The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1901-1902, 1902-04-22
AMERICAN SOCIAL
SCIENCE ASSOCIATION
Opening Session at Colum-
bian University Last Night.
DOCTOR STRAUSS ADDRESS
President of the Institution Delivers
Scholarly Speech, in Which He Pic
lures Progress-Public Meeting to Be
Held Tonight.

DR.. Oscar Straus. president of the Amer
lean Social Science Association, before a
distinguished gathering of scientific and
literary men last night, at Columbian
I University, in an address upon the dip
lomatic history OF the United States,
opened the annual session OF the society.
Tonight three men foremost in the pres
ent labor discussions will speak upon the
employers liability act. They are Sam
uel Gompers, Representative Charles E.
Littlefield. and Hon. Charles J. Bonaparte.
The sessions Will be public.
A committee of three. composed of
Fred J. Kingsbury. Carroll d. Wright and
Prof. George l.. Raymond. was named to
report a list of officers for the ensuing
year at the closing meeting on Friday.
DR.. Straus then made his address, in
which he said IN part:
DR.. Straus' Address.
The first period of our diplomacy. ex-
tending from the end of the Revolution
to the termination of the war of 1912,
until the conclusion of the Treaty of
Client in 1914. was to establish by treaties
what had been achieved by war. to obtain
recognition upon equal terms in the fam
lily of nations.
The second period was to safeguard
our political existence as a sovereign and
independent nation on the American con-
tinent from threatened aggressons and
intervention on the part OF European
powers. This period eliminated in 1923
by the PRONUNCIATION of the Monroe doc
trine.
The third period extended from that
time until the end of our civil war. 1t
was during the preservative or surgical
period of our development. when the ma
ton submitted to the bloodiest and most
serious operation to eradicate the g; noer
of slavery which had eaten into its very
vitals. the roots of which extended back
prior to the formation of the Constitution.
From this period on we became more as
sertive Of our rights internationally, and
on this continent, beginning with our de-
mand for the termination of Maximilians
rule in Mexico, which rested on French
bayonets for its support, and our in
sistence upon Great Britain making repa-
ration for her violation of the laws of
neutrality during our civil war, by her
adjusting the Alabama claims.
Cleveland's Venezuelan Message.
The next, or fifth period. was charac-
terized by policy which was both vigor-
GUS and aggressive, beginning with CIeve-
lands Venezuelan message and ending
with the Spanish war. We have now ar
rived at an offensive as distinguished from
a defensive policy. 1t is the commercial
stage to reach out for our share of the
worlds commerce and, to provide an open
door with European nations in Asiatic I
and to secure equal rights for
our commerce seeking the markets of the |
world.
Thus far under the guidance of wise, |
far-s seeing, and tactful diplomacy. which /.
has characterized the administration OF !
Secretary Hay. we have won signal vic /
tories and open doors in true spirit OF /
amity and friendship.
With the rapid growth of our foreign |
commerce due to many causes. the coun- /
try is held bound and suffering by the +
narrow views and the selfish interests /
which lay at the basis Of much of our /
tariff legislation. and We VIII probably |
have to wait for such legislation until I
the very contingencies happen which Pres
dent Mckinley wisely forewarned. and /
which it was his purpose to forestall and |
prevent. 1t Is one thing to let loose the
greed and selfishness OF commercialism,
and quite another to curb its powers in