Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-12-10

| advanced stage OF International rela.
lions would come under the head OF the
exercise OF the International police. A
great free people owes It to itself and
TO all mankind not to sink into help
lessuess before the powers 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 1 shall shortly lay before the
senate treaties Of arbitration with all
powers which are willing to enter into
these treaties with us. 1t is not pos
sible at this period Of the worries de-
velopment to agree to arbitrate all mat
tiers, but there are many matters of
possible difference between us and 9th.
er nations which can be thus arbitrat-
ed. Furthermore at the request of the
interparliamentary union, an eminent
body composed Of practical statesmen
from all countries, l have asked the
powers to join with this government
in a second Hague conference, at which
1t 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.
1t is not true that the United States
feels any land hunger or entertains
any projects as regards the other ma
lions of the western hemisphere save
such as are for their welfare. All that
this country desires is to see the neigh
boring countries stable, orderly and
prosperous. Any country whose PEG
pie conduct themselves well can count
upon our hearty friendship. II ma
ton shows that 1t knows how to act
with reasonable efficiency and decency
In social and political matters, il 1t
keeps order and pays Its obligations, 1t
need fear no interference from the
United States. Chronic wrongdoing or
an impotence which results In q general
loosening of the ties of civilized so
clety may in America, as elsewhere,
ultimately require Intervention by
some civilized nation, and In the west
ern hemisphere the adherence Of the
United States to the Monroe doctrine
may force the United States, however
reluctantly, in 6agrant cases Of such
wrongdoing or impotence to the ex-
ercise of an International police pow
er. If every country washed by the
Caribbean sea would show the progress
In stable and just civilization which
with the aid of the Plat amendment
hn hoc oh cfn loo
the island, and which so many Of the
republics In both Americas are con-
stantly and brilliantly showing, all
question of Interference by this nation
with their affairs would be at an end
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 primary laws OF civilized So
ciety they may rest assured that they
Will be treated by us In a spirit of
cordial sand helpful sympathy. We
would Interfere With them onlj In 1.sc
last resort, and then only II 1t became
evident that their inability or unwill-
ingness to do justice ut 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 1t 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 re-
alize that the right OF such independ-
ence cannot he separated from the re-
sponsibility Of making good use Of It.
In 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 we'll
as In the interest OF humanity ut large
There are, however, cases In which.
while our own interests are not great
ly involved, strong appeal is made to
our sympathies. Ordinarily 1t Is very
much wiser and more useful for us to
concern ourselves with striving for
our own moral and material better
ment here at home than to concern
ourselves with trying to better the
condition of things I'm other nations.
We have plenty of sins OF our own to
war against, and under ordinary cir
cumstances we can do more for the
general uplifting OF humanity by striv-
ing with heart and soul to put stop
TO civic corruption. to brutal lawless-
less and violent race prejudices here
at home than by passing resolutions
about wrongdoing elsewhere. Never
theleSs 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 sym
pathy with those who have suffered by
1t. The cases must be extreme in which
such course Is justifable There
must be no effort made to remove the
mote from our brothers eye If we re-
fuse 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 up