(2) Patriotism must not merge into conceit and blind self-satisfaction.  The superior, patronizing air of many Americans, their insufferable boasting and dogmatism, does more, perhaps, to prejudice foreigners against us than any other thing.  We must teach international good manners, a becoming modesty, a generosity toward the prejudices of others, and a recognition of our own shortcomings.  The blind patriotism that will not confess to any fault, that shouts, “Our country, right or wrong,” leads in the direction of arrogance, wrongdoing, and dishonor.  We must be free to criticize our own government; we must have no false notions about national “honor” such as were once held concerning personal “honor” in the days of dueling.  We shall doubtless be in the wrong sometimes; we must welcome enlightenment and try to learn the better way.  Apologizing is sometimes nobler than bluster; and he is no true lover of his country who seeks to condone, and so perpetuate, her errors.

(3) Patriotism must not imply a hatred of, or desire to hurt, other countries.  The sight of one great civilization seeking to injure another is the shame of humanity.  For in the end our interests are the same; we should not profit by Germany’s loss any more than Connecticut would gain by injury to Vermont.  Jingoism, contempt of other peoples, and purely selfish diplomacy, are sinful outgrowths of patriotism.  We must learn to be fair and good-tempered, to appreciate the admirable in other nations, to thrill to their ideals, and banish all suspicious, sneering, or hypercritical attitudes toward them.  It is a pity that the mass of our people get their conceptions of foreign peoples and rulers so largely through newspaper cartoons and caricatures, which emphasize and exaggerate their points of difference and inferiority instead of revealing their power and excellence.  It is a stupid provinciality that conceives a distaste for foreigners because of their alien manners and to us uncouth language, their different dress and habits.  As a matter of fact, they feel as superior to us as we to them, and on the whole, perhaps, with as good a right.  No one of the nations but has some noble ideals and achievements to its credit; if we do not appreciate them, we are thereby proved to be in need of what they have to give.  And underneath these usually superficial differences, we are all just men and women, with the same loves and hatreds, the same needs, the same weaknesses and repentances and aspirations.  If we realized our common humanity, we should try to treat them as we should wish to be treated by them; the Golden Rule, the Christian spirit, the method of reason and kindness, is as applicable to international as to inter-personal relations.  We should not be too sensitive to the trivial breaches of manners, the intemperate words and selfish acts of neighbor-nations, but make allowances and preserve our good-fellowship, as we do in our personal life.  We should beware