The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-12-07
PRES. ROOSEYEETS MESSAGE

Wrong-doing itselfs to repel any wrong, and in exceptional cases to take action which in a more advanced stage of in ternationaI relations would come under the head of the exercise Of the interna- tionaI police. A great free people owes it to itself and to all mankind not to sink into helplessness before the pow CTS of evil.
 Arbitration Treaties. ..
 We are in every way endeayoring to help on, with cordial good will, every movement which will tend to bring us into more friendly relations with the rest of mankind. In pursuance of this policy I shall shortly lay before the senate treaties of arbitration with all powers which are willing to enter into these treaties with us. It is not possi- ble at this period of the worlds devel- opment to agree to arbitrate all mat ters, but there are many matters of possible difference between us and oth- CT nations which can be thus arbitra- ted. Furthermore, at the request of the Interparliamentary Union, an emil nent body composed of practical states men from all countries, have asked the powers to join with this govern ment in a second Hague conference, at which it is hoped that the work already so happily begun at The Hague may be carried some steps further toward com pletion. This carries out the desire ex- pressed by the first Hague conference itself
 Policy Toward Other Nations of West
 ern Hemisphere.
 It is not true that the United States feels any land hunger or entertains any projects as regards the other nations of the western hemisphere save such as are for their welfare. All that this country desires is to see the neighbor- ing countries stable, orderly and pros porous Any country whose people conduct themselves well can count upon our hearty friendship. If na- tion shows that it knows how to act with reasonable efficiency and decency in social and political matters, if it keeps order and pays it's obligations, it need fear no interference from the Uni ted States. Chronic wrong doing, or an impotence which results in gene ral loosening of the ties of civilized so- ciety, may in America, as elsewhere, ultimately require intervention by some civilized nation, and in the western hemisphere the adherence of the Uni- ted States to the Monroe doctrine may force the United States, however reluc antly, in fragrant cases of such wrong doing or impotence, to the exercise of an international police power. If every country washed by the Caribbean Sea would show the progress in stable and just civilization which with the aid of the Platt amendment Cuba has shown since our troops left the island, and which so many of the republics in both Americas are constantly and brilliantly showing, all question of interference by this nation with their affairs would be at an end. Our interests and those of our southern neighbors are in reality identical. They have great natural riches, and if within their borders the reign of law and justice obtains, pros perity is sure to come to them. While they thus obey the primary laws of civ ilized society they may rest, assured that they will be treated by us in a spirit of cordial and helpful sympathy. We would interfere with them only in the last resort, and then only it it be- came evident that their inability or un- willingness to do justice at home and abroad had violated the rights of the United States or had invited foreign. aggression to the detriment of the en- tire body of American nations. It is a mere truism to say that every nation, whether in America or anywhere else, which desires to maintain it's freedom,} its independence, must ultimately req lze that the right of such independence can not be separated from the respon- sibility of making good use of it.
 Tn asserting the Monroe doctrine, in taking such steps as we have taken in regard to Cuba, Venezuela and Pana- ma, and in endeavoring to circumscribe the theater of war in the far east, and to secure the open door in China, we have acted in our own interest as well as in the interest of humanity at large. There are, however, cases in which, while our own interests are not greatly involved, strong appeal is made to our sympathies. Ordinarily it Is very much wiser and more useful for us to concern ourselves with striving for our own moral and material betterment here at home than to concern ourselves with trying to better the condition of things in other nations. We have plen- ty of sins of our own to war against, and under ordinary circumstances we. can do more for the general uplifting of humanity by striving with heart and soul to put a stop to civic corruption, to brutal lawlessness and violent race preiudices here at home than by pass ing resolutions about wrong-doing else- where. Nevertheless there are occa- sional crimes committed on so vast a scale and of such peculiar horror as to. make us doubt whether it is not our manifest duty to erdeavor tat least to show our disapproval of the deed and our sympathy with those who have suf- fered by it. The cases must be ex- treme in which such course is justifi- able. There must be no effort made to remove the mote from our brothers eye if we refuse to remove the beam from our own But in extreme cases action may be justifiable and proper. What form the action shall take must depend upon the circumstances of the case; +J,o+ is IIpay1 f11e deyrea of tnn atrooityy