Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1911-11-02
ROOSEVELT TAKES
!. ISSUE WITH TAT I.
/ Disapproves Arbitration Plan Advo-
Gated by President
Taft.
ARBITRATION FOOLISHFOR US.
The Former president Refers to Pres
cnt Conditions in italF. Turkey and
China to Substantiate His Views.


China to Substantiate His Views,
New York, Nov. 2.-Arbitration of
every disputed question, even includ-
ing questions involving the national
honor, as advocated by President
Taft. is disapproved by former Pres
ident Roosevelt in a signed editorial
in this weeks issue of the Outlook.
1T would be not merely foolish
but wicked for us as nation to agree
to arbitrate any disputes that affect
our vital interest or our independence
or our honor" emphatically declared
the former President in direct con-
trast 10 the pleas Of President Taft.
Col. Roosevelt tells of the historic
siege of Lille, and of the offer OF
surrender OF Marshal De Boufiers,
TO which the victorious Prince Eu-
gene or Savoy replied, asking the
vanuuished leader to write his own
terms of surrender assuring him:
Il shall change nothing, save in
the case that something is put in
contrary to my honor and to my
duty"
The attitude that the highly civil
lized nations Of today can take to-
ward one another" declares Col.
Roosevelt, when questions involving
the possibility of war are at issue
should be in substance the same as
the attitude that those two great and
gallant soldiers took. A smaller man
than Prince Eugene, or bloodthirsty
and ungenerous man, would never
have written such letter and there
by would have shown not only less
generosity but also in reality less Wis
dom: and on the other hand weak
or foolish man who had attempted
to act with similar generosity would
probably have promised too much,
and then found himself in the dis
creditable position Of being obliged
either to betray his country's inter-
csts or to go back on his p.iShted
word. BY reserving to himself the
right to refuse TO do anything in
conflict with honor and duty, by prom
ising everything he could perform.
and then making his promise good,
Prince Eugene rendered service to
humanity; and in especial, by his
deed in making good his words, he
advanced the standard Of civilized
conduct between enemies.
In proposing and in carrying out
arbitration treaties, the American
people should act in precisely this
spirit. 1t is astounding to realize
what short memories many persons
have. and the willful blindness with
which they close their eyes TO the
teachings of even the most history.
But even when people are blind in
the past, they ought to be able to
see what is happening in the immedi-
ate present. Surely the real friends
OF peace in this country ought to
be- able to profit by the events that
have happened in China and in the
Mediterranean during the past fall
months. since the arbitration treaty
was considered in the Senate. Dur
ing these months we have seen wide
spread revolt in China, with utter
disorganization Of the empire, and
we have seen war unexpectedly
break out between Turkey and Italy.
In China there has doubtless been
much excuse for the revolt because
OF the tyranny and misgorernmcnt,
and this tyranny and misgovernmcnt
have been greater than in any really
civilized nation, although the Chinese
have an army very much less efficient
than that of any civilized power. The
complete absence Of militarism in
China. and China's great effort to
rely purely on pacific measures in
dealing with all foreign powers, have
not only caused it to lose various
provinces to various powers within
the last few decades, but have not
had the smallest effect in saving it
from tyranny. misgorernment and
for the most part, far-reaching econ
omic misery at home, and. moreover,
have had the effect of depriving it
means even of keeping order within
it's own boundaries.
g.. y TURKEYS treaties
with various European powers ex-
plicitly guarantee her integrity, =
and yet all the treaties thus guaran-
teeing her against dismemberment,
are not worth as much as single
sunboat Of the smallest size the min
ute it becomes worth while for any
serious opponent to attack her.
1T would not be merely foolish for
for uS as a nation to agree