The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-12-07

self respecting, just and tar-se"'"S
nation should on the one manu- 81 ~
deavor by every means 10 ali III ~
development of the various NOV
ments which tend TO proyiue 3a,,
tutee for war which tend to render
nations i'm their actions toWdiu IL
another. and indeed toward 'heif
own neoples. more responsive 10 tle
general sentiment of humane ana CIV
ilized mankind, ana on the olieI
hand that ii should Keep prepared
while scrupulOusly aVoldllls WroiS
doing itself TO repel any wrong, ana
in exceptional cases 10 an
which in a more advanced stage OF m
ternatiOnaI relations would come
1fntIe,, tho head of the exercise of the
International police. A great free
naonIe owes it to itself and to ali
,,,a6l,iud not TO sink into helplessness
before the powers OF evil.
Arbitration Treaties.
We are in every way endeavoring
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 pur-
suance of this policy l shall shortly
Law before the Senate treaties of arbi-
tration with all powers which are
willing to enter into these treaties
with US 1t is not possible at this
period Of the worlds development
to agree to arbitrate all matters, but
there are many matters of possible
difference between us and other ma
tions which can be thus arbitrated.
Furthermore, at the request of the
Interparliamentary Union, an emil
nent body composed of practical
statesmen from all countries, ! have
asked the powers to join with this'I
Government i'm second Hague con-
ference, at which it is hoDed that the
work already so happily begun at
The Hague may be carried some steps
further toward completion. This
carries out the desire expressed 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
nations of the Western Hemisphere
save such as are for their welfare.
All that this country desires is to see
the neighboring countries stable, or
derby and prosperous Any county
whose people conduct themselves we'll
can count upon our hearty friendship.
If nation shows that it knows how
to act with reasonable efficiency and
decency in social and political mat
ters, if il keeps order and pays it's
obligations, it need fear no Interior
ence from the United States. Chronic
wrongdoing, or an impotence which
results in q general leosening of the
ties of civilized society, may in
America, as elsewhere, ultimately re-
quire Intervention by some civilized |
nation, and i'm the Western Hemis-
phere the adherence of the United
States TO the Monroe Doctrine may
force the United States, however re- |
luctantly, in fragrant cases of such
Wrongdoing or impotence, to the eX-
ercfse of an international police
power. If every country washed by
the Caribbean Sea would show the
progress in stable and just civiliza-
ton which with the aid of the Platt
amendment Cuba has shown since our
troops left the island and which so
many of the republics in both Ameri-
cas- are constantly and brilliantly
showing, all question Of interference
by this nation with their affairs
would be at an end. Our int arestS |
and those of our southern neighborS
are in reality identical They have
great natural riches, and if 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 society
they may rest assured that they will
be treated by us i'm q spirit of cordial |
and helpful sympathy We would
interfere with them only in the last
resort, and then only if it became
evident that their inability or unwill- !
ingness TO do justice a home and
abroad had violated the rights of the
United States or had invited foreign
aggression to the detriment of the |
entire body of American nations 1t
is a mere truism TO say that every mar
ton, whether in America or anywhere
else, which desires to maintain its
freedom, it's independence, must I'LL
timately realize that the right of such
independence can not be separated /
from the responsibility of making
good use of it.
In asserting the Monroe Doctrine,
in taking such steps as we nave taken
in regard to Cuba, Venezuela and
Panama, and in endeaVoring TO cir
cumscrihe the theatre 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 at large. There are, how
ever. cases in which while our own
strong appeal is made to our sympa-
thies. Ordinarily it is very much
wiser and more useful for us to con-
Germ ourselves with striving for our
own moral and material betterment
here at home than to concern our
selves with trying to better the condi-
ton of things in 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
striving with heart and soul to put
stop to civic corruption, to brutal
laWlessness and violent race prejudces