[President Hoover, in his inaugural address, as quoted in the Boston Post, Massachusetts]

The United States fully accepts the profound truth that our own progress, prosperity, and peace are interlocked with the progress, prosperity, and peace of all humanity. The whole world is at peace. The dangers to a continuation of this peace to-day are largely the fear and suspicion which still haunt the world. No suspicion or fear can be rightly directed toward our country. those who have a true understanding of America know that we have no desire for territorial expansion, for economic or other domination of other peoples. Such purposes are repugnant to our ideals of human freedom. Our form of government is ill adapted to the responsibilities which inevitably follow permanent limitation of the independence of other peoples. Superficial observers seem to find no destiny for our abounding increase in population, in wealth and power, except that of imperialism. They fail to see that the American people are engrossed in the building for themselves of a new economic system, a new social system, a new political system — all of which are characterized by aspirations of freedom of opportunity and thereby are the negation of imperialism.

They fail to realize that because of our abounding prosperity our youth are pressing more and more into our institutions of learning; that our people are seeking a larger vision through art, literature, science, and travel; that they are moving toward stronger moral and spiritual life — that from these things our sympathies are broadening beyond the bounds of our nation and race toward their true expression in a real brotherhood of man. They fail to see that the idealism of America will lead it to no narrow or selfish channel, but inspire it to do its full share as a nation toward the advancement of civilization. It will do that not by mere declaration, but by taking a practical part in supporting all useful international undertakings. We not only desire peace with the world, but to see peace maintained throughout the world. We wish to advance the reign of justice and reason toward the extinction of force.

[Editorial in the Congregationalist, Boston, Massachusetts]

How deeply groups of young people are thinking about the vital problems of to-day, and what hope for the future may be placed in a generation of Christian young people taught to feel a keen sense of social responsibility, and the obligations of Christian citizenship in relationships that are world-wide, is evident in many present-day illustrations and instances. An immediate and striking illustration is found in the statement which a Sunday school class of girls in an Eastern town drew up, ... and is as follows:

"We believe that the individual gains from warfare are vastly outweighed by the losses and universal suffering caused by war, and we further believe that war need not be inevitable. Therefore we hold, with the authors of the Kellogg Pact, that war should be renounced as an instrument of national policy. Although we recognize that peace treaties have not in the past always prevented war and may not always prove effective in the future, nevertheless we feel confident that agreements such as the Kellogg Pact are an important step toward the abolition of war, and are especially helpful in promoting general interest in and widespread discussion of international peace. We realize that formal peace treaties between governments can never be wholly successful in preventing war until racial and international prejudices, and the fears and jealousies which they breed, have disappeared from the earth and have been supplanted by a spirit of world fellowship.

We believe that the spirit of world fellowship must be attained primarily by teaching the children of all nations to feel that they are world citizens before they are citizens of any particular country. We know that this is gradually coming to pass with the constantly facilitated means of communication between all parts of the world, but we feel that the process can, and should be, hastened greatly by methods of education. Such movements as the sending of Friendship Dolls to Japanese children and Friendship Bags to Mexico are hopeful indications of progress in this direction. Exchange university students, ... international conventions of all kinds — anything, in fact, which brings together people of different nations with a common purpose — all these tend to promote world fellowship. We believe that if all peoples of the earth live and act in the consciousness that they are all brothers because they are all sons of one God, future warfare will be impossible."

[Miss Daphne Milman, as quoted in The Christian Science Monitor, Boston, Massachusetts]

Engagement by women of many countries in sports is steadily breaking down class and international barriers, in the opinion of Miss Daphne Milman, director of games and sports at the Young Women's Christian Association in London. ... "Quick judgment, alertness, consideration of the other players, all are qualities developed through the playing of games. ..."

Speaking of a visit she and some friends made to Germany soon after the war, Miss Milman said they were able to establish a basis of friendly fellowship with German folk dancers through showing them that they, too, had something to contribute. First the German folk dancers "danced their dances to us, then they took us for partners and taught us how to do what they had done so well. In turn we danced our dances to them, then we took partners and taught them. It was a critical time in the relations between nations, and I am very certain we should not have been able to enjoy any such peaceful and pleasant comradeship had it not been for our mutual interest in and capacity for sports and folk dancing in which there needed to be no barriers of international feeling."

[From the Brooklyn Eagle, New York]

Mothers have been known to help their children with their home work — now it is children who help their foreignborn mothers who are attending day classes in English and citizenship to "do their lessons." The work of these day classes, under the supervision of the Board of Education, which teach adult foreigners to read and write English and the fundamentals in good citizenship, was discussed ... by Sarah Elkus, supervisor of these classes. ... Realizing that mothers busy with domestic problems have no opportunity to attend evening classes, Miss Elkus started a small group in a philanthropic institution downtown. She found the women very eager to learn, and to-day there are eight thousand pupils in more than two hundred classes being taught English by a trained staff of one hundred and thirty teachers, financed by an appropriation made by the Board of Education.

The mothers often leave their dishes and washing to attend these classes, which are held in two-hour sessions during the morning and afternoon, a minimum of four hours weekly being required. Among the men, waiters and busboys in the leading hotels who are often well educated but handicapped by a lack of knowledge of English, are attending a class which is held from three to five at Public School twenty-seven in Manhattan. "The knowledge these parents acquire," according to Miss Elkus, "is of great help to them in understanding the educational problems of their children, and through this understanding and an ability to explain right and wrong to them, petty crime is often prevented."

[Editorial in the New Outlook, Toronto, Ontario, Canada]

And Life means Love. This is the greatest revelation which has ever come to mankind, and it is so great that we may perhaps be pardoned if at times the very greatness of it staggers our imaginations and makes us wonder if it can possibly be true. God lives and God is Love, and Love is seated on the great throne which controls all universes; and so long as this remains true we may rest assured that no matter what storms shall shake this world of men, the universe is swinging ever towards a goal of unswerving righteousness and undying love and mercy.

[J. C. Penney, as quoted in the Christian Herald, New York, New York]

The idea of patriotism in our land cannot be racial, nor can it be narrowly confined. Love of country ought to mean also love of humanity. Nevertheless, the love of our fellowman is only a name, unless it recognizes and respects the law of just and fair dealing not only between man and man, but between nation and nation. We should ardently strive for the development of that wider patriotism which makes for internationalism. One of the chief duties of a citizen is to strive by his political activity to do his utmost, so that the government of his country shall express the highest possible type of citizenship.

[Stanley Baldwin, as quoted in the Taranaki Herald, New Plymouth, New Zealand]

When the mass of the people realize that in whatever country in Europe there lives a human being like himself, with a family and family life, with a wireless set, like himself, with his services on Sunday, his dancing in the evening, and his lectures, war presents a very different aspect. I believe wireless is going to be one of the greatest bonds between the common people of the whole world, and it is the common people who in the long run decide whether there will be war or not.

[Prof. S. J. Sebelius, D. D., in the Lutheran, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]

Knowledge of the truth is power and makes for progress. It is a constructive force in life. ... Not least is this true of ignorance about God and spiritual things. "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge," said the prophet. And there is only one means by which ignorance can be vanquished, be it in the sphere of religion or in the realm of natural phenomena, namely, by the systematic spread of knowledge, by teaching men the truth.

[Frank D. Boynton, in the Journal of the National Education Association, Washington, District of Columbia]

Through education we are bringing nearer a realization of the brotherhood of man and are welding the nations of earth into one great family. Through education our lamp of reason is lighted and set in the candlestick to give light to all the house.