Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1904-12-15


contemplate. for nation, as for an in
dividual, to use high sounding language
to proclaim its purposes, or to take po-
sitions which are ridiculous II unsupport-
ed by potential force, and then to refuse
to provide this force. II there Is no in
tention Of providing and Of keeping the
force necessary to back up strong atti-
tude, then 1t is far better not to assume
such an attitude
The steady aim of this nation, as of all
enlightened nations should be to strive
to bring ever nearer the day when there
shall prevail throughout the world the
peace Of justice. There are kinds of
peace which are highly undesirable,
which are in the long run as destructive
as any war. Tyrants and oppressors have
many times made wilderness and called
1t peace The peace Of tyrannous terror.
the peace of craven weakness, the peace
Of injustice, all these should be Stunned
as we shun unrighteous war. The goal
to set before us as a nation. the goal
which should be set before all mankind.
is the attainment of the peace OF JUS
tice, Of the peace which comes when
each nation is not merely safe-guarded
In its own rights, but scrupulously rec
ognizes and performs its duty toward
others.
There is as yet no judicial way Of en-
forcing a right In International law.
When one nation wrongs another or
wrongs many others, there Is no tribu-
nal before which the wrongdoer can be
brought Either 1t is necessary supinely
to acquiesce in the wrong, and thus put
a premium upon brutality and agrees
sion, or else 1t is necessary for the ag-
grieved nation valiantly to stand up for
its rights. Until some method is devised
by which there shall be a degree of in
ternational control over offending ma
tions, it would be a wicked thing for
the most civilized powers, for those with
most sense of international obligations
and with keenest and most generous APP
probation of the difference between right
and wrong, to disarm. If the great civ
ilzed nations of the present day should
completely dsarm the result would mean
an immediate recrudescence of barbar-
ism in one form or another.
Arbitration Treaties.
We are in every way endeavorlng 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
[ shall shortly lay before the Senate
treaties Of arbitration with all powers
which are willing to enter into these
treaties with us. Furthermore, at the
request of the Interparliamentary Union
an eminent body composed of practical
statesmen from all countries, have
asked the Powers to join with this gov
eminent in a second Hague conference.
at which it is hoped that the work al
ready so happily begun at The Hague
may be carried some steps further to-
ward completion. This carries out the
desire expressed by the first Hague con-
ference itself
Policy on Western Hemisphere.
II Is not true that the United States
feels any land hunger or entertans any
projects as regards the other nations OF
the western hemisphere save such as are
for their welfare. All that this coun-
try desires is to see the neighboring
countries stable orderly, and prosperous.
Any country whose people conduct them
selves well can count upon our hearty
friendship. If a nation shows that 1t
knows how to act with reasonable eff
cheney and decency in social and political
matters, If 1t keeps ORDER and pays Its
obligations, 1t need fear no interference
from the United States. Chronic wrong
doing, or an impotence which results in
a general loosening of the ties of civil
lied society, may in America, as else
where, ultimately require Intervention by
some civilized nation, and in the western
hemisphere the adherents Of the United
States to the Monroe doctrine may force
the United States, however reluctantly,
in fragrant cases Of such wrongdolng or
impotence, to the exercise Of an inter-
national police power.
Our interests and those Of our south
Iii -
They have great natural riches, and II
within their borders the reign OF law and
justice obtains, prosperity Is sure to come
TO them. While they thus obey the pri
mary laws of civilized society they may
rest assured that they will be treated by
us in a spirit Of cordial and helpful SYM
patty. We would interfere with them
only in the last resort and then only
II 1t became evident that their inabh.Cy
or unwillingness 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
In asserting the Monroe doctrine. In
taking such steps as we have taken In
regard to Cuba, Venezuela, and Panama.
and in endeavoring to circumscrlbe 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.
There are occasional crimes committed
on so vast a scale and Of such peculiar
horror as to make us doubt whether 1t is
not our manifest duty to endeavor at
least to show our disapproval of the deed
and our sympathy with those who have
suffered by ii. The cases must be ex-
IRENE I'm which such a course Is justi-
fable. But in extreme cases action may
be justifable and proper. What form
the action shall take must depend upon
the circumstances Of the case; that is.
upon the degree OF the atrocity and upon
our power to remedy 1t. The cases in
which we could interfere by force OF
arms as we interfered to put a stop to
intolerable conditions in Cuba are neces-
sarily very few. Yet 1t Is not to be ex-
pected that a people like ours, which In
spite OF certain very obvious shortcom-
ings, nevertheless as a whole shows by
its consistent practice its belief in the
principles Of civil and religious liberty
and OF orderly freedom, a people among
whom even the worst crime. like the
crime OF lynching. Is never more than
sporadic. so that individuals and not
classes are molested in their fundamental
rights-lt is inevitable that such a ma
ton should desire eagerly to give ex-
preston to its horror on an occasion like
that Of the massacre Of the Jews In
Kishenef. or when 1t witnesses such sys-
tematlc and long-extended cruelty and