The Daily Alaska empire., 1938-02-16

any-price pacifst would have sacrificed National honor and American self respect at the cost of pusi luminous craven "knuckling under" when the cause for taking up arms was just
 One has but to glance even casually over the written record left behind by the First President to learn Washington's heartfelt sentiments. And the more one goes to Washingtons letters and speeches and uncovers these gems of advice the preservation cf an honorable peace. the does begin to feel that the father of our country must have indeed been endowed with prophetic vision. At times Washington's words almost uncanny when one considers them in the light of present-day world affairs and those affairs affect our country.
 Probably the best known and most universally quoted of Washingons treatises upon this subject of preserving American peace with honor is the extract from his Farewell Address upon leaving public life:
 That we may always be prepared for war, but never unsheath the sword except in self defense so long justice and essential rights and national responsibility can be preserved without it.
 In order to appreciate fully the significance of this particular utterance one must remember that the Farewell Address made public in September 1796 at time when there and ru,nors of wars in the Old World. and there was universal and grave concern that the young American nation might become involved party in the European conflicts
 Washington was sincerely desirous of avoiding all such foreign attachments and entangements Every American schooboy of today knows that. He warned the nation. time and again, of the risk Witness letter under Washington's hand to Gouverneur Morris written from Philadelphia three years before the Fare well Address in which Washington says. in part: "Unwise should be in the extreme to involve cur selves in the contests of European nations where weight could be but small though the loss to ourselves would be certain"
 When in 1917 American soldiers stepped on European soil to participate in European for the first time in national history the situation was such as even Washington the farseeng could not by any stretch of his gifted imagination have foreseen Then in 1917 there principle of demo- cratic sovereignty hvolved-a sharp issue in which the fate not only of American democracy was at stake but the democracy of the entire civilized family of worldwide nations. There can be no doubt at all but that the First President had he been in position to have sat in judgment would have heartily approved of our action in France in the World War.
 Just because the precedent set, in 1917, how ever, is surety that it will become an established custom The warning left by Washington of the grave dangers involved in any foreign enangements re- mains with Americans to this day will be soberly adhered to, may feel certain
 Preserving that worldwide respect that typically American highly cherished spirit of isolation calls for a constant guard and preparation. And as Washing ton has so apty pointed out in speech to Congress January g. 1790:
 "A free people ought not only to be armed but disciplined"
 In another thoughtful address to the Congress on December g. 1793 he said:
 T cannot recommend to your notice measures for the fulfiment of duties to the rest of the world without again pressing upon you the necessity of placing ourselves in condition of complete defense The United States ought not to indulge persuasion that contrary to the order of human events they will forever keep at distance those painful appeals to arms with which the history of every other nation abounds
 There is a rank due to the United States among nations, which will be withheld if not absolutely lost by the reputation of weakness If desire tc avoid insult must be able to repe it. if we desire to secure peace of the most powerful instruments of our rising prosperity, it must be known that we are at all times ready for war
 ri we desire to secure peace it must be known that we are at all times ready for war" How appli- cable those words in this torn threatened world of 1938
 We Americans by long habit have become more and more in the guise of students sitting at the fee of the sage teacher, George Washington He buildec we'll and left many precepts and admonitions fol Americans of later generations to follow Not keer for war was this man who knelt unashamed in the snow at Valley Forge to pray for honorable lasting peace. But well did he know that the price We mus pay for all time of that blessed and enduring peace which all true Americans seek, is adequate and com plete Preparedness. We feel sure that this nata month of Washingtons birth is apt time to review his sober councils.
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