The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1910-05-11

Theodore Roosevelt for his lecture be
fore the Nobel prize committee, which
was delivered here Thursday. A large
and distinguished audience listened t
the man to whom was awarded the
Nobel peace prize for bringing about
peace between Japan and Russia. Mr.
Roosevelt said:
Need of Industrial Peace.
It is with peculiar pleasure that ]
stand here today to express the deer
appreciation l feel of the high honor
conferred upon me by the presenta.
ton of the Nobel peace prize. The
gold medal which formed part of the
prize shall always keep, and I shall
hand 1t on to my children as precious
heirloom. The sum of money provided
as part of the prize by the wise gen.
crosby of the illustrious founder of
this World-famous prize system, l did
not, under the peculiar circumstances
OF the case, feel at liberty to keep.
think 1t eminently just and proper
that in most cases the recipient of the
prize should keep for his own use the
prize in its entirety. But in this
case, while did not act officially as
president of the United States, it was
nevertheless only because was pres
1dent that I was enabled to act at all:
and felt that the money must be
considered as having been given me
In trust for the United States. l there
fore used 1t as nucleus for founda-
ton to forward the cause of indus
trial peace, as being we'll within the
general purpose of your committee;
for in our complex Industrial civiliza.
ton of today the peace of righteous.
ness and justice, the only kind Of
peace worth having, is at least as
necessary in the industrial world as
it is among nations. There is at
least as much need to curb the cruel
greed and arrogance of part of the
world of capital, to curb the cruel
greed and violence of part Of the
world of labor, as to check a cruel
and unhealthy militarism in interna.
tional relationships.
When Peace May Be Evil.
We must ever bear in mind that the
great end in view is righteousness,
justice as between man and man, ma.
ton and nation, the chance to lead
our lives on somewhat higher level,
with broader spirit of brotherly good
will one for another. Peace is gen.
orally good in itself, but it is never
the highest good unless it comes as
the handmade of righteousness; and it
becomes a very evil thing if it serves
merely as mask for cowardice and
sloth, or as an instrument to further
the ends of despotism or anarchy.
We despise and abhor the bully, the
brawler, the oppressor, whether in
private or public life; but we despise |
no less the coward and the voluptu-
airy. No man is worth calling a man |
who will not fight rather than submit |
to 1nfamy or see those that are dear
to him suffer wrong. No nation de-
serves to exist if it permits itself to
lose the stern and virile virtues; and
this without regard to whether the
loss is due to the growth of heart
less and all-absorbing commercialism,
To prolonged Indulgence in luxury and
SOFT effortless ease, or to the deifica-
ion OF a warped and twisted senti-
mentality.
Moreover, and above all, let US re.
member that words count only when
hey give expression to deeds CT are
% be translated into them. The lead
srs of the Red Terror prattled of |
peace while they STEPPED their hands
n the blood of the innocent; and
many a tyrant has called it peace
When he has scourged honest protest
nto silence. Our words must be
Judged by our deeds; and in striving
.or a lofty ideal we must use prac-
;ical methods; and if we cannot at
ain all at one leap, we must advance
owards 1t step by step, reasonably
content so long as we do actually
make some progress in the right d.
ection.
Now, having freely admitted the
limitations to our work, and the quail
locations to be borne in mind, feel
hat l have the right to have my
lords taken seriously when I point
ut where, in my judgment, great ad-
ance can be made in the cause of in
irrational peace. I speak as a prac-
cal man, and whatever I now advo.
ate actually tried to do when 1 was
'r the time being the head of a great
alton, and keenly jealous of it's hon.
and interest. / ask other nations
} do only what / should be glad to
re my own nation do.
Treaties of Arbitration.
The advance can be made along
veral lines. First of all there can
treaties of arbitration. There are,
course, states so backward that a
vilized community ought not to en- ,
r into an arbitration treaty with ,
em, at least until we have gone 7
uch farther than at present in Sc. /
ring some kind of international po- r
e action. But all really civilized t
mmunitles should have effective ar d
tration treaties among themselves. i