The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1931-02-05

teal philosophy has been as rapid as
progress in mechanics: in other words,
that present day advocates of foreign
entanglements are intellectually and
morally as far ahead of Washington
as the aeroplane is of the ox-cart.
Looking them over, there seems to be
some reason for doubt on this score.
To carry this doctrine further, the
proverbs of Solomon, the Ten Com
mandments and the Sermon on the
Mount are as far behind the ethical
teachings of our up-to-the-minute
radicals of today as the camel is be-
hind the aeroplane.
The Farewell Address of George
Washington dealt with fundamentals,
not transient issues. He and his
compatriots, in the preparation of the
American Constitution, studied all ex-
periments in government over a
period of more than two thousand
years. Therein they differed from the
leaders of the French Revolution,
who, supposing like some of our mod
ern publicists,l that all wisdom was
born with them, embraced visionary
conceptions which led France through
the Terror, through long years of
wholesale bloodshed, into despotism.
Instead of being discredited by the
experience of a century and a third,
all that Washington said as to the ma
ture of men and governments has had
it's most striking confirmation in re-
cent years. He said that Europe had
a set of prime interests apart from
our own in which we could be involved
only at our peril; he said that dis
interested friendship between nations
was theory and not fact; he said
that our system so differed from the
European system that our involve
ment in the European hegemony was
undesirable. The events of the past
dozen years have proved all this anew
to the satisfaction of most Americans.
Washington declared that our proper
policy was friendly commercial and
political relations with all nations,
permanent alliance with none. Ameri-
cans have better reasons for believing
this today than their forefathers had
when Washington's Farewell Message
was written.
All this movement to effect mer-
ger of the American economic and
political system with that of the rest
of the world is cloaked in phrases of
altruism which have deceived many
Americans. But back of it is the pur-
pose stated in the Third Article Of the
League of Nations covenant-the re-
moval of trade barriers and the crea-
ton of equal economic opportunity
among nations. In other words, in
order that international finance and
industry may have its way, our stand
ards of living must be communized
with the whole worlds vastly lower
standards of living; the prosperity
we have achieved through hard work
under sound institutions of govern
ment, must be dissipated among other
nations, most of which have fallen I'M
der the sway either of socialism or
dictatorship. 1t is true that this plan
would satisfy the lust for worldwide
dominion and profit which possesses a
few great financial interests grown
too large for this country, and too
world minded to stand up for it well
fare against alien influences which
would degrade American standards of
life and subject our social fabric to
stain too great to be borne. But
should the American people risk their
prosperity, security and liberty in or
der to advance the designs of politi-
clans anxious to concentrate all politi-
cal power in a world socialist hege-
mony, such as that which now throws
it's shadow over Europe, or Of their
associates in agitation for a world
merger the international capitalists,
who would create worldwide finan-
cial despotism? In other words,
should we, to quote the words of
Lowell:
"Turn the prov of the Mayflower
backward
To Europe, entering her blood-red