The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-11-27
THE DUTY or INTERVENTION.
Humanity Not An Adequate Motive In the
View Of International Law.

To THE EDITOR OF THR SUN Sir: The
inquiry Of your correspondent. Mr.. Borre-
bach, to which you referred editorially
last Friday, IL, az you said, a very natural
and proper one, and is also. which you
did not say, very useful besides because
your views on that class Of questions are
generally Illuminating. lie asked, in ef-
feet, why you object to interference by the
United States in South Africa, against
England's reconcentrado practices in the
war TO subdue the Beers.
Your reference TO what Secretary Hay
said a few evenings before In regard to the
policy Of the State Department in face Of
serious differences and armed collisions
bet ween South American republics, was
admirable, but what Mr.. Hay remarked
does not, perhaps, quite dispose Of your
correspondents inquiry.
Your correspondent may have been ask
ing himself why the United States should
not intervene, in the interest Of humanity,
against a cruel concentration policy In
South Africa, as our Government inter-
vened against a somewhat similar policy
adopted Ivy Spain to subdue the Cubans.
One reason is that Congress did not in
tervene in Cuba solely on the ground OF
humanity, IUJuTltt nlIlfCl'i Wy Nht Nui
on citizens Of the United States and their
property in Cuba, the strain put on our
Government by the discharge Of the obli-
cations of neutrality. the protection of many
other inlperilled interests Of ours. and
adequate security in the future against
similar wrongs, entered into the motives OF
inter ~vention. Non of the motives. en-
cepting those OF humanity, thus far exist
for Va in South Africa. .
There II another reason why the United
States should not, unasked, volunteer 10
intervene 10 stop the Boer war. which Is
that nothing less than mediation-the
essential premises Of which are reciprocal
good will, confidence and mutual interests
10y all or nearly all, the great Powers will be
likely 10 stop the war The United States
could, alone and unlimited, accomplish
very little. mighty as we fancy ourselves
TO be-certainly not more than England
could unsolicited have achieved In the way
OF stopping the war Of secession, excepting
on the terms prescribed by the North.
Probably nothing less than the mediation
OF Europe by -the consent 81 Europe
and intimation Of the use OF force il UNI
listened to. can do much good.
There seems 10 I've in South Africa one Of
those conjunctures in history In which
everybody's reason and persuasion fail:
when each side looks on the purpose OF the
other AZ ignominy and ruin for the former.
and the ruler feels bound TO demonstrate
his right and power 10 rule and the ruled
his 20 rebel. Robellions rarely yield TO
Reason.
There il another consideration 70 be kept
al the front. which is that int irrational
law does not permit the United States 20
interfere now in South Africa Since our
recent successful intervention against
Spain, many good men. chiefly c~ler9ymen.
fancy the United States ought 10 go around
the world and back again with It's battle
ships putting to rights nations and peoples,
rulers and ruled il would have been well
Il, in tha, regard. there had heena little more
starch in Mi Hays necktie when speak
ing the other evening. u is not. Tor the
moment the Monroe Doctrine nor the
Golden Rule that Is in peril, and needs
vindication, but II II the Law of nations.
which il chiefly valuabl a. a protector OF
commercial nations against military ma
tons. and little States against big
The Dpctnns will he safe IN the New
World ~ long a. the United Stat-s il power
fll enough to enforce it against all comers.
bat even then. and II The novel idea. re-
Gently pu, about 10y the London Spectator,
tlat our State Department formulate the
DJctrino (n,agnuIn "pu-I and England.
aud possibly all Europe. stipulato 10y treaty
To Respect it-even then Law will IT, needed
to regulate the mutual relations Of the
| nitod States. Me xico and the independent
States ~ Central and South America The
night ~ Independence and sovereignty il in
international luri.pridencr ~ fundamental
ihni whe an intervening nation SETS up
a superior ngh, even II II b. -.lf-pne-'rya-
ton the prrsump'ions against the inter
vcuoT must b.. adyeI-'. but liable Ia L.
ovorcom- by adequate facts
What is The law ~ nations, Many plous
men -.-em nowadays ~ think II synonv-
mou- With reason. iust,cr and humanity,
natural Law and divine law a. u y were
possible for England, Germany, Franz,
him Japan aud Turkey and all south
America 10 cuucuf TO- q "pds - International
mufahty International a~ . pDt What
good men AMI pious men think u ought -"
H.. nut what 81 actually 10 u ls that ~hich
n oau h. Usmnns, mred hat civilized and
Christian ua'iuu- have agr'"'t 10. Of ac
uu,rs.i o. A. Grpnus hss pa o.. ne Law
uI uAHuus b. tip' atthNti lo W." tsfHN1if
-pa,ut ~ s%uunu.'' T. Wiia' have 10"
naNan- ~,.psfu''i'
:. article uftuaf .asir I-rrmlts The luit"d
Ni.isr f.. tutrfNuur boa Iu South AfuUa
A greet uauN hafrrd and inIanial lIu.
ur..rr rluuk tha' TO- luit'd htsuss strained
fs av - nauYns q ii sh'u % irtris'isd
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