Page:Pacific Monthly volumes 9 and 10.djvu/166

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infinite. Upon her in the greater degree depends the progress of humanity and the welfare of posterity. She is the maker or the breaker of man. In her work in the home she so far transcends the littleness, the narrowness, the pecuniosity of man's sphere that everything man is or has or might be is summed in that one sweet, enduring and holy word, "Mother." As. Dr. Savage says, "she is the inspiration of all the highest, finest, noblest and truest things man has done." What then? Are we doing our duty? Are we considering our posterity? Are we giving woman the best possible? Are we answering the call of conscience, the call of progress, the call of common sense, the call of woman herself for something better, higher? We are not. We stand condemned — a procrastinating, selfish herd 6f prating, inexcusable beings. Her education? What is it? What IS it? It stands impeached as about the strangest exhibition on a large scale of the lack of common sense that the fertile mind of man can conjure up. Not one sound, sensible, practical word can be said in defense of it. It is a reproach that cries up from the very ground itself to our higher intelligence, a revolt against our common sense, and an insult to woman herself. Away with it!


A Significant Utterance

Admiral Lord Charles Beresford makes these significant statements in a recent interview:

"If I can teach the people here (England) to adopt American business methods, we can then have greater intercommunication of capital and interests between the two countries. It is the only way, and once England and America get on a profit-sharing basis> the world will not dare to interfere with either. Neither of us will stand for a political alliance. It is impossible. Changing par- ties and the sentiments of both countries forbid it. I frankly confess that a business alliance would be more to England's than America's advantage. America can look after herself. She can fight the world, either from an economic or any other view point.

"They have not begun to realize here yet that the long period in which Great Britain held the monopoly of trade is over. They do not know the value of a scrap-heap, or the minimum cost of production, or of the volume of trade. The coming century will be one of business. By trying to achieve a community of business interests and methods between America and England I believe I shall be doing much towards its being a century of peace. You put your brightest men into business. We put them into politics, the navy and the army. That has got to be changed, not for the sake of the money it makes for the individual, but for the general good of the country. When I return I hope to have a lot more information in my pocket which will further these ends in Parliament and elsewhere.

Asked what he thought of the Venezuelan situation, Lord Beresford brought his hand emphatically down on the table. "Thank God," he exclaimed, "that it has come out all right. But it has taught our government a lesson that they must never try their hand again at such a game without the partnership of the United States. I do not say a word against Germany, but I do think it is to England's advantage to come right out and not only say 'we support the Monroe doctrine,* hut 'by heavens, we are willing to fight for it."