New-York tribune., 1907-04-16
PRESIDENT ON PEACE
oOntinu.a from hrst page.

ders), ard the road stretches far ahead even Of
the most advanced Harm and not good would
result if the most advanced nations. those in
which most freedom for the individual is COM
bsned with most efficiency in securing orderly
guStice as between individuals. should by agree
ment disarm and place themselves at the mercy
OF other peoples less advanced, Of other peoples
Etill IN the stage OF military barbarfsm or MILL
Rary despotism. Anything in the nature OF gen
eral disarmament would do harm and not good
if II left the civilized and peace loving peoples,
those with the highest standards Of municipal
and International obligation and duty. unable 70
check the other peoples who have no such stand
ards, who acknowledge no such Obligations.
Finally il hohoOVpS all Of US TO remember. and
especially those OF US who either make or listen
20 speeches, that there are few more mischievous
things than the custom Of utteTing or appauding
sentiments which represent mere oratory ana
which are not and cannot be, and have not been.
translated from words into deeds. An lmpas-
stoned Grafton about peace Whlch ,hc,uHeS an
fmpassiOned demand for something Whlch ue
man who makes the demand either knows or
ought Ia know cannot as a matter "l ldctr p"
done. represents not gain, but loss. Tor The cause
of peace; for even the noblest cause is rnarred
by advocacy which is either insincere or foonSh'
CAN DO MUCH TO ADVANCE CAUSE.
These warnings that I have uttered do not
mean that / believe can do nothing 10 au-
vance the cause Of international peace. ON the
contrary. 7 believe that we can do much 10 ad-
vance II, provided only we act with SANITY, -
with self-restraint. with power which must ne
the prime qualities in the achievement OF any
reform. The nineteenth century saw on Il5
whole. real and great advance in the slttuC
of international conduct, but among civilized
nations and by strong nations toward WestheI
and more backward peoples. The iWehlleln
century viii, L believe, witness muql gIea''I
advance in the same direction. the Inlleu
States has right 10 speak on behalf of Sucn A
cause. and to ask that its course during tne
half dozen opening years 81 the century pe a
cepted as a guarantee of The truth or us pro-
fessions. During these six years we can consCl-
entiOusly say that without S2cIlntlnS our "NN y"
rights have vet ScrGpuously respected the
rights Of all other peoples. WIN me great
military nations Of the world alike i'm Europe
onds- hat a "a hip a 4lER The Oldest.
we have preserved a mutually selt-respecUng
and kindly friendship. In the Philippine lsiahus
training a people IN the difficult art OF
self-goVo ornment with more success IMAM llose
best acquainted with the facts had dared 10
hopea We are doing this because we have acted
in a spirit Of genuine disnterestedness. OF genu-
inc and single minded purpose - 5eneht Inc
islanders. ana. I may add in spirit wholly un-
tainted by that silly sentimentality which Is
often more dangerous 10 both the subject and
the object than downright iniquity. In Panama
we are successfully performing what Is TO ne
The greatest engineering feat Of the ages. ana
while We are assuming the whole burden Of the
work ne have explicitly pledged ourselves that
the use is TO te free for all mankind. In the
islands Of the Caribbean We have interfered NOT
as conquerors, but solely To avert the need or
conquest. The United States army is at this
moment in cuba, not as an act OF war, nut 10
restore cuba TO the position Of a self-EOYerning
republic. With SantO Domingo we have just
negotiated a treaty especially designed 10 pre-
vent the need of any interference either by US or
by any foreign nation with The internal affairs
Of the island, while at The same time securing
10 honest creditors llelF NeblS ana 10 lne gov
ernment OF ;he islands a secured income, ana
giving 10 the islanders themselves the chance, il
only they viii take advantage Of it. TO achieve
the internal peace they 50 SOrely need. MT
Roots trip through South America marked the
knitting together in the bonds of self-respecting
friendship of all the republics Of this continent;
Il marked a step toward the creation among
them of community Of public feeling which
will tell for justice and peace throughout the
Western Hemisphere. By the joint good offices
Of Mexico and ourselves We aNerted one war in
Central America and did what could to avert
another although We failed. We have more
than once, while avoiding OfiiCiOus international
meddling, shown our readiness 10 help other
nations secure peace among themselves. A diff
Guilty which we had with our friendly neighbor
10 the south of US solved by referring il to
arbitration at The Hague 4 difficulty which
we had with our friendly neghbor TO the north
OF US we solved by the agreement Of a joint COM
mission composed of representatives Of the two
peoples IN interest. We try TO avoid meddling
IN affairs that are not our concern, and yet TO
have our views heard where they viii avail
behalf Of fair dealing and against cruelty and
oppression. We have concluded certain arbtra-
ton treaties. I only regret that We have not
concluded larger number
MUST NOT EXPECT SETTLEMENT YET.
Our representatives VIII go TO the second
peace conference at The Hague instructed 10
help In every practicable way to bring some
steps nearer completion the great work which
the first conference began II is idle to expect
that task so treW ndOus can be settled by one
or two conferences and those who demand the
impossible from such conference not only pre-
pare acute disappointment for themselves, but
by arousing exaggerated and baseess hopes
which are certain to be disappointed play the
game OF the Very VINO wish the conference
10 accomplish nothing. II is not possible that
the conference should go more than a certain
distance further in the right direction. Yet I
believe that il can make real progress on the
road toward International justice. peace and
dalf oeailns. one Of The questions, although not
70 my mind one Of the most important which
VIII be brought before the conference VIII be
that Of the limitation Of armaments The United
states, owing 20 its peculiar position. has reg
nlar army so small 10 be infiniteSlmal when
compared 10 that OF any other first class power.
But the circumstances which enable this TO be
50 are peculiar TO our case, and do not warrant
US in assuming the offensive attitude Of school
masters toward other nations. We are no longer
charging our navy. We are simply keeping up
its strength very moderate indeed when com
pared with wealth, population and coast
line, for the addition If one battleship q year
barely enables us 10 make good the units which
become obsolete. The most practicable step i'm
diminishing the burden Of expense caused by
the Increasing size Of naval ornaments would,
DelleNe, De an agreement limiting the size of
al ships hereafter TO be built, but hitherto IL
has not proved possible 10 get other nations 10
agree with this point
More important than reducing the expense of
the implements Of war is the question Of reduc-
ing the possible causes OF war, which can most
effectually be done by substituting other meth
DDS than war for the settlement Of disputes OF
those other methods the most important which
1s now attainable is arbitration. l do not be-
ueVe that in the world as St actually is il is
difficulties which may arise between itself and
other nations; but i do believe that there can
be at this time very large increase in the
classes OF cases which il is agreed shall be arbi-
frated ard that provision can be made for
greater facility and certainty Of arbitration |
nope 70 see adopted a general arbitration treaty
among The nations, and j hope TO The Hague
court greatly increased in power and perfna-
nency, and the judges in particular made per
usanent and given adequate salaries, so as TO
make IL increasingly probable that in each case
mat may come before them they will decide be-