The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-12-06

other hand that it should keep prepar-
ed, while scrupulously avoiding wrong
doing itself, to repel any wrong, and in
exceptional cases to take action which
in more advanced stage of interna-
tional relations would come under the
| head OF the exercise of the information
al police A great free people owes 1t
to itself and to all mankind not to sink
into he1plessness 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 pursuance of this
policy L Will shortly lay before the
senate treaties of arbitration with all
powers which are willing to enter into
these treaties with with US.
Second Hague Conference.
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 nations which
can be thus arbitrated. Furthermore,
at the request of the 1nterparllamen-
tary union. an eminent body composed
of practical statesmen from all coun-
tries, have asked the powers to join
with this government in a second
Hague conference, at which it is hoped
that the work already so happily be-
gun at The Hague may be carried
some steps further toward completion.
by the first Hague conference itself.
Policy Toward Other Nations of West
ern Hemisphere.
It is not true that the United States
feels any land hunger or entertains
any projects as regards the other ma
tons 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 peo-
conduct them
upon our hearty friendship. If a ma
ton shows that it knows how to act
with reasonable efficiency and decency
IN social and political matters, II 1t
keeps order and pays its obligations,
it need fear no interference from the
United States. Chronic wrongdoing,
or an impotence which results in
general loOSening of the ties of civil
lied society, may in America, as else
where, ultimately require intervention
by some civilized nation, and in the
western hemisphere the adherence OF
the United States to the Monroe doc
trine may force the United States,
however reluctantly, in fragrant cases
of such wrongdoing or impotence, to
the exercise of an international police
power If every country washed by
the Caribbean sea would show the
progress in stable and just civilization
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 Americas are constantly and
brilliantly showing. all question
with their affairs would be at an
end. Our interests 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, pros
perity 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 in
spirit of cordial and helpful sympathy.
We would interfere with them only in
the last resort, and then only if it be-
came evident that their inability or I'M
Willingness 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. 1t is
mere truism to say that every nation,
whether. in Am erica or anywhere else
which desires to maintain its freedom,
its independence, must ultimately real
ize that the right of such independence
can not be separated from the respon-
s1b1I1ty OF making good use of it
In asserting the Monroe doctrine, in TAX
ing 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 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. Ordinarily it is
very much wiser and more useful for us
to concern ourselves with striving for
own moral and material betterment here
at home than to concern ourselves with
trying to better the condition of things in
other nations. We have plenty of sins of
our own to war against and under ordi-
the general uplifting of humanity by
striving with heart and soul to put stop
and violent race prejudiceS here at home
than by passing resolutions about wrong
doing elsewhere. Nevertheless there are
occasional crimes committed on so vast a
scale and of such peculiar horror to
make us doubt whether it is not our man
lfest duty to endeaYor at least to show
our disapproval of the deed and our SYM
pathy with those who have suffered by it
The cases must be extreme in which such
course is justifiable. There must be no
effort made to remove the mote from our
brothers eye If we refuse to remove the
beam from our own. But in extreme cases
action may be justif1able and proper. What
form the action shall take must depend
upon the circumstances of the case; that
is, upon the degree of the atrocity and
upon our power to remedy it. The cases
in which we could interfere by force of
arms as we interfered to put a stop to in
tolerable conditions in Cuba are neces-
pected that a people like ours. which in
spite of certain very obvious shortcom-
consistent practice its belief in the prin-
eipleS of civil and religious liberty and of
even the worst crime, like the crime of
lynching, is never more than sporadic, so
that individuals and not classes are mo-
Tested in their fundamental rights-it is
inevitable that such nation should de-
sire eagerly to give expression to its hor-
ror on occasion like that of the mas
sacre of the Jews in Kishenef, or when
it witnesses such systematic and long ex-
tended cruelty and oppression as the cru
city and oppression of which the Armen-
ians have been the victims, and which
have won for them the indignant pity of
the civilized world.
Rights of American Citizens Abroad.
Even where it is not possible to secure
in other nations the observance of the
principles which we accept as automatic,
it is necessary for firmly to insist upon