowed
upon any race a monopoly of pa
triotism and character.
Making America First.
The same principle that j, is reces
sary 10 apply to the attitude of mind
among our own people II is also neces
sarv 10 apply 70 the attitude Of mind
among the different nations. During
the war we We're required not only
10 put strong emphasis on every
tional pride. but an equally strong
emphasis on that which tended to dis
parage other peoples. There was an
intensive. cultivation Of aninlosities
and hatreds and enmitie-. together
with blind appeal TO force. that
took possession of substantially all
the peoples of the earth. or course.
these ministered TO the war spirit.
They supplied the incentive for d.
struction. the motive for conquest.
But in time of peace these sentiments
are not helps but hindrances: they are
not constructive. The generally ex-
pressed desire Of America first can
not be criticized. II is A perfectly
, correct aspiration for our people II
cherish But the problem which We
have To solve is how 10 make Amer
ca first |, cannot he done by the
cultivation of national bigotrv. arro-
sance or selfshness. Hatreds, jea1-
ousies and suspicious will not be pro
ductive of any benefits in this direc-
ton. Here again we must apply the
rule Of tolerat ton. Because there are
other peoples whose ways are not our
ways. and whose thoughts are not
our thoughts. we are not warranted in
; drawing the conclusion that they are
adding nothing to the sum of civiliZa-
tlon We can make little contribution
to the welfare of humanity on the
and all others are an inferior people,
We do not need to he too loud in the
assertion of our own righteousness.
II is true that we live under most
favorable circumstances.
But before we come 10 the final and
irrevocahle decision that we are bet
ter than everybody else We need 10
consider what we might do II we
had their provocations and their
I Il ,1tiA lA1, 20 iY,,-
prove our own condition help
: humanity very much until We come
70 the sympathetic understanding
that human nature is about the same
everywhere. that it is rather evenly
distributed over the surface Of the
earth. and that we are all united in
a common brotherhood. We can only
make America first in the true sense
that means by cultivatitnK spirit
of friendship and good will. by the
exercise Of the virtues Of patience
and forbearance by beniS "plenteous
in mercy and through progress at
home and helpfulness abroad stand
ing as an example of real service to
humanity.
Thoughts Of Construction.
II is for these reasons that it seems
clear that the results Of the war
, L..
entering period of prepara ton for
another conflict. unless we can de
mobilize 'he racial antaconisms.
fears. hatreds and suspicious. and
create an attitude Of federation in the
public mind of the peoples of the
earth. II our country is to have any
position Of leadership | trust il may
he In that direction, and ] believe that
the place where il should begin is a
home. Let us cast of our hatreds.
! Let us candidlv accept our treaties
and our natural obligations of peace.
We know and every one knows that
,hese old systems. antasonisms. and
reliance on force have failed II the
world has made any progress. it has
been the result of the development
of other ideals. If we are to main
tain and perfect our own civiliza ton,
! II we are To he of any benefit to the
| rest of mankind. we must turn aside
! from the thoughts of destruction and
cultivate the thoughts of construc-
tion. We can not place our main re.
lance upon material forces. We must
reaffirm and reinforce our ancient
faith in truth and justice. in charita.
bleness and tolerance. We must make
| our supreme commitment to the ever.
! lasting spiritual forces of life. We
, must mobilize the conscience Of man.
kind.
| Your gatherings are living testi.
mony of a determination to support
i these principles. 1t would be inpos-
! sible to come into this presence,
| which is A symbol of more than 800
years Of our advancing civilization.
which represents to such degree the
| hope of our consecrated living and
! the prayers of our hallowed dead.
without firmer conviction of the