Improvement Era, December 1928

Improvement Era Vol. XXXII DECEMBER, 1928 No. 2 The Great American Inheritance By Elmer G. Peterson, President Utah Agricultural College T ^HE American republic is the immediate offspring of European civilization and the inheritor of much that has crystallized from the world-old upward struggle of all humanity. We are the recipients of many of the weaknesses of the old world and yet embody ideas and ideals seemingly impossible of realization in Europe or elsewhere. I am conscious of the fact that it is customary, particu- larly in what is sometimes called intellectual circles, to condemn America and point with pride to the beauty of other parts of thi' world. There is a school of near-intellectuals who try to make almost everything in America ugly. They glory in discovering odd and abnormal or diseased features of our life and in the name of literary freedom or realism exposing and prodding about in these sores, revel- ling in the very ugliness and odor which they uncover. But while these people occupy considerable attention they probably will give way to more creative and enduring thinkers who try to record the charm rather than the ugliness of life. America embodies many praiseworthy features in her political and social life which she has inherited from the past or developed out of her own experiences. There are, indeed, so many that it is difficult to say off hand what the great American inheritance is, what is of greatest importance that her children inherit as a result of their fortunate birth on her soil. There is the item of natural resources which has given to Amer- ica the privilege of extraordinary industrial development. This is a tremendous force in our advancement and many would undoubtedly name it as the great inheritance. America, with only 6 per cent of the world's population, now produces 50 per cent of the world's re- sources in basic products of iron, steel, copper, timber, cotton and oil. It is estimated that we are now producing 55 per cent of the world's iron ore. 55 per cent of the world's pig iron, 66 per cent of the world's steel, 5 1 per cent of the world's copper, 62 per cent of the world's pe- troleum. 43 per cent of the world's coal, 52 per cent of the world's timber output, 65 per cent of the world's naval stores, 42 per cent of