Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-05-19
ARBrrRATE NATIONAL HONOR.

ARBTTRATE NATIONAL HONOR.
We are somewhat surprised and
yet it is not to be wondered at eth
er, that Theodore Roosevelt is OPP
posed to the proposed peace agree
ment with England. Mr.. Roosevelt
bases his opposition on the fact that
the agreement includes arbitration of
questions affecting the nations hon
or. The former President evidently
believes that this is a matter to be
defended with force of arms.
But fighting was the idea of the
past century. In the olden days a
man felt that his personal honor was
something to be defended with the
sword or pistol and dueling was n
common practice. If a man felt that
he had been insulted he at once
sent a challenge to the nan against
whom he held a grievance and a
fight usually followed. 1t was deem
ed unmanly and a sign of co~wardice
to submit such an affair to trial be-
fore a court.
We do not believe Mr.. Roosevelt
is in favor of dueling between indi-
viduals today. The world has pro-
pressed and such combats are now
looked upon as a sign of b%arbarity.
But what is war if not a duel be-
tween nations conducted on an
enormous scale? Now, to be con-
sistent we would think that if fight
ing between individuals is something
to be abhored, even when the ques-
ton of honor is involved, fighting
between nations over the same
cause is to be discouraged.
Two wrongs never makes a right.
Neither can an insult be wiped ont
by doing something equally as dis
graceful. AS bitter as we may feel
against a nation that we may mag
inc has insulted us, are we justified
in this enlightened age, in sending
our young men out to be shot down
and to murder other men, when by
keeping cool and having the alleg-
ed insult carefully considered by a
competent court, proper apologies
may be made and the affrOnt recti-
fed to the satisfaction of all sides?
We believe that as the age of duel
ing between individuals has passed,
or is rapidly passing away, so will
war between nations soon become a
thing of the past. President Taft,
if he succeeds In bringing about the
first real peace agreement, will have
made a name for himself that will
pass down the ages as n of the
worlds greatest men.
While we have always believed
that Theodore Roosevelt was ready
to take the lead in every movement
that tended toward progress In the
world, we can understand his feel
ings on the subject here considered.
| He is Of a strenuous nature and has
shown by his record in public life
that he believes In acting first and
thinking 1t over a~fterward. He is of
the same temperament as Emperor
Wilhelm, who also refuses to con-
slider the proposition to arbitrate the
matter of national honor. 1t is Of
ten the hasty actions of such men
that lead to trouble which, had cool
er heads been in control, could have
been amicably settled.
We do not believe any American
will stand for an insult of any kind,
but the world is progressing and we
are beginning to realize that there
are other ways of settling an insult
than fighting over it. The strenu-
Gus ones we will always have with
US, and it is well that this is SO, for
there are occasions when they are
very useful. Everyone will admit
that R~ooseVelt's "big stick" was just
what was needed to arose the young
manhood of the nation to a true
sense of duty In public affairs. But
we believe that the age of human
slaughter is over. Theodore Roose-
welt to the contrary, notwithstand-
ing.