Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1904-12-15

/ AlGt AQN ourselves save as Cunultloneu
upon the attitude we are willing to take
toward our army and especially toward
our navy. II IL not merely unwise, II Is
contemplate. for a nation. as for an In
dividuai, TO use high-soundinE language
to proclaim its purposes, or to take po-
sitions which are ridiculous n 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 a strong att.
tude, then II 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 which are highly undesirable.
which are In the long run as destructive
as any war. Tyrants and oppressors have
many times made a wilderness and called
IL 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 i'm the wrong. and thus put
n 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
lions. 1t would be a wicked thing for
the most civilized powers. for those with
most sense OF international obligations
and with keenest and most generous ap-
probation Of the difference between right
and wrong. to disarm. II the great civ
ilized nations of the present day should
completely disarm. the result would mean
an immediate recrudescenee Of barbar-
ism in one form or another.
Arbitration Treaties.
We are In every way epdeavoring 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 Interparllamentary Union.
an eminent body composed of practical
statesmen from all countries, / have
asked the Powers to join with this gov
eminent I'm a second Hague conference.
at which Il 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.
1t 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 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 it
knows how to act with reasonable eff
cheney and decency in social and political
matters, If it keeps or6er and pays its
obligations. it 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
ICED 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 wrongdoing or
impotence. to the exercise of an inter-
national police power.
Our interests and those of our south
ern neighbors are in reality identical.
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 win be treated by
us in a spirit Of cordial and helpful sym
pathy. We would interfere with them
only in the last resort, and then only
II 1t became evident that their inabhlty
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 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
| There are occasional crimes committed
horror as to make us doubt whether il is
not our manifest duty to endeavor al
least to show cur disapprovaI OF the deed
and our sympathy with those who have
| suffered by 1t. The cases must be ex-
| treme in which such a course Is justi.
| fable. But in extreme cases action may
be justlhable and proper. What form
| the action shall take must depend upOT
| the circumstances OF the case: that Is
| upOn the degree of the atrOCity and upoI
| our power to remedy 1t. The cases II
| which we could interfere by force o.
| arms as we interfered to put a stop L
| lntolerable conditions in Cuba are neces.
sarily very few. Yet it is not to be ex
/ pected that a people like ours, which II
| spite OF certain very obvious shOrtcom
ings, nevertheless as a whole shows b!
| Its consistent practice its belief in tbs
| principles of civil and religious libert!
and Of orderly freedom, a people among
| whom even the worst crime like thu
crime Of lynching, is never more thar