f an enormously wealthy father. None
too well trained, none too experienced, with the pleasure-loving
qualities of youth, we have suddenly, by a world tragedy, been made
heir to the greatest estate of opportunity that imagination ever
pictured."

America is in a period which for good or ill is a turning point in her
history. Her duty and her responsibility are equally as great as her
opportunity. Shall we rise to its full potentiality, both in a material
and in a moral sense?

The words of an English poet come to my mind:

"We've sailed wherever ships can sail,
We've founded many a mighty state,
God grant our greatness may not stale
Through craven fear of being great."

It is not "craven fear" that will prevent us from attaining the summit
of the greatness which it is open to America to reach, for fear has
never kept back Americans--any more than Englishmen--and never will.

Indifference, slackness and sloth, lack of breadth and depth in thought
and planning; the softening of our fibre through easy prosperity and
luxury; unwise or hampering laws, inadequacy of vision and of
purposeful, determined effort, individual and national, are what we
have to guard against.

God grant America may not fail to grasp and hold that greatness which
lies at her hand!

***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE AND
PUBLIC OPINION***

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