The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-08-31
MONEY QUESTION WILL
CAUSE NO MORE TROUBLE
His Solution for Great Questions Are
APPLY Emphasized BY Illustrations
Brought From Foreign
Countries.


coming welcome was notable effort. His
remarks in full are as follows
Like all travellers who have visited
other lands, l return with delight TO the
lands of my birth more proud of its peo-
pie, with more confidence III its govern
anent. and grateful to the kind providence
that cast my lot in the United states.
My national pride has been increased by
abundant evidence l have seen on the al
truistic interest taken by Americans IN
the people of other countries. | return
more deeply impressed than ever before
with the responsibility which rests upon
our nation exemplar among the
nations and more solicitious that we
avoide the causes which have led other
nations to decay. may present higher
ideal than has ever before been embodied
in national life and carry human pro-
gress to a higher plane tnan 1t has be-
fore reached.
II desire, moreover, to acknowledge in
debtedness to the attention of those who
have everywhere Shown us all possible
courtesy and kindness.
II do not know that | can better show
my appreciation of the we.come accord
ed me by my countrymen than to sub
init some suggestions drawn from obser-
vations during the past year. Japanese
educator addressing me through an in
terpreter said
!" / wish you would find the worst thing
in Japan and tell us about IL, so that we
may correct it,
II commended the generous spirit which
he manifested, but assured him that 1
had not visited Japan in search of faults
and blemshes, but rather that ! might
find the best things In Japan and take
them home for the benefit of my own
people. Each nation can give lessons to
every other, and while our nation is IN a
position to make the largest contribution,
az holt o. tna o1t Him of 10
1t ought to remain in the attitude OF a
pupil and be ever ready to profit by the
experience of others.
First Message One of Peace.
The first message that | bring from the
old world is a message of peace. The
cause of arbitration is making real pro-
gress in spite of the fact that the nations
most prominent in the establishment of
The Hague tribunal have themselves been
engaged in wars since that court was or
-ganized. There is a pereeptible growth
in sentiment In favor of the settlement
of international disputes by peaceful
means. 1t was my good fortune to be
present at the last SESSION or the inter
parliamentary union which convened IN
London on the 23rd of July. Twenty-six
nations were represented and these in
cluded all the leading nations OF the
world. This peace congress, as II is gen.
orally known, not only adopted resolu-
tions in favor of the limitation of arma
ments and the arbitration of all questions
relating to debts, but unanimously en-
dorsed the proposition that all questions
of every nature should be submitted to
an impartial tribunal for investigation or
to the mediation of friendly nations be-
fore hostiities are commenced. 1t is not
necessary to point out the Importance of
the position taken. The embodiment of
the suggestion in treaties would go long
way toward removing the probability of
war. While the idea is of American ORR
gin ii was heartily accepted by the rep
resentatives of England. France, Ger
many and other European countries.
America Should Propose It.
II believe that If our nation would pro-
pose to make with every other nation
a treaty providing that all questions in
dispute between the parties should be
submitted to The Hague court or some
other impartial International tribunal for
investigation and report before any dec
lara ion of war, or commencement of
hostilites, it would find many nations
willing to enter into such a compact. 1
am sure from the public utterances OF
the President and Prime Minister of
Great Britain. Sir Henry Campbell Ban
herman. that such treaty could be
made between the great English-speaking
nations, and their example would be
followed until the danger of war would
be almost If not entirely, removed. To
take the lead in such a movement would
establish our position as world power
in the best sense of the term and what
argument can be advanced against such
action on the part of the United States?
Shall we yield to any other nation In
the estimate to be placed upon the value
of human life? l confess that my aver
sion to killing Increases with the years.
Surely the Creator did not plan the
4, Of flana
race dependent upon wholesale blood let
ting. ] prefer to believe that war. in
stead of being an agency for good, is
rather an evidence OF mans surrender
to his passions, and that one Of the tests
of civilization is mans willingness to SUBJ
nit his. controversies to the arbltrament
of reason rather than of force.
ForclbIe Collection of Private Debts.
Another subject connected with our
foreign relations-I venture to suggest
that we may not only promote peace
but also advance our commercial In
terests by announcing a national pol
icy that our navy will not be used for
the collection of private debts While
protecting the lives of our citizens every
where. and guaranteeing the personal
safety of all who owe allegiance to our
flag. we should in my judgment announce
that persons engaging in business and
holding property in other lands for bus
mess purposes, must be subject to the
laws Of the countries In which they
engage In business enterprises.
MANY profitable fields Of investment
are now closed because the people of the
smaller nations afraid that an in
yestment of foreign capital will be made
an excuse for a foreign invasion Several
times on this trip this fact has been
brought to my attention. and l am con-
WINGED that for every dollar we could Sc
cure to American investors by an at
tempt to put the government back or
their private claims, we should lose many
dollars by closing the door to invest
ment Mark the distinction between the
protection of the lives of our citizens and
the use Of the navy to guarantee profit
on Investments. We do not imprison
for debt in the United States, neither do
we put men to death because of their
failure to pay what they owe and our
moral prestige as well as our commercial
interests will be conserved by assuring
all nations that American Investments
depend for protection upon the laws of
the country to which the investors co.
Lost Prestige by Coloniaisnn.
Before leaving international politics,
let me add that our nation has lost pres
tige rather than gained 1t by our exper-
1ment In colonialism. We have given the