Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-09-08

64A~~A&%-&
NEW YORK. Sept. LEX President
Roosevelt deals with the arbitration
treaties presented to the senate in an
editorial article appearing IN the Out
look today. He says in part:
re - one oe our prime duties as
nation to seek peace. It is an even high
or duty 10 seek righteousness. 1t Is also
our duv not to indulge In. shams. not
TO make believe We are getting peace by
men ought to know cannot work in prac-
tice and which II We sought to make
It work might cause irretrievable harm.
sincerely believe in the principle Of
arbitration: | believe in applying that
principle so far as practicable; but I
believe that the effort TO apply where II
il not practicable cannot DO good and
may do serious harm. Confused think
ing and a willingness to substantiate
words for thought. even though inspir-
ed By an entirely amiable sentimentality.
do not tend toward sound action.
Il think that the great majority Of
those persons who advocate any and
every treaty which is called q treaty tor
peace or for arbitration would be less
UAE8A
10 hurniIiate their country II they would
take the trouble 70 formulate clearly and
definitely Just what II is that they de-
sire. or course there are persons who'll
~ Indifferent TO the national honor and
interest who, in consequence. cannot be
reached by an appeal to national honor
and interest: and there are other persons
whose Ingrained personal timidity Is
such that they are more afraid OF war
than OF any dishonor. personal or ma
tional
RIGHTEOUSNESS FIRST.
I'VE, the American people. believe. and
ought TO believe. in righteousness first
and In peace as the handmade OF right
eousness. We abhor brutality and
wrong doing whether exhibited by nations
or By individuals We hold that the same
law Of righteousness should obtain be-
tween nation and nation as between man
and man /, for one. would rather cut
off nv hand than see the United States
raopt the attitude either OF cringing be-
fore great and powerful nations VINO
wish to wrong as. or by bullying small
and weak nations who have done US no
wrong.
.arhe. American people desire to do JUS
tee and to act with frank generosity
Inward all the other nations OF man
And: but err greatly IN my Judgment
Of my countrymen If they are willing
% submit TO wrong and injustice Again
and again in the pest they have shown.
md rightly shown. that when the cholce
lay between righteousness and peace.
hey chose righteousness, Just exactly as
they also chose righteousness when the
choice lay between Righteousness and
var"
WARS ARE CITED
Mr. Roosevelt cites the revolutionary
var. civil war and the Spanish-American
was as an instance in which I'VE put
righteousness above peace" He also cites
he existing arbitration treaties between
he United States. Great Britain and
france as better than the proposed trea-
les. because they make no false pre-
3enses and exclude questions affecting
,ur vital interests. Independence or hon
Dr. he continues:
..The proposed arbitration treaty Is
defective. in the first place. because IL
: not STRAIGHTFORWARD. IL sets forth
hat All UNSUITABLE matters shall be ar
,itrated. The language both of the op-
,ouents and the defenders of the treaty
shows that even among our own peo-
,le. and before a cause for applying the
reafv has arisen. there is hopeless con-
ssion as TO what Justiiable' means.
such being the case. Il can be imagined
low useless would be the effort TO de-
Inc .justi6able' when a serious conflict
lad actually arisen and blood was up
md passion high The wording OF the
reaty IS so loose. Il so lacks explicit
less. as 10 allow one set Of It's advo-
-ates to announce that il binds US TO ar
hfrate everything and another set 10 say
hat under IL we would not have TO arbi-
rate anything We did not wish to.
HYPOCRISY NO HELP.
rsNeon- No moral movement is peruna-
ientlr helped BY hypocrisy. Does the