America's course. Duty to cherish American nationality. This not inconsistent with our duty toward foreign nations. America first! Governmental policies change and laws are altered to meet the changed conditions which attend all human progress. [But] there are orderly processes for these necessary changes. Let no one proclaim the Constitution unresponsive to the conscience of the republic. ... Our American course is straight ahead, with liberty under the law, and freedom glorified in righteous restraint. Reason illumines our onward path, and deliberate, intelligent public opinion reveals every pitfall and byway which must be avoided. America spurns every committal to the limits of mediocrity and bids every man to climb to the heights and rewards him as he merits it. This is the essence of liberty and made us what we are. Our system may be imperfect, but under it we have wrought to world astonishment, and we are only fairly begun. Mr. Toastmaster, we have been hearing lately of the selfishness of nationality, and it has been urged that we must abandon it in order to perform our full duty to humanity and civilization. Let us hesitate before we surrender the nationality which is the very soul of highest Americanism. This republic has never failed humanity or endangered civilization. We have been tardy about it, like when we were proclaiming democracy and neutrality while we ignored our national rights, but the ultimate and helpful part we played in the great war will be the pride of Americans so long as the world recites the story. We do not mean to hold aloof, we choose no isolation, we shun no duty. I like to rejoice in an American conscience and in a big conception of our obligations to liberty, justice and civilization. Aye, and more, I like to think of Columbia's helping hand to new republics which are seeking the blessings portrayed in our example. But I have a confidence in our America that requires no council of foreign powers to point the way of American duty. Call it the selfishness of nationality, I think it an inspiration to patriotic devotion to safeguard America first, to stabilize America first, to prosper America first, to think of America first, to exalt America first, and to live for and revere America first. We may do more than prove exemplars to the world of enduring, representative democracy where the Constitution and its liberties are unshaken. We may go on securely to the destined fulfillment and make a strong and generous nation's contribution to human progress, forceful in example, generous in contribution, helpful in all suffering, and fearless in all conflicts. Questions on the foregoing Readings 1. What was the object of Washington's Farewell Address? 2. What did Washington say concerning innovations? 3. What was Washington's opinion of the political party? 4. Why did Washington warn the American people against foreign influence? 5. What two great problems faced President Jackson in 1833? 6. What double duty did Jackson consider as resting upon him? 7. Upon what subject did Abraham Lincoln address the Springfield Lyceum in 1837? 8. In what way was the position of the American people a favored one in Lincoln's time? 9. Contrast the duty of the American people in Lincoln's time with the duty of the earlier American patriots. 10. What did Lincoln say concerning the danger of lawlessness? II. How did he recommend that this danger be guarded against? 12. What did Lincoln say as to the attitude of the citizen toward bad laws? 13. What American problem declined in importance after the period of the Civil War? 14. Name a few problems which took on increased importance after the Civil War. 15 What did Roosevelt say concerning our attitude toward other nations? 16. What, according to Roosevelt, have been some of the effects of modern life upon our problems? 17. What did Roosevelt say concerning democracy as an experiment? 18. What, according to Roosevelt, are the qualities needed by the American citizen in the affairs of everyday life? 19. In what way did the march of progress make it impossible for us to hold aloof from European affairs? 20. Why were we unable to remain indifferent to the World War? 21. Outline President Wilson's call for a unity of purpose and action in 1917. 22. 'Discuss the effect of the World War upon the problems of American democracy. 23. What, according to President Harding, is the status of the Constitution of the United States? 24. In what way did President Harding believe that the war-stricken world could get back to normal? 25. Outline the essentials of President Harding's "America First” program. PART II · AMERICAN ECONOMIC PROBLEMS a. ECONOMICS OF AMERICAN INDUSTRY CHAPTER VI THE NATURE OF AMERICAN INDUSTRY 31. Natural resources of the nation 1 Industrial development and material prosperity depend primarily Factors upon two factors: first, natural resources; and second, the character conditioning of the people. From the earliest times, the territory now included within the bounds of the United States has been celebrated for its great extent, the favorable character of its climate, and the abundance and diversity of its natural resources. America has offered everything which a virile, energetic people could consider necessary to the development of an industrial civilization. Some of the more important of the natural resources of the United States are described by Professor Bogart as follows: industrial success. United States. By the treaty of Paris, 1783, the new nation came into posses- Area of the sion of an immense domain of 827,844 square miles. Since that time the area of the United States has been vastly increased, by purchase, by conquest, and by cession, until, in 1900, the United States consisted of 3,726,500 square miles or about one fourteenth of the entire land surface of the earth. line and waterways. The advantages to a nation of having a seacoast well provided Coast with numerous bays and harbors are obvious. Not less important for the internal commerce of a country is a system of long and navigable rivers. In both these respects the United States is wonderfully well provided. The Mississippi River with its tributaries drains over 1,000,000 square miles of territory in the very heart of the most fertile region of the country. Cities more than 1000 miles inland have direct water communication with the seaboard, and coal is 1 From Ernest L. Bogart, The Economic History of the United States. Longmans, Green & Co., 1912; pp. 2-15. Extent and quality of our coal deposits. Iron resources. Other metals. Forests. transported more than 1000 miles from Pittsburg to the upper reaches of the Missouri River. Altogether, it is estimated that there are 18,000 miles of navigable rivers in the United States, while the shore line of the Great Lakes extends for at least 1500 miles more. ... Fortunately for the human race, coal is widely distributed throughout the world, although Europe and the United States to-day supply practically all the coal now mined. Professor Tarr estimates the actual coal-producing area in the United States at not over 50,000 square miles, of which only a small part is being worked. . . . By far the greatest part of our available supply is bituminous, the area which is underlaid with anthracite being not more than 484 square miles. Not merely in the extent of the area underlaid with coal are we favorably situated, but our superiority over Europe and the rest of the world is made more evident by a comparison of the thickness of the seams, the depth, the dip, and the cost of working. In all these respects we have an advantage. Next in importance to the fuel supplies of the United States rank its stores of iron ore. These exist in large quantity and are widely disseminated. . . . Iron and coal, more than any other mineral substances, form the material basis of our industrial prosperity, and in the possession of large supplies of both, the United States is greatly blessed. ... ... ... Next after iron, copper ranks as the most necessary in the industrial arts. . . . The United States is the greatest copper-producing country in the world, turning out over half of the total amount. . . . Lead and zinc are usually found associated. . . . In the production of both of these, the United States is surpassed by Europe. Of far greater value, though of subordinate importance in the industrial arts, are the so-called precious metals-gold and silver. In the production of both of these, the United States ranks second, the first places being held respectively by the Transvaal and by Mexico. . . The forests of the United States cover an area of about 700 million acres, or more than 35 per cent of the area of the country. Of these by far the greater part is found in the section east of the Mississippi which originally was a vast continuous forest. In the Mississippi valley are found the hardwood forests of oaks, hickories, ashes |