New-York tribune., 1905-02-23
THE PRESIDENTS SPEECH.

President Roosevelt supplemented his Lincoln
Day address in this city with WashngtopS
Birthday address yesterday in Philadelphia. In
the lives of these two greatest Americans he
finds-as every American must tind-unfaiiing
inspiration To their teachings he rightly turns
for guidance in solving present day problems.
In dealing with the race question week ago
he invoked the spirit of sympathy and charity
which was exemplified in Lincolns statesman
ship Yesterday he found some modern ap-
plications for the maxims in which Washing
ton embodied his lofty patriotism and farseeing
wisdom
On one doctrine of Washington, too readily
forgotten in our day, the President laid en-
phatic-and wholly Justihable-streSs. Many
critics who talk about the Big Stick" and the
temptations TO it which must follow the
creation Of an effective navy do not realize
that the military preparedness they scott at
was one of the prime objects at which Washing
tons policy aimed. In his view the 'strong
man armed" was the ideal conservator of hon
orable peace. President Roosevelt quoted yes
terday perhaps the most famous of Washing
toms aphorisms: ITO be prepared for war is one
'of the most effectual means of preserving
peace" And on that utterance he based his
argument that an adequate navy, maintained
on a basis of absolute efficiency, is the surest
safeguard against war He might have gone
further and quoted later utterance of the
first President, developing even more clearly
WashingtOns belief in the necessity of speak
ing softly. but carrying big stick" In Mes
sage to Congress on December 3. 1793 the
Father Of His Country wrote:
The United States ought not to indulge a
persuasion that, contrary TO the order of hu-
man events they will forever keep at a distance
those painful appeals to arms in which the his
tory Of every nation abounds. There Is a rank
duo ha cd nations
which will be withheld. if not absolutely lost,
by the reputation Of weakness. If we desire
10 avoid insult must be able TO repel it; II
we desire to secure peace, it must be known that
are at all times ready for war.
Washington held as President Roosevelt
holds, that our first duty is ''to observe good
faith and justice toward all nations" But both
see that We have another duty, equally clear,
which is TO put ourselves in that state of de-
fence which will enable us to demand from the
rest of the world corresponding measure Of
good faith and Justice At times we have
neglected Washington's wholesome admonl-
tions. Twenty-Five years ago we found our
selves practically without navy and without
seacoast defences. A clash then with any Sec
ond class naval power would have invited hu-
initiation and disaster. We have since awak-
ened from our dream of false security, con-
structed a modern fleet and almost completed a
chain Of adequate harbor defences. But COM
plaint is beginning TO be made in certain quar-
ters that our expenditures for naval purposes
are excessive and the old argument is being ad-
vanced that so long we harm no one no one
will harm us. President Roosevelt is right in
denouncing as mot merely an idle dream, but
"a most mischieVOus dream. the belief that
mere refraining from wrongdong will insure
'us against being wronged." And he could
have made no more appropriate use of yester-
DAYS anniversary than to recall and emphasize
Washington's ever timely warning that the
price of peace is, now as ever, due prepared
ness for war.