The Washington times., 1905-09-20
ENTANGLING ALLIANCES NEEDED.


When an idea takes possession of the
heads Of the masses. IL makes little diff
ference how utterly senseless 1t may be
1t sticks, and sticks, and clings. There
are thousands of old phrases and saws
that are coined and recoined in season
and out of season.
One Of these that has been harped
and written and uttered and remains to
this day one of the pet phrases of our
political and press and economic harpists
is mo entangling alliances and no
meddling in foreign affairs This has
been the burden until the string, it
would seem, would exhaust and fail TO
reproduce it, but We hear 1t in Con-
gress, on the stump in the presS In
the pulpit-everywhere. There are some
things that are so dismally weak, so
wearisome in idiocy, and so microscopic
In Observation-Disclosures that II makes a
man look small TO try TO point out such
rot
If We had not formed an alliance,
and very entangling one, with France
al the very beginning of our struggle
for independence, any idiot must know
we would be today as Canada is. His
majesty's colony in North America"
If this Is not enough to destroy dismal
entire Were TO declare war against us.
This is by no means out of the range
of possibility and may occur any day.
This would be a matter Of the graveSt
nature to this nation and our very ex-
istence would be menaced. Suppose that
under such threatening conditions we
could form an alliance with any nation,
China, Japan, or even with Liberia
Turkey. Roumania, or with any nation
however powerful or however insignifi-
cant, we would catch at any straw, and
we would make as many alliances, and
we would tangle them up with our
enemy as much as ever we could Then
how utterly simple. how dismally sense
less is such rot AS for NEEDING in
nonsensical as its twin brother.
we arc one in family Of nations
whose interests touch and jostle each
other a. every turn. How can we man
recognize these things, particularly
when they come TO us and are recog-
niZed by national community usage and
etiquette IN this way and we in our
turn have gone to these nations under
like conditions, and must so far as we
can see continue to do So This is one
OF the prerogatives and functions of
government, and one that we could no
more ignore, or fail TO perform our part
In than we could fail to perform every
other requirement of government.
Why should we not take a part and
a leading one, too, in every interna-
tionaI question? Is IL because OF our
want of intelligence? Haven't we the
grasp and the comprehension neces-
sary TO qualify us for such a task?
Have we not as a nation, the strength,
have we not In a martial way wrought
enough TO justify US in claiming as a
right-if 1T We're denied US by Europe
TO NEEDLE in that which is in every re-
spect ours as one of the family of na-
tions2
How ridiculous we would look If other
nations would say. TO US as we say TO
ourselves. "You shall take no part in
international questions Could there
be q grosser insult TO q nation than thisy
II would be a Just cause for war and
many wars have arisen on less provo
cation.
Why go further TO show how utterly
untenable such a proposition is?
President Roosevelt's course In bring
Ing about peace negotiations between
Japan and Russia is a grave piece or
''meddling in foreign affairs" and see
the inconsistency In those who have
harped on the no meddling string so
long
His course has been universally prais-
ed. and here is all the proof that is
required OF the utter silly nonsensical
rot there is In such a position.
our diplomacy has made loathsome
mistakes. In fact. this has been the dis
couraging feature OF the question, but
this feature of our political ethics can
not live always. and We can hope for a
betterment in the younger generation
At any rate. deficient as we are In
diplomats and as much contempt as
ours have brought us in, we must &c
part In all international affairs. An
alliance Just now with France would
be immensely popular