The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-12-03
WHITTIER LEADS
| HIS J|NGO STRUT
Shall We Follow the Path
| of England?
OUR FOREIGN POLICY
Once Becoming Aggressive, We Shall
Be Obliged to Continue Thus or
Be EternaIIy Disgraced in
the Eyes OF
Europe.
Nv CICERO w. HARRIS.

oro,vino in administration circles over
,,tat &c termed the great success of
president Roosevelts call for second
meeting of The Hague peace confer
ence seems not justified on any ground
,vbatever. Mr.. Hay has made deal
of credit with the unrefiectng part
of tho public on account of his sug-
gestions to foreign governments on
various subjects, especially on matters
ncrtaining to the contest between Rus
sia and Japan. The fact is that much
of this is purely Fictitious and Will not
stand the test of examination. me
case in point of The Hague CONFER
ence exemplifies not only what nave
inst said. but the scope of the Wlue
divergence between the true Ameri-
can and the new pSeudo-American pol
lev introduced by late Republican ad-
ministrations First of all, the Euro
mean powers, including Russia, nave
not rush frantically forward to APP
plaud the proposition OF the Uhlleo
States to reasSemble the peace Gun
eress. a very guarded, but OF course
1leasant. response was made to Sec
retary HAYS overture, to the erect
that the mowers concerned would be
clad to have the congress meet again
for the purposes designated by lhe
United States no intimation that II was
to assemble, however. in time TO con-
slider the present differences between
Japan and Russia having been given
i'm the cautious replies. In fact, there
was a more or less distinct intimatlon
that the conference was not 10 take
place very soon. Now, furtheF' comes
Russia and plainly states she Will De
no party to any conference pendlllS
her war with Japan. Attention ought
In l.
voIved in this country interfering III
question of this kind, strictly concern
ing the great powers of the Old Norld,
and also to the negaton by MI. f1dS
of the uniform practice heretofore Oh
United States Secretaries OF state
From the beginning of the government
we have minded our business and let
that of eastern and European nations
serenely alone.
Policy of NOn-InterVention.
This abstention gave this country
decided advantage in urging our
rights in this hemisphere as against
European governments disposed to IN
terfere Washington and Jackson be
lieved in maintaining a policy of non
intervention, as did Jefferson ana Mon
roe All of the earlier Presidents care
fully kept out of European troubles
and did not even make suggestions
reason was clear. They recognized our
position as an American power, re-
public. seeking it's own good ana not
the good" of all other nations. 1T
was this very fact that caused these
Presidents, whenever the country was
prepared to assert its rights IN selt-de-
fence TO make the assertion promptly.
Madison's expedition against the Bar
barry corsairs and JacksOn'S stand-up
against France are well-knoWn cases
i'm point We took no part against
Austria and Russia in the hungarian
Revolution. although our people SYM
pathized with KOsSuth's cause. we ala
not even interfere, earlier, in the war
of independence of the Spanish-Ame
lean colonies. when everything tended
toward the American policy OF mind
your-own business has prevailed. we
have grown strong upon 1t ana re-
spected. Does any thougntleSS lndi-
Vidual. who knows no history ana no
sound politics. presume to say that
those were days of our sWaddllng
clothes 10 be cast off now that we are
a world power? The republic of the
United states has been World-poWer
ever since the war of 1872, IL no ION
ger: no European State has dared,
when the hands of the goernment nave
been united, to regard us as a power
without force behind or influence IN
the world where it is httlnS Tor us 10
exercise il
This jingoistic gait of President
Roosevelt, so cordially approved by
the Republican party and by some
Young or reckless Democrats, is like
~ to involve this country in very SER
icus difficulties. When that day
comes il will be too late to return to
sauer administration. Launched on
The stormy ocean of an aggressive
foreign policy, we shall have to so
ahead or be disgraced and oVerpoW-
cred by a combination of the powers
Of Euroye. whose hostility and re-
sentiment we have provoked. Nations
who embark on dangerous careers OF
glory and conquest can never again
Invoke the spirits of rest ana peace.
Great republics that have asplreo 10
govern the world have ended IN eH-
tiEction for themselves This is the
lesson of the history of the human
race. And nothing in our clrcuhi-
stances or conditions can exempt uS
from the consequences OF our loliy-
Il He Sincere?
The President authorizes Il dehldi
or the report made in the Ciuzen
Industrial Association that he told Il
Nr. Beattie. representative OF the
Master Printers and Decorators. WHO
had conversation with him on the