Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-10-03


not afraid. who Will not tolerate nor hest
tate TO resent insult or injury, but who him
self never infiiCts insult or injury, is kindly,
gOod-natured, thoughtful of others rights
In short, a good man to do business with
have live In the next house have
friend. On the other hand the man who
lacks any of those qualities is sure to be
Objectionable. If man Is afraid to hold
his own. il he will submit tamely to wrong
doing, he is contemplate. If he is bully,
an oppressor. man who wrongs or insults
others, he is worse and should be
hunted out of the community. But, on the
whole the most contemplate position that
can possibly be assumed by any man Is
. that of clustering of Dragging. of insulting
or wronging other people. while yet expect
Ing to go through life unchallenged and be-
Ing always willing to back down and accept
humiliation If readiness to make good is
demanded.
Act as a Man Would Act
Well. all this is just as true of nation
as of an Individual. and In dealing with
other nations we should act as we expect a
man who Is both game and decent to act In
private life. There few things cheaper
and more Objectionable. whether on the
part of the public man or of the private
man. on the part OF a writer or of a
speaker. an Individual or a group of in
dividuals. than a course of conduct which
is insulting or hurtful whether In speech
act. to individuals of another nation or
to the representatives, of another nation or
to another nation Itself. But the policy be-
comes Infamous from the standpoint of the
interests of the United States when It is
combined with the refusal to take those
measures of preparation which can alone
secure US from aggression on the part OF
others. The policy of peace with insult
Is the very worst policy upon which II Is
possible to embark, whether for a nation or
an Individual. To be rich, unarmed and
yet insolent and aggressive. Is to court we'll
nigh certain disaster. The only safe and
honorable rule of foreign policy for the
United States Is to show Itself courteous
toward other nations. scrupulous not to In
fringe upon their rights, and yet able and
ready to defend its own. This nation Is
now on terms of the most cordial good will
with all other nations. Let make it a
prime object OF our policy TO preserve these
conditions. To do IL is necessary on the
one hand to mete out generous justice to
all other peoples and show them courtesy
and respect and on the other hand, as we
are yet good way OF from the millennium
to keep ourselves in such shape as to make
1t evident to all men that we desire peace
because we think II Is just and right and
not from motives Of weakness or timidity.
As for the first requisite. this means that
not only the government but the people as q
whole shall act in the needed spirit: for
otherwise the folly of few individuals
may work lasting dlscredit to the whole
nation. The second requisite is more easily
secured-let US build up and maintain at
the highest point of efficiency the United
States Navy. In any great war on land we
should have to rely In the future as we
haze relied In the past chiefly upon volun-
teer soldiers: and although 1t Is indis-
pensable that our little army an army
1udicrously small relatively to the wealth
and population OF this mighty nation
should itself be trained to the highest
point and should be valued and respected as
Is demanded by the worth of the officers
and enlisted men, yet 1t Is not necessary
that this army should be large as COM
pared to the armies OF other great nations
But as regards the navy all this Is different
We have an enormous coast line, and our
coast line Is on two great oceans. To re-
pei hostile attacks the fortihcations and
not the navy, must be used; but the best
way TO parry Is to hit-no fight can ever be
won except by hitting-and we can only hit
by means of the navy. 1t Is utterly impos-
Bible to improvise even a makeshift navy
under the conditions of modern warfare
Since the days OF Napoleon no war be-
TWEEN two great powers has lasted as long
as IL would take to build a battleship, let
alone fleet of battleshipS; and II takes
just as long to train the crew of a battle
ship as II does to build It; and as regards
the most important thing of all. the train
Ing of the officers. II takes much longer
The navy must be built and all its training
given in time Of peace When once war has
broken out 1t Is too late to do anything
We now have a good navy not yet large
enough for our needs. but of excellent ma
teriaL Where a navy is as small as ours.
the cardinal rule must be that the battle
ships shall not be separated This year
i am happy TO say that We shall begin a
course which l hope will be- steadily fol-
lowed hereafter, that, namely of keepine
the battleship fleet alternately In the Pa
cifc and In the Atlantic. Early In Decem-
Der the fleet will begin its voyage to the
Pacific. and II Will number friends among
its 70. -.,idable lighting craft three great
battleships. named, respectively the ILL
nois, the Missouri and the Kentucky 1t Is
q national fleet in every sense OF the term
and Its welfare should be- and l firmly be-
heve is much matter of pride and
concern for every man in the farthest In
terior or our country as for every man on
the seacoast. long ocean voyage is
mighty good training: and not the least
good II will do will be to show lust the
points where our naval program needs
strengt hentng. Incidentally think the vow
age Will have one good effect. for to judge
by their comments on the movement some
excellent people In my own section of the
country need TO be reminded that the Pa
cihc coast is exactly as much a part of this
nation as the Atlantic coast
Matter of Domestic Policy.
So much for foreign affairs. Now for
matter of domestic policy. Here in this
country We have founded a great federal
democratic republic 1t is government
by and for the people and therefore a genu-
1ne democracy: and the theory of our Con-
stitution Is that each neighborhood shall be
LETT TO deal with the things that concern
only itself and which It can most readily
deal with: that town. county CITY and
while the nation deals with those matters
which concern all OF US. all OF the people
no matter where We dwell. Our democracy
Is based upon the belief that each individual
ought to have the largest measure of liberty
compatible with securing the rights of other
individuals. that the average citizen the
plain man whom We meet IN daily life Is
normally capable OF taking care OF his own
! affairs. and has no desire TO wrong any one
else: and yet that In the interest OF all
/ there shall be sufficient power lodged some
her n yxir k ah Ia
pling the weak under foot for their own
gain. Our constant endeavor Is to make a
good working compromise whereby we shall
secure the full benefit OF individual initia-
tive and responsibility. while at the same
time recognizing that II is the function of
q wise government under modern conditions
not merely to protect life and property but
60 foster the social development of the peo-
pie 30 far this may be done by maintain
1ng and promoting justice. honesty and
equal rights We believe in real not a
sham. democracy. We believe In democracy
a. regards political rights. as regards edu-
cation, and, finally as regards Industrial