Page:Frank David Ely -Why defend the nation? Sound Americanism... (1924).pdf/61

Rh The proposed plan meets these requirements. It Is non-religious, non-partisan, non-racial, and non-commercial. It provides for real building. It serves both personal and community interests. It enters alike the home, the factory, and the farm. It is a plan employing positive methods as distinguished from plans designed merely to oppose manifest disloyalty or offensive or illegal radicalism. Such negative methods are strategically unsound, yet are not infrequently followed. Open manifestations such as those named must be dealt with by the legally constituted forces of law and order.

The plan forever plants the truth of America; and that truth, judged by all our past, is so convincing that it may in itself, if thoroughly diffused, be trusted to baffle, disarm, and confound the enemies of good government. Nothing is more potent than truth. Despotisms have thrived only through its suppression.

Effort under the plan is sustained and continuous. Just as need for this effort will grow with the population and with the increasing complexity of life, so the plan itself, once in operation and well rooted, will grow and ramify by a multitude of available and ever-increasing avenues, like ivy climbing a wall. It is a forward-looking plan—a plan which, a century hence, should be as perfectly suited for its purpose as it is today.

The numerous patriotic, fraternal, and other organizations which are not only desirous for good government and a sound National Defense, but are further desirous that radicalism and disloyalty be exposed, would welcome the work of this Foundation. Labor, management, capital, and all the forces and agencies of government would find it a real friend.

The time is ripe. The need is urgent. Safer political conditions will go hand-in-hand with better understanding. A wide appeal should be made for "dollar endowments" from every patriotic man, woman, and child. Many considerable endowments, now made to less important and sometimes to seemingly trivial ends, should be won by this great American movement, for there are many millions of good Americans to whom "Country" is sacred and dear.

But there must be no confusion of purpose—no hesitation as to methods—no departure from the singleness of purpose to which the plan proposes adherence and conversion. The very