The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1909-06-26

with appropriate salutes.
This then was the end Of the great
venture by the island across the west
ern sea, which had staked its hope of
advancement upon ruthless descent
on an unprepared and apparently i'm
potent nation. 1t had spent years IN
anticipation, had purchased the most
deadly agents of destruction when
ever presented, had worked night and
day in its navy yards to build giant
ships of war, had covered the United
States with its spies until it's espion-
age reached everywhere, and all for
thisi
! Now, after all its deliberate plans
and quick action, it was to accept as
sole cause for jubilation the return
of the men who had manned its mighty
fleet, and wait for the return of ships
that were useless for all purposes. Its
dream of indemnities was gone, its
ambition for more territory was never
to be realized, and its hope of com
peting with other great powers as
world factor had come to naught.
1t is doubtful if the government
shared in the joy of those who HAD
given up for dead the ones they loved
and were now enabled to cast aside
scarfs of mourning. The Japanese
were to learn that one successful war
does not constitute series, and that
all nations were not inefficient The
lesson of civilization had been ham,
mered home with sickening emphasis
Scarcely had peace been concluded
when the administration by declara-
ton to its own people cut as with one
blow of a knife a knot which threat
ened financial panic. 1t was prefaced
with statement that the reason why
no indemnities had been demanded
from Japan was because under altered
be imposing hardship on a naticl
already stricken, without the need
therefor. In substance it stated that
inasmuch as there would be no future
appropriations and consequently no
taxation for navies or Notifications,
vast reductions would automatically
be made in the expense of operating
the government. 1t was also an
nounced that as the United States
had been presented with new form
Of transportation by its inventor, it
had set aside for him and his heirs
sufficient royalties to render them
financially independent, and that fur
thermore in the interest of perpetual
peace the secret of the radioplane
would be maintained inviolable.
The railways Of the country would
be permitted to reorganize and con-
tinue as freight carriers until such
time as their rates were deemed exor-
bitant or their charters expired, the
government abrogating to itself all
passenger traffic within the confines
of its own continent, and declaring
itself competitor for all ocean trans
portation under tariffs to be formu-
lated. 1t ended by asserting that gov
eminent ownership of aerial transport
tation was not adopted at the behest
of any political party, but solely that
the people might derive the benefit
able power. Thus it was that the rail-
ways were still permitted to exist and
no hardship worked save in the read |
justments of capitalization, which |
losses fell mainly upon those who had |
accumulated vast fortunes by the |
very imitation which was now pune
tured.
AS If to knit the world together in |
international harmony, the culmina-
ton came in a message addressed to |
all nations which was penned by the |
hand of the president himself. 1t was |
his proposal for the maintenance of |
peace, and read as follows:
"That war and its barbarisms may |
for all time be done away with, the
United States of America submits
that:
by the grace of God it has been
placed in possession of such power |
that it could not only conquer the |
world, but destroy the inhabitants of |
other nations. This has been fully |
demonstrated. 1t has no desire to- util-
lie its strength unjustly, but purposes
to exert it for the benefit of all men.
ut considers territorial greed to be
the real impelling motive in nearly |
all International wars. Therefore II |
requests all nations become signatory |
to an agreement in perpetuity that un.
der no circumstances shall there be |
any invasion of the territory of one !
country by another, and that all |
boundary lines shall remain as now
established, except they be changed |
by the mutual and amicable agree
ment of the adjoining powers to which
they belong.
Questions involving national dig
nifty can be adjusted by better means
than war, as can nearly all other
questions which from time to time
arise between governments; hence the |