The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-10-13
HOW TO STOP WAR
Y. S. Can Bring Peace to Small
Republics, Says Taft.
Take Charge of Custom Houses,
Is His Plan.
REVENUE is STOPPED.
RevOlutiOnists Thus Fail to Get
Funds for War.
Santo Domingo System Urged
for Other Countries.
REVENUE is STOPPED.

Sacramento, Oct. 13.-President Taft
first important speech in California
was delivered here today from the
steps of the state capitol building. The
president spoke in behalf of proposed
treaties with Nicaragua and Honduras
and vigorously defended the policy OF
| the administration which he salu
muck raking journals have labelled
| Dollar Diplomacy Broadly speak
ing President Taft said the proposed
| treaties with these countries before the
| senate would secure for them flnan-
| cial agent in the United states VINO
| would settle their existing debts on
| Just basis and who would point the
road to peace and prosperity to two re-
| publics, rich in natural resources but
| torn by strife and revolution. The
president pointed out the efficacy of d
similar arrangement with Santo Do
mingo where this government collects
the customs and sees that foreign debss
are paid, exercises a benefit supervision
that Mr. Taft said has accrued to the
/ upbuilding of SantO Domingo. Objec-
tion to the treaties in the United States
senate, the president said, was based
| largely upon the proposition that uney
would make entangling alliances with
republics in this hemisphere Tor the
promotion of a banking contract since
the money for the payment of the debts
of the two republics would be furnished
by American interests Another OBJ
| lection discussed by the president was
that the Monroe doctrine was sufficient
bond between the United States and
Latin American countries.
TT is objected that this is dollar
diplomacy . said the president, land
that we ought to have none of it. Give
dog a bad name and you know what
follows. To call a piece of statecraft'S
dollar diplomacy is to invoke the con-
demnatiOn of the muck raking journals,
EL-T e. r@P
phrases of a lurid character The
United States did not enter into this
treaty for the promotion of its own
banking business or that of any of its
citizens. It was thought advisable to
favor a contract with American bank
because such a contract would tend to
keep trade with America This is the
correct object and purpose of diplo-
matte negotiations.
The Complete Speech.
The speech in full follows:
MY Fellow Citizens: The subject of
the ratification of treaties by the senate
is frequently confidential, and that
prevents public discussion of the pros
and cons which might sometimes be
useful. Treaties are much less the
subject of public consideration than
are statutes, because by the Constitu-
tiOn they become the law of the land.
In this respect they differ from treaties
OF other governments, winch are only
interna tiOnal contracts. Sometimes
the senate removes the injunction of
secrecy from treaties and the discus
sion of their merits 1t is to certain
treaties which I have submitted to the
senate which that body has now pub
lished and laid before you for consid-
Grafton and discussion, that I call your
attention today. They are the treaties
I made with the republic of Honduras
and the republic of Nicaragu for the
o
these Central American republics.
I'VE have heard a. great deal during
the past six months in favor of general
arbitration treaties for the promotion
of the peace of the world. I believe
there has been Of late more genuine
expression of sentiment among all the
people of the earth for peace than ever
before in the worlds history. The
craving for some effective means of
promoting peace grows not so much
tion with which the great nations are
increasing the stupendous burden of
armies and armament, making Europe
an armed camp, with the growing
menace of bankruptcy.
1.-The fact is that we have had very
little war in the last % years. and one
of the reasons has been the rivalry in
preparation for war and the certainty
of financial disaster to some nations
which must follow.
Substitute Must Be Real.
among these great nations there is |
the conservatism of domestic stability |
and the law abiding character of the |
population. Universal treaties of arbi- |
tration for such countries are of the |
highest Importance as probably fur |
nishing a means by which all may be |
ultimately to reduce their |
armaments, when it shall become ap- |
parent that arbitration is a real and |
practical substitute for war
II would not therefore minimize the |
of such treaties in the ulti-
mate cause of peace; but I wish to
point out that at present wars chiefly |
arise, not between we'll ordered nations |
having well armed, we'll recruited. and |
we'll disciplined forces, but out of in
the rebellion or revolution of part of a
people against the constituted author
ity of the other part. They proceed |
from the lack of stability of govern
ment and cupidity and the am bition
Of partisan leaders among the people.
There are countries where the occu-
patton of a revolutionist has become
profession and the unhappy common
people of such a country have no time
for peaceful pursuits. and perforce are
driven into guerilla warfare for mere
self protection. Starvation succeeds
plenty in countries as productive as
any in the world. The institutions of
civil liberty. if they ever were inaugu-
rated under a high sounding consti-
tuition, cease to exist, revolutions fol-
low each other in rapid succession, the
finances of the government are in
hopeless confusion. and it is a stretch
Of the Imagination to call what little
authority remains government at ali.
Such has been the fate Of some Of the
Central American republics.
Lying between Mexico on the north
and the Isthmus of Panama on the
south, they have had the benefit of all