190 The Two Americas 



dencies that tell for evil. It is, of course, a mere 

 truism to say that our own acts must determine 

 . which set of tendencies shall overcome the other. 

 In order to act wisely we must first see clearly. 

 There is no place among us for the mere pessimist ; 

 no man who looks at life with a vision that sees all 

 things black or gray can do aught healthful in mold 

 ing the destiny of a mighty and vigorous people. 

 But there is just as little use for the foolish optimist 

 who refuses to face the many and real evils tljat ex 

 ist, and who fails to see that the only way to ensure 

 the triumph of righteousness in the future is to war 

 against all that is base, weak, and unlovely in the 

 present. 



There are certain things so obvious as to seem 

 commonplace, which, nevertheless, must be kept con 

 stantly before us if we are to preserve our just sense 

 of proportion. This twentieth century is big with 

 the fate of the nations of mankind, because the fate 

 of each is now interwoven with the fate of all to 

 a degree never even approached in any previous 

 stage of history. No better proof could be given than 

 by this very exposition. A century ago no such expo 

 sition could have even been thought of. The larger 

 (part of the territory represented here to-day by so 

 many free nations was not even mapped, and very 

 much of it was unknown to the hardiest explorer. 

 The influence of America upon Old World affairs 



