494 
Loyalty  to  the  Country. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
July,  1 918. 
in  the  light  of  disintegrating  forces,  and  the  cooperation  of  them 
results  in  centralizing  or  unifying  them.  We  have  people  of  every 
nation  in  our  midst,  disseminating  their  thoughts  among  us,  all  of 
which  contribute  to  our  greatness  so  long  as  the  seed  of  discord  is 
not  sown  or  the  better  class  of  citizenship  overwhelmed.  One  test 
of  citizenship  is  unquestionable  loyalty  to  the  country  under  all  cir- 
cumstances, and  particularly  under  conditions  like  the  present.  The 
quality  of  citizenship  has  a  relation  to  the  ideals  of  citizen.  Men's 
ideal  is  his  closest  and  highest  mental  associate — his  best  friend — 
for  it  is  most  potential  in  moulding  his  character,  and  therefore 
exercises  powerful  influence  in  his  success  and  the  quality  of  service 
he  renders.  One  must  believe  in  the  ideal.  One's  usefulness  to 
humanity  is  in  proportion  to  his  efforts  to  reach  the  ideal. 
Cooperation  is  not  an  academic  theory ;  it  is  as  sound  as  that  of 
universal  brotherhood.  We  have  not  established  the  latter,  nor 
have  we  successfully  mobilized  all  the  industries.  The  long-drawn 
conflict  of  the  world  has  been  between  unifying  forces  and  disin- 
tegrating forces,  just  as  we  have  in  governments  and  in  every  other 
activity,  within  and  without,  and  we  can  trace  most  of  our  troubles 
and  hindrances  to  individualism;  coalescence  is  the  solution.  Com- 
petition does  not  pay  in  business  except  as  it  applies,  to  service,  so 
in  the  industries  incoordination  signifies  hindrance.  To  arrive  at 
the  highest  efficiency  there  must  be  specialization,  but  a  linkage  is 
necessary  that  coordinates  the  branches  concerned  for  a  common 
service. 
The  diverse  drug  interests  in  a  sense  may  be  viewed  in  the  light 
of  disintegrating  forces  and  the  cooperation  of  them  results  in  cen- 
tralizing or  unifying  them.  We  have  druggists  with  different  view- 
points, some  inclining  to  what  is  denominated  commercial  and  others 
to  that  which  is  termed  the  professional  side  of  their  business. 
There  is  no  more  honorable  engagement  than  the  conduct  of  business 
on  the  high  plane  of  honor  and  integrity,  and  there  is  no  more  dis- 
honorable occupation  than  to  pursue  professional  lines  without  sin- 
cere regard  of  the  obligations  assumed.  Whether  pharmacy  is  the 
profit-yielding  part  of  a  drug  business  or  not,  the  thing  is  to  par- 
ticipate loyally  and  enthusiastically  in  the  efforts  to  elevate  and  con- 
form the  commercial  and  professional  status  of  the  calling. 
Pharmacy  of  the  drug  stores  bears  a  relation  to  the  ideals  of  the 
pharmacist;  they  characterize  not  only  the  individual  pharmacy  but 
have  a  powerful  influence  on  pharmacy  at  large  and  the  service  ren- 
