The Washington herald., 1908-04-15

Vanced refOrmers and faT-sighted
patriots in the Chinese empire
are at present seeking q may add.
with our hearty good Wild for a radical
and far-reaching reform in internal af-
fairs In external affairs the policy
has resulted in various other nations
now holding large portions of Chinese
territory, while there is a very acute
fear in China lest the empire, because
Of its defenselessness. be exposed &c
absolute ACKNOWLEDGMENT, and It's we'll
wishers are able to help If only in a
small measure, because no nation can
help any other unless that other can
help itself
America Worlds Policeman.
The State Department is continually
appealed 10 to interfere on behalf of
peoples and nationalities who insist
that they are suffering from oppres-
sion; now Jews in one country. now
Christians in another; now black men
said TO be oppressed by white men in
Africa Armenians, Koreans. Firms.
Poles. representatives Of all appeal at
times TO this government. All of this
oppression is alleged to exist in time of
profound peace, and frequently, al
though by no means always, it is al
legged 20 occur at the hands Of people
who are not very formidable in a mill
tary sense.
In some cases the accusations Of op-
preston and wrongdoing are doubtless
ill-fOunded In others they are well
founded. and in certain cases the most
To-
occurred, accompanied with frightful
cruelty. II is not our province to de-
eide which side has been right and
which has been wrong in all or any Of
these controversies | am merely refer
ring TO the loss of life.
1t is probably a conservative state
ment TO say that within the last twelve
years, AT periods of profound peace,
and not as the result Of war, massacres
and butcheries have occurred in which
more lives of men. women. and children
have been lost than in any single great
war since the close Of the Napoleanic
struggles. To any public man who
knows OF the complaints continually
made to the State Department there is
an element Of grim tragedy IN the claim
that the time has gone by when weak
nations or peoples can be oppressed by
those that are stronger without aFOus-
ing effective protest from other strong
interests. Events still fresh in the mind
of every thinking man show that
neither arbitration nor any other device
can as yet be invoked to prevent the
gravest and most terrible wrongdoing
to peoples who are either few in num-
bers or who. If numerous have lost the
first and most important of national
virtues-the capacity for self-defense.
Safeguard Against MIIitarism.
When a nation is so happily situated
as is ours-that is, when 1t has no
reason 10 fear or TO be feared by its
land neighbors-the fleet is all the more
necessary for the preservation of peace.
Great Britain has been saved by its
fleet from the necessity of facing one
of the two alteTnatives-Of submission
10 conquest by a foreign power or of
itself becoming a great military power.
The United States can hope for perma-
nent career OF peace on only one condi-
ton. and that IS on condition of build
ing and maintaining a first-class navy:
and the step TO be taken toward this
end a. this time is to provide for the
I earnestly wish that the Congress
would pass the measures for which
have asked for strengthening and rem
dering more efficient the army as we'll
as the navy; all of these measures as
affecting every branch and detail Of
both services are sOrely needed. and 1t
would be the part of farsighted wisdom
10 enact them all into laws. but the
Of the four battle ships.
Quotes George Washington.
To carry out this policy is but to act
in the spirit OF George Washington:
is but to continue the policies which he
outlined when he said, Observe gooS
faith and justice toward all nations.
Cultivate peace and harmony with ALL
. Nothing is more essential than
that permanent. inveteTate antipathies
against particular nations. and passion
ate attachments for others should be
excluded. and that in place of them
just and amicable feelings toward all
should be cultivated.
Il cannot recommend 10 your notice
measures for the fulfilment of cur
duties to the rest of the world with
out again pressing upon you the ne
cessity Of placing ourselves in a condi-
ton OF complete defense and of exact
ing from them the fulfllment of their
duties toward us The United States
ought not to indulge a persuasion that.
contrary to the order Of human events.
they will forever keep at a distance
those painful appeals to arms with
which the history OF every other nation
abOunds. There is a rank due to the
United States among nations which will
be withheld, if not absolutely lost by
the reputation of weakness. If we de-
sire to avoid insult. we must be able TO
Tepel it; if we desire to secure peace.
one of the most powerful instruments
Of our rising prosperity, It must be
known that we are at all times ready
for war"
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.