Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-16

that its course during the half dozen open
ing years Of the century be accepted as a
guaranty Of the truth of it's professions.
During these six years We can conscien-
tiously say that without sacrificing our
own rights we have yet scIuDulousiy re-
spected the rights Of all other peoples.
With the great military nations of the
world. alike in Europe and in that newest
Asia, which is also the oldest, we have pre-
served a mutually self-respecting and kind
ly friendship.
In the Philippine Islands we are train
ing a people in the difficult art of self
government with more success than
those best acquainted with the facts had
dared to hope We are doing this be-
cause we have acted in spirit of gen.
uine disinterestedness of genuine and
single minded purpose to benefit the Is
landers and. 1 may add, In a spirit
wholly untainted by that silly senti-
mentality which is often more dangerous
to both the subject and the object than
downright iniquity. In Panama we are
the greatest engineering feat of the
ages, and. while we are assuming the
whole burden of the work, we have ex-
plicitly pledged ourselves that the use
islands of the Caribbean we have in
terfered. not as conquerors, but solely to
avert the need of conquest The United
States army is at this moment In Cuba,
to the position of a elfgoverning re-
public.
The Santo Domingo Treaty.
With Santo Domingo we have just ne
gotiated a treaty especially designed to
prevent 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 to hon
est creditors their debts and to the gov
eminent of the islands secured In
come, and giving to the islanders them
selves the chance, If only they VIII take
advantage of it. to achieve the internal
peace they SO sorely need Mr.. Roots
trip through South America marked the
knitting together in the bonds of self
respecting friendship of all the republics
of this continent; 1T marked step to-
ward the creation among them of COM
munity of public feeling which will tell
for justice and peace throughout the
western hemisphere: BY the joint good
offices of Mexico and ourselves we avert
ed one war in Central America, and did
what we could to avert another, al
though we failed. We have more than
once, while avoiding oficious interna-
tional meddling, shown our readiness to
help other nations secure peace among
themselves. A difficulty which we had
with our friendly neighbor to the south
bitration at The Hague. difficulty
which we had with our friendly neigh
Dor to the north of US we solved by the
agreement of joint commission COM
pies in interest. We try to avoid med
ding in affairs that are not our con-
Germ. and yet to have our views heard
where they will avail on behalf of fair
dealing and against cruelty and oppres-
sion. We have concluded certain arbi-
tration treatiest. l only regret that we
have not concluded a larger number.
Help in Practical Way.
Our representatives will go to the second
peace conference at The Hague instructed
to help in every practicable way to bring
some steps nearer completion the great
work which the first conference began. 1t
is idle to expect that a task SO tremendous
can be settled by any one or two conferen-
ces and those who demand the impossible
from such a conference not only prepare
acute disappointment for themselves, but by
arousing exaggerated and baseless hopes
which are certain TO be disappointed play
the game of the very men who wish the
conference to accomplish nothing. 1t is
not possible that the conference should go
more than a certain distance further In the
right direction Yet believe that it can
make real progress on the road toward in
ternational justice, peace and fair dealing.
One of the questions. although not to my
be brought before the conference will be
that of the limitation of ornaments The
United States, owing to Its peculiar posi-
ton, has a regular army so small as to
of any other frst-class power. But the
circumstances which enable this to be SO
are peculiar to our case, and do not war
rant us In assuming the offensive attitude
of schoolmasters toward other nations.
Naval Strength.
We are no longer charging our navy.
We are simply keeping up It's strength, very
moderate, indeed, when compared with our
wealth, population and coast line; for the
addition of one battleship a year barely
enables US to make good the units which
become obsolete. The most practicable step
In diminishing the burden Of expense caus-
ed by the increasing size Of naval arma-
ments would, l believe, be an agreement
limiting the size of all ships hereafter to
be built, but hitherto it has not proved
possible to get other nations to agree with
us on this point.
More important than reducing the expense
of the implements of war is the question of
reducing the possible causes Of war. which
can most effectually be done by substitute
ing other methods than war for the settle
ment of disputes OF those other methods
the most important which Is now attainable
is arbitration. do not believe that In the
world as it actually is. 1t Is possible for any
nation to agree to arbstrate all difficulties
which may arise between itself and other
nations; but / do believe that there can
be at this time a very large Increase In the