Evening Republican, Volume 59, Number 120, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 June 1917 — Alliance With Great Britain Would Be of Value to United States [ARTICLE]

Alliance With Great Britain Would Be of Value to United States

.’i ■ g, 1 ’ of Indiana University

By PROF. AMOS S. HERSHEY

' An alliance with Great Britain would make much easier the preservation of our liberties and vital interests, and I-he- development of our national policies in America as well as in, the far East. The British empire is largely a confederacy of free peoples with sentiments and institutions similar to our own, and, except in certain limiters of trade, our mutual interests are not seriously antagonistic. Where such interests do conflict? as perhaps in Latin America, they are readily capable of compromise or adjustment; The fundamental mutual interests of both the British empire an the United States are those usually denominated in our presidential campaigns as “peace and prosperity.” In the main. I»oth peoples are materialistic and utilitarian. Tn >ot countries no slogans appeal with more force than those L of the “full dinner pail" and national security with a view to the enjoyment of all the comforts of home.” War is generally regarded by the Anglo-Saxon world not merely as r useless survival of a barbaric past, but, as a rule, an unwelcome disturbance of business, of games, and of all the other peaceful vocations and avocations in which our citizens as well as British subjects delight. Another mutual and perhaps sentimental (though no less vital) interest is that described by such terms or phrases as democracy, the right of self-government, western liberalism, the. political and economic freedom of the individual (including the emancipation of woman), etc. If we desire, the triumph of such ideals over Prussian militarism, autocracy and organization, the best way would seem to be to fornl alliance with the British empire and act in conjunct ion awakened democracies of Russia and China, as well as with the o (er democracies of France and Italy. Besides, we Cannot ignore the fact that England is an important? American power, nor overlook the vast significance of our past, present and future relations with < anada. —; . Finally, we should not fail to consider our mutual interests in t le far East, particularly in China. In common with Great Britain, we have an enormous stake, commercial and otherwise, in the future dete opmerit of the Chinese empire.