The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-05-23
OUR NEEDLESS WARS.

The Honorable John W. Foster, at
one time Secretary of State and a
noted diplomat, perhaps the foremost
now living in America, recently deliv.
cred lecture in Hartford, Connecticut
on the uselessness of some of the wars
that this Republic has been engaged in
Just now there is a vigorous and exten-
sive propaganda for the onding of all
wars; for the reign of universal peace.
But if war, as war, is to be condemned,
how much more must we condemn wars
that are absolutely unnecessary aud un-
dertaken not only without any proper
cause, but in absolute violation of the
better sentiment of the countryl
In this lecture Mr.. Foster pointed out
two absolutely unnecessary and unjust
fled wars that we have engaged in. As
TO the first. it was not only needless,
but it was humiliating and exasperat-
ing. This was the War of 1912. As
Mr.. Foster pointed out, the War of
1912 was entered upon against the bet
ter judgment of the country. Presi-
dent Madison and a minority of Con
gress so large and so strenuous as to be
almost controlling. were absolutely op-
posed to that war. The party urging it
on was known as the ''War Hawks.
Henry Clay, John G. Calhoun, and
other young public men forced it with
the boast that theN would "dictate
peace at Quebec II is true that this
country won some brilliant naval en-
gagements during that war, but the war
on land was humiliating, ineffective and
exasperating in every respect There
were no proper preparations, no vigor
of action, no unity of effort. 1t would
have been quite possible TO have won
substantial advantages in Canada that
would have preserved us all of the Pa
cifc coast and that would have given
us what are now some of the most
promising and fertile regions Of the
Dominion. But we failed utterly.
The war with Spain had a good
many of the characteristics Of that Of
1912. President Mckinley was opposed
to that war, as President Madison was
opposed to that Of 1872. and in each
case the advantages obtained by this
country were inconsiderable as com
pared with the enormous loss of life,
and of waste and expenditure. AS In
1912, the English orders IN council,
which were the main causes of the war
were repealed before the war was dc.
clared, so in the Spanish War, Spain
in fact gave way on every point before
war against that country was declared
by Congress.
Mr.. Foster claims that the war with
Mexico in 1916 was also an unneces-
laws of nations. And so it was, In a
sense. And yet it was justified from
the national feeling of sympathy with
the Texans, and with the idea which
was beginning TO be firmly fixed in the
American mind, that we must have the
thence TO the Pacific. We were Just.
emerging from a warm quarrel with
Great Britain about the Oregon boun-
dary. and the feeling was that our Pa
ciic shore line should be extended
southwark to give us substantial
frontage on the Pacific The Oregon
country was being rapidly settled by
Americans, and the advantages of Cali
fornia TO us. with the weakness of the
Mexican hold on the country, were well
known. In fact, it was war OF CON
quest and iustifable on that ground,
but on that ground only. 1t was nee
essary for us to have all Of this region.
and that war gave it to us. If we
could have got it otherwise, it would
have been much better, but probably
we could not otherwise have gained it,
and thus the Mexican War was iusti-
fed by its results The acquisitions
therefrom were absolutely necessary to
the rounding out of the strength and
the destlnies Of the great Republic
Yet. Mr.. Foster is entirely justified in
declaring that under international law
and on the morals of the case, we were
in the wrong. But it is a wrong that is
justified. in chat we make an enormous
beneficial use Of this region which the
Mexicans would never have done. We
have taken possession Of this country
and are developing its resources. Mexi
co would never have done it; in fact,
il requires the American blood. the
American spirit, and American money
to waken up old Mexico itself as
Americans are now doing to such a
great extent,
While students Of American history
will generally agree with Mr. Foster
that the War Of 1912 and the war with
Spain were uniustifed, both in incep-
tion and in results, they cannot agree