The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-12-06
A FOREIGN POLICY
WELL BACKED UP

Ia treating OF our foreign policy and
of the attitude that this great nation
should assume in the world AT large. II
is absolutely necessary TO consider the
army and the navy. and the Congress,
through which the thought Of the ma
lion finds its expression, should keep
ever wildly in mind the fundamental
fact that il is impossible 10 treat our
foreign policy, whether this policy takes
shape in the effort 10 secure justice FOR
others or justice for ourselves. save as
conditioned upon the attitude We are
willing TO take toward our army, ana
especially toward our navy.
IL Is not merely unwise, IL is contempt
Idle. for a nation, as for an individual,
70 use high-sOunding language 10 pro-
claim It's purposes, or 10 take positions
which are ridiculous II unsupported by
potential force. and then 10 refuse TO
provide this force. If there Is no in
tenJiOn Of providing ana Of keeping the
force necessary TO back up strong at
titude, then ID Is far better not 10 as
sumo such an attitude. ...t .
The Peace of Justice.
The steady aim OF this nation. as Of
all enlightened nations. should be 10
strive 10 bring ever nearer the day
when there shall prevail throughout the
world the peace Of justice. There are
kinds Of peace which are highly unde-
sirable. which are in the long run as
destructive as any war. Tyrants and
0ppressors have many times made a
wilderness and called it peace. Many
times peoples who We're slothful or
timid or shortsighted. who had been
eneryated by ease or by luxury or mis-
led by false teachings, have shFunk in
unmauiy fashion from doing duty That
was stern and that needed self-sacriace,
and have sought TO hide from their own
minds their shortcomings, their ignoble
motives. By calling them lOve Of peace.
The peace or tyrannOus terror. the
peace of craven weakness, the peace OF
Injustice, all these should be Stunned
as We shun unrigEteOus war.
The goal 10 set before US as ma
ton. the goal which should be set be-
fore all mankind, IS the attainment Of
the peace or justice, or the peace
which comes when each nation Is not
merely safeguarded in It's own rights.
but scrupulOuslE recognizes and per-
forms its duty toward others. Generally
peace tells for righteousness but n
there Is conflict between the two then
our fealty Is due first % the cause Of
righteousness. InrigutcDuS wars az q
common. and uurighteols peace is 'ate,
but both should be shuulel The right
of freedom and the responsibility .or the
exercise OF that right cannot be III
NOrced one OF our great poets mas
Well and finely said that freedom ~ not
a gift that tarries long in the hands or
towards. Neither does IL tarry long IN
the hands Of those too slothful. too dis
honest, or too uutuIelhgelL u exercise
f. The eternal vigilance which is the
price of liberty must be exercised, some
times 10 guard against OUTSIDE foes; al
though of course far more often 10
guard against our own selfish or
thouRhtless shortcomings.
II these sclf-evdent truths are kept
before as, and only If they are 50 kept
before as. We shall have clear idea
OF what our foreign policy !n ITS larger
aspects should be-. IL is our duty To
remember that a nation has no more
right 20 do injustice TO another nation,
strong or weak. than an individual has
90 do injustice 10 another lndlN iual,
that the same moral law applies in oLe
case as in the other But We must lsO
remember that II IS as much the duty
az the nation 10 guard its own rights
and IT'S own interests as n Is the duty
81 Lhe individual so 10 do Within the
nation the individual has now delegated
this right TO the State, that Is, TO the
representative Of all the individuals and
81 O. a maxim Of the law that FOR every
wrong there is remedy
international Law.
But iu International law we have not
advanced by any means as far as we
have advanced ln municipal law. There
is as yet no judicial way Of enforcing
q right IN international law When one
nation wrongs another or wrongs many
others. there is no tribunal before which
the WrOngdOer can be brought Either
Il is necessary supinely 90 acquIesce In
the wrong, and thus put a premium upon
brutality and aggression. or else II Is
necessary for the aggrleved nation val
lantly 10 stand up for It's rights. Tntn
some method f. devised by which there
shall be "a degree Of international con-
troll over offending nations. II would be
a wicked thing for the most civilized
powers. for those with most sense OF
International obligations and with keen
est and most generous appreciation OF
the difference between right and wrong,
10 dlsarm. III these great civilized ma
lions Of the present day should com
pletely disarm, the result would mean
ara immediate recrudesceuce or barbar-
ism IN one form or another Under
ANY circumstances sufficient arma-
ment would have 20 be kept up 10 serve
the purposes Of international police. and
until international cohesion and the
sense Of international duties aud rights