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west and from north to south. Consider 
what a great breadth of interest is be¬ 
queathed to us, touching two great oceans, 
bringing us into contact with many peo¬ 
ples, giving us a large view of affairs. On 
the Atlantic seaboard, one is interested 
in the people and the affairs of Europe. 
On the Pacific coast, one has a feeling 
with China, Japan and the islands of the 
South Seas. Along the St. Lawrence, one 
recognizes the close touch with the Can¬ 
adian people. In the southwest, one 
thinks of Mexico. And here in Florida, I 
feel the contact with Cuba and the riches 
of the West Indies. All these relations 
give us relations to world affairs in a 
large way and relieve us of national nar¬ 
rowness. 
And now we can understand why the 
smaller peoples want possessions beyond 
the seas and why they ought to have them 
if they desire them. Even though these 
possessions may not be commercially im¬ 
portant or even self-sustaining, they nev¬ 
ertheless allow the national life to expand 
to express itself. The peoples are enabled 
thereby to have contact with world prob¬ 
lems. Holland has her islands in the 
East Indies and the West Indies; little 
Denmark has her possessions beyond the 
seas; Belgium has lands in the heart of 
Africa. The colonial possessions of lit¬ 
tle countries give an opportunity for over¬ 
flow, the sense of proportion and also of 
conquest and dominion. You have heard 
it said that these possessions may not 
pay their cost and yet you know how ten¬ 
aciously the people hold to them. They 
stimulate the imagination and enable the 
national genius to find expression. So 
long as these possessions or dependencies 
can be secured justly and can be held 
righteously, they may be of great advan¬ 
tage to the peoples to whom they are at¬ 
tached. 
In the great interior parts of the coun¬ 
try, there is likely to be developed dis¬ 
tinctively "American points of view. Of 
late we have heard much of the “Iowa 
idea” in politics, of the political and social 
movements in Wisconsin, and we know 
about what attitude the interior States will 
take on certain national and international 
questions. This combination of interior 
country with seaboards provides a very 
productive experience for any people. It 
is a resource, also, for a people to 
have within its boundary a great variety 
and wealth of scenery. It has national 
value. I think the American point of 
view is influenced considerably by the 
scenery amidst which the people dwell. 
The vast mountain ranges, the great riv¬ 
ers, the plains stretching to the horizon, 
the wealth of forest, all contribute to form 
our national opinion. It is well for us 
as a people to have the Yellowstone, the 
Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, the great 
national forests and reservations. Such 
background reservations should be in 
many parts of the country so that all the 
people may have the sense of proprietor¬ 
ship. I am therefore interested in the 
nationalization of parts of the Appalach¬ 
ian regions, of the White Mountains, and 
the setting aside of bird refuges and other 
reservations. The national life is pro¬ 
jected from mountain top to mountain 
top, from plain to plain, and from shore 
to shore. 
It is also well for the people to have 
touch with great variety and extent of the 
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