America’s Responsibility

America's Responsibility How Shall She Meet It? By President Elmer G. Peterson, Utah Agricultural College During the last century America has been combatting the hard forces of nature, laying the physical foundation for our great civilization. Railroads have been built, harbors con- structed, canals led out from gigantic reservoirs, great mineral deposits opened up; cities of stupendous size have been built and transportation and traffic in these, from city to city, over the great country, have assumed amazing proportions. This great wealth of natural resource had hardly been exposed and directed to the channels of commerce when European civiliza- tion collapsed. Rival nations flew at each others throats. In the death strugge which ensued, we were drawn in, finally, to preserve our own liberties and in the interest of freedom everywhere. From the struggle Europe has emerged fatally hurt; her man- power depleted, her wealth gone, and her people without con- fidence. America, comparatively untouched by the withering struggle, has suddenly become the arbiter of nations. Here, as nowhere else on earth, untouched are the cherished ideals of white civilization. Here, untouched, is the power of human- ity, protected by two oceans and containing within us the phys- ical things upon which civilization is built. These are food, steel, cotton and wool, the finer metals and the existing wealth of the world in minted gold. From the horrible seething of the War the leadership of America has crystallized. This is the most outstanding thing in the world today. How shall we accept this leadership? What are its priv- ileges; what are its responsibilites? First we must recognize that mere physical resource or wealth cannot maintain lead- ership. There must be in America a new spiritual ideal if we are to measure up to the civilization which now asks us to lead. Brotherhood has become a commercial thing as well as a religious ideal. Christianity has suddenly become good busi- ness. Over nineteen hundred years, the voice of the Man of Galilee comes to us in accents that now fill the whole earth: "As ye would that men should do unto you, do ye even so unto them." Here is the answer to the millions who look to high heaven for the meaning of the world's agony. Here is the

430 IMPROVEMENT ERA answer to the prayer of the mothers of earth who hold their young to them in fear. No other remedy will cure. Can Amer- ica raise itself to this level? No one on earth, I presume, knows; but we shall be privileged to answer as positively as though God said. "This is the way; there is no other." The young men and women of America who would serve our blessed country in the days ahead, must not believe that any material advantage which we have will keep us secure if we perfect ourselves in the selfishness of commerce only, as did Europe, and forget the greater truth. I have emphasized this thought because I believe it is the most important thought in the world today. With this as a foundation what else must we do to be fit leaders? We must, most emphatically, be trained in production, in trade and in manufacturing. We must equal or surpass the great manufac- turing and technical efficiency of Germany before the War. We must enter as did Germany and England the markets of the world. We must speak the language of our customers. We must study trade as did England and Germany and manufacture what the world desires, not what we think the world desires. I would say that at least the following training must be part of the education of the youth of America if we are to succeed in our new work. There must be a superior knowledge of agri- culture and a very high level of citizenship on our farms and in our homes. In this we can benefit by England's failure to develop a great agriculture. A contented, intelligent and pros- perous rural life is the first material need of any nation. Sec- ond only to making of our farmers the intelligent leaders they must be if we are to be socially sound, is the training of the American mothers for proficiency in the delicate and difficult tasks of child rearing. This training of women may distin- guish us as a nation. If civilizations vary in greatness as their treatment and respect for women varies, so may a civilization be true or false depending upon the intelligence and character of the mothers. We should study the sciences which underlie modern in- dustry. These are particularly, in addition to agriculture, chem- istry, physics, economics, commerce, sociology, bacteriology, san- itation, and engineering. Our youth should study in America applied art and the foreign languages, particularly Spanish, French, and German. Why should not hundreds of our Utah youth find most honorable place in the future trade with Latin America and the Pacific? Russia too holds out a great op- portunity to America in trade possibilities. Science and art must come to the aid of our manufactur- ing. At one time before the war, England had developed such a disrespect for her own technical proficiency that goods made

AMERICA'S RESPONSIBILITY 431 in England were shipped to Germany, marked "Made in Ger- many" and shipped back to England for sale. Germany had so conquered the details of manufacturing that her goods were uni- versally accepted. Furthermore, they were beautifully made. Beauty is a commercial asset. Immediately after the outbreak of the war an English commission conducted an extensive in- vestigation to determine why Germany had so sensationally suc- ceeded in manufacturing and commerce. Many things were an- nounced by the commission among which was the assertion that the German artisan and artist had developed a real love for beautiful and efficient articles, a love totally aside from the money values involved. They loved their work and thought of its earning power only secondarily. So we had coming from the factories of Germany not only very superior products from the standpoint of their direct utility but also things of beauty. You have all seen such beautiful stew pans, knives and forks, china ware, binoculars ; and everyone knows how Germany dom- inated the field of scientific apparatus and supplies such as microscopes, glass ware, surveying and engineering instruments and other instruments of percision, and chemicals. There was here mastery of science and also a utilization of art. In the manufacture of dye-stuffs and certain drugs and medicines Ger- man chemists had a complete domination of the field. It has been gravely suggested, if not proved, that this domination was secured sometimes by fraudulent means. However that may be, the undoubted challenge to the American youth today is along the lines of thorough and efficient education. Not only in Europe but in the Orient is this challenge sent us. This is the friendly rivalry of the years immediately ahead of us. Already we are started along this road but there must be a continuous effort if we are to succeed. We have in America, I believe, blood strains the equal or superior of any on earth. We have the in- nate ability, the inventive genius, the capacity for industry, if aroused and sustained by proper vision, and the spiritual ideals which will enable us to peacefully guide the world to a higher standard of industrial and social well being. Logan, Utah My Life Code Plain food for the stomach, vigorous exercise for the mus- cles, pure air for the lungs, sound sleep for the nerves, good cheer for the liver, great thoughts for the head, holy aspirations for the heart, kind deeds for neighbors, and pure love for God — these things make life worth living and heaven sure of winning. — Nephi Jensen,