New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-05-11

49,, aonIe of the Mississippi Valley. There
were two sides to the esta olshment OF tnat
WEI station here where it was established.
I r. 6rst place get. as perhaps some OF
-, Lnow q peculiarly valuable clasS OF recruits
60, the navy from the Mississippi Nalley ana the
regions adjoining the Great Lakes In the next
Iene I wanted to part OF the establish
ipy1ent Of the navy have its local haptauoh OF
,1on7a here in the great West. Ana SO Ieel that
+rIs organization conferred a favor not only
mon the city of Chricago, but an advantage TO
the whole country, in what IL dlu toWaro seCuI-
to the establishment of that station mere where
- has been established. / do not think that 1t
e. now very necessary to make an argument for
an efficient navy. We are so fortunate that IN
This country we get along with very small
ermy-an army which, relative to the popula-
ton Of the country, is smaller than the poilce
force of any one of our great cities with the
navy the case is different We have not the
choice gentlemen as TO whether this country
will play a great part in the world; we cannot
help playing a great part. All we can decide
is whether we will play it well or Ill; we have
that to decide We can consider whether we
win do badly or well, but we cannot decide
whether the parts are to be played; we have
got to play them
CANNOT BACK DOWN.
We cannot abandon our position on the Mon
roe Doctrine; we cannot abandon the Panama
Canal; we cannot abandon the duties that have
come to us from the mere fact OF our growth
as a nation, from the growth of our commercial
interests in the East and in the West, on the
Atlantic and on the Pacific Now, earnestly hope
that with the added responsibility will come
not merely a growth in power to meet that
responsibility, but q growth in sobriety of men
tai attitude our part toward these new
duties. If there is one thing that ought to be
more offensive to every good American than
anything else it is the habit OF speaking with
loose tongue extensively about foreign nations
or of adopting an i'll considered and irritating
attitude toward any of them.
In private life there is no one TO whom we
rightly object more than to the man who is con-
tinually offending and insulting his neighbors
except to the man who IN addition to that then
fails to make good. Now, hope to see our for
eign policy conducted always in a spirit not
merely of scrupulo"B regard for the rights of
others, but of scrupulous courtesy toward 9TH
erS; and at the time to keep pre-
in either hemisphere that, once taken, we can
not stand In that attitude not only is 1t
important that the government officials should
behave themselves, but it is important that pTi-
vate citizens should. The public speaker the
writer in the press, the legislator public
servant all it 70 this country to behave
with the courtesy toward others which wodld
like to have extended In return TO us; but be-
have with that courtesy whether it is extended
or not. The outsiders cannot hurt us by being
1nsolent as long as we behave ourselves, and
what they say is Of no consequence to us COM
pared to what say of them. Hard words
won't hurt us if disregard them. Let them
say anything and go and build up the navy.
That will be a much greater provocative to
recrimination, and so have right to appeal to
the men here before me, to the men who in SO
many different walks take the lead in this
great city, to aid in consistently building up
just that type OF foreign policy-a foreign policy
under which shall make the Of tia
United States government an example on one
hand, as it ought to be, for just and proper
insistence upon It's rights, but also an ex-
ample for disinterested and generous willing
ness to treat all other nations, all other powers,
with frank courtesy and good will and to make
1t evident that in this Country'S foreign policy
it recognizes its duty toward the weak just as
much as It's responsibility to the strong.