| Show UNCLE SAM SA S M IS NO SHYLOCK for the reaper by biank P litschert Lit for several years after the be war and in especially when the discussion of war debts was acute uncle sam was hailed far and wide as the modern shylock of the world it was stated that we had actually profited from the war that we ought to caned cancel the european debts because of this and si s point the way to averla ev everlasting erla ting peace fortunately the people of the united states and their government failed to fall for this sort of propaganda ganda even though some of it was manufactured by internationalists internationalist sAn an the united states they could not see just how low we had profited by the way war when we were saddled with a staggering debt had undergone a period of deflation which ruined thousands of our cities and had at the same time received no territory or cash indemnity from the defeated central powers power so the drive finally fell of its own weight and the debt cancellation propaganda has subsided for a moment at leat lear but now we can get ready for another siege thle the pacifists paci fists are going to be after us tooth and nail during the coming session of cona congress ress they are going to demand that we fail andi and refuse to build enough cruisers to keep up the 5 03 53 5 ratio in which we have a already fallen behind and if we do not agree to any old disarmament program which the nations of europe present even if it is against our vital interests te rests they are going to characterize uncle sam as the imperialist of the world the nation which is keeping the spirit of war alive this sort of propaganda if the american people keep their good judgment as they doubtless will is bound to fail just as the wave of propaganda for debt cancellation failed fortunately president coolidge and the national administration are alive to the situation and have not permitted themselves to fall into the trap which was rece recently antly prepared for them by the european diplomats diplo matis a trap which would have made us a second rate naval power the answer to the shylock charge was and still is that uncle sam not only demanded no territory anti and no money for himself but has since the war closed through the generosity of his people actually expended in europe upward of a billion collais in war relief nearly every country in europe has felt the beneficent effects of this relief the former enemy nations as ac well as a s the former allies allien no lo 10 pound of flesh was demanded in payment for this outpouring of our means to help the crippled nations of europe and foreign relief is still going into europe from america whenever and wherever it is needed but how bow much credit have we as a nation received from official europe for this generosity not a pennys dennys worth it may be and must be that some of the people who were helped are grateful but there have been no official expressions of the fact all we have received in payment has been a 11 few waves of propaganda in which uncle sam has been characterized as the official shylock of the world now the answer to this charge if imperialism is that the united states has always forwarded every legitimate enterprise which has stood for world peace seven years ago when the disarmament conference met illet in washington the united states had the lead on the world in heavy in a few years we could have dominated the seas and the commerce of the world but we voluntarily gave up the lead in the interest of world peace and disarmament what was the result the me leadin leading naval powers immediately be began gan building light cruisers until they had secured a decided lead over us in this respect then when a second conference was called they attempted to frame the agreement so that we would continue to remain in the lurch all the credit we get for voluntarily relinquishing linquish ing the naval supremacy of the world is the charge that uncle sam i is now the worlds chief imperialist because he will not agree to accept a secondary place in world naval affairs the criticism does not all come from europe however much of it Is is originated by our own internationalists who seem to desire nothing so much as to make the united states a i sort of back wing to the official european house of trouble |
