The times., 1898-02-13

his head in shame. and for which no
business prosperity could atone, we
must De ready in time of need 10 do as
our fOrefathers have always done. and
show that We are ready and able TO
appeal 10 the ultimate arbitrament Of
the sword.
las a nation, we cannot avoid having
responsibilities thrust upon US. All that
we can do is TO decide whether or not
we shall meet them as men and as
Americans. We cannot avoid facing
dangerous questions Of foreign policy
any more than we can avoid facing
dangerous questions of internal policy.
All that We can do in one case. as in
the other. Is 10 Try 10 solve these ques-
tons with honor, courage and intelli-
gence. Unless we are false to every ira
dition Of the American foreign policy.
we must continue to uphold the Monroe
doctrine; but II would be batter to sur
render the Monroe doctrine outright
than to discredit ourselves, and make
ourselves the laughing stock of the world
by loud lip-Ioyalty TO it while we never
theless decline to take any step which
would make good our pretensions- The
Monroe doctrine. as laid down originally
by John Quincy Adams. and as lived
up TO by all our greatest leaders ever
since is that no European power shall
acquire new territory on American soil.
We have asserted this doctrine in the
past against England and France. Spain
and Russia. and il will be a deep dis
credit to US in the future il we fail to
assert 1t against any power in the world.
should it seek 10 gain foot or ter
ritoTy on the soil. whether of the Ameri-
can continent or of the islands that
fringe those continents. Yet. as | said,
il would be better to surrender the doc
trine entirely than TO bluster about it
and then fail TO live up to it.
1--WE did not create the Hawaiian ISL
ands: they already exist; we merely
have to face the alternative of taking
them ourselves and making them the
outpost for the protection of the Pacific
coast. or else Of seeing them taken by
ar,y powerful nation with which we are
at war and at once transformed into
the most dangerous possible base of
operations against our Pacific cities.
Let me again repeat that the right
arm OF the nation in carrying out any
foreign policy. is the navy. 1t is, of
course. true that we need ample coast
Qualifications: the last things in which
We can afford to economize are forts
and ships. for such economy implies the
possibility of overwhelming national dis
aster: but. though we need the forts.
we need the ships even more The surest
way to prevent an opponents blow is by
striking not by parryins. Forts would
be Of great value in war. but they would
not avert war for no nation would be
afraid of them. as forts are never Of
fensive: but powerful navy would act
as a deterrent TO any nation inclined
70 go TO war with us. Ii we have a
great fighting fleet, fleet OF vessels
such as we now have. manned by officers
and crews like those which now man
them. but in point Of numbers rising
more nearly TO an equality with the
greatness of our people; if we have such
a fleet capable CT offensive no less than
defensive work. there will be small
chance that our people will be forced
to fight. and still smaller chance that
we will not emerge from any war i'm
measurably the gamer in honor and re-
nown."
Mr.. RooseveIt's remarks were greeted
with every demonstration of favor.