ON THE WAY TO MEXICO

There have been coming reports, no doubt largely exaggerated for dramatic effect, of Americans leaving this country for Mexico, for Canada or Cuba, to avoid the military duty which rests on each citizen as the price of his citizenship. One might be easily tempted, with shallow wisdom, to demand that laws be enacted to prevent these men from seeking in flight the presumably safe but blastingly dishonorable course of the coward.

On wiser reflection one realizes that of such men no nation, even the very least, stands in need. Our strength would not be strengthened by their weakness, nor would the honor of our flag and the safety of our people be upheld by those who value above all honor and natural safety their own poor integrity.

Under the laws of governments, a man is born into a nation, and enters on the work of his nation, making with it war and peace. His ideals by inheritance and training are supposed to be typical of the ideals of his nation. From the sum of many individuals Powers are built.

It is to be granted that a man radically antagonistic to the national aspirations of his race--as a monarchist in America, or a republican in Germany--has small opportunity to voice his own revolutionary opinions in the general unity of the racial aspiration. It is also to be granted that practically if not ethically a few millions have more right to the predominance and success of their views than have a few single men.

If, however, there are in this nation a number, small but hardy, of men who by unpolitic fate have been born to a land with which they have no sympathy, we should not with harsh restriction prevent them from seeking the lands of their hearts desire. A hundred million people may not bind their hands in weakness that a hundred men should live free from the perils of valiant service. But the hundred men may get out.

It might be suggested that if among the American eagle's brood there are such scantily feathered crows as may not bear the eagle's altitude, they could fly to more suitable places than Cuba or Canada. In neither of these two countries is great love fostered for poltroons. And Mexico, with all her sins, places no immoral value on the prime necessity in our scheme of existence of the preservation of human life.

Abraham, conversing with the angel on the plan of Mamre, secured the promise that Sodom would be saved for the sake of ten righteous. The ten righteous were not found, and Sodom perished. We must expect that we--if we are Sodom, and the cowardly are righteous--will also perish, unsaved by our ten or so righteous. We may bear our doom gladly, if we first get rid or the righteous.

But poor Mexico!