Confucius had said: 'Be
truthful and cultivate friendship--this is the foundation of human
happiness.' Our country being weak and undeveloped, if we strive
to be truthful and cultivate friendship, we can still be a
civilized nation, albeit hoary with age. But we are now advised to
take advantage of the difficulties of Germany and abandon honesty
in order that we may profit thereby. Discarding treaties is to be
unfaithful, grasping for gains is not the way of a gentleman,
taking advantage of another's difficulties is to be mean and
joining the larger in numbers is cowardice. How can we be a
nation, if we throw away all these fundamental qualities.
"Even in the press of England and the United States, there is
opposition to America entering the war. If we observe neutrality,
we are not bound to any side; and when the time comes for peace--
as a friend to both sides--we may be able to bring about the ends
of the war. Is this not a service to humanity and the true spirit
of civilization?
"Now it is proposed to take the existence of this great nation of
five thousand years and four hundred million people in order to
serve the interests of politicians in their party struggles. We
are now to be bound to foreign nations, without freedom to act for
ourselves and running great risks of national destruction. Can you
gentlemen bear to see this come to pass? China has severed
relations with Germany but the decision for war has not yet been
reached.
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