The Washington times., 1911-11-02
ROOSEVELT AIMS
new BLOW At TAFT
ARBITRATION plan
Cites Cases Of China And
Turkey To Show Folly
Of Peace Schemes.

NEW YORK, Nov. 2.-Arbitration Of
every disputed question. even inclu.ling
questions involving the national honor,
an advocated by President Taft. Is dis
approved by former President Roose-
welt In D signed editorial in this week. s
issue Of the Outlook.
1T wonld he not merely foolish. but
wicked for us as e nation to agree to
arbitrate any disputes that affect our
vital interest or our independence or our
honor" emhatically declares the form
er President In direct contrast to tho
pleas Of President Taft.
Colonel Roosevelt tells Of the historic
siege of Lille and Of the cffer Uf sur
rendcr Of Marshal De Bouhers, to which
the victorious Prince Eugene Of Savoy,
replied, asking the vanquished leader
tC write his own terms of surrender as
surfing him:
II 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 civilized
nations OF today can take toward one
another" declared Colonel Roosevelt,
when questions involving the possi-
substance the same as the attitude that
these two great and gallant soldiers
took.
Surely the real friends of peace in
this country ought to be able to profit
China and in, the Mediterranean durin 9
the fall months. since the arbitration
treaty was considered In the Senate.
SnS sevo enhs IN china
Demonstration Of the empire, and we
have seen war unexpectedly break out
between Turkey and Italy. In Chino
for. the revolt. because of the tyranny
and misgovernment. and this tyranny
and misgovernment have been greater
than in any really civilized nation. al
much less efficient than. that Of any any
civilized power. The complete absence
Of mtlitarism in China. and Chinas ef-
Tort to rely purely or pacific measures
in dealing with foreign powers, have
caused it to lose various provinces to
various foreign powers within the last
few decades.
Turkeys treaties with various Euro
pean powers explicitly guarantee her
integrity. and yet all the treaties thus
guaranteeing her against dismember-
ment are not worth as much as a single
gunboat Of the smallest size the minute
serious opponent to attack her.
1t would be not merely foolish but
wicked for us as a nation to agree to
arbitrate any dispute that affects our
vital interest or our independence or oul
honor; because such an agreement
would amount on our part to a covenant
to abandon our duty, to an agreement
to surrender the rights Of the American
people about unknown matters at un-
known times in the future. Such an
agreement would be wicked II kept, and
yet to break it-as 1t undoubtedly would
be broken II the occasion arose-wouid
De only less shameful than keeping 1t.
If as a people, we wish to
make genuine advance - we
should agree definitely to submit to ar
bitration. all disputes that do not in.
vo1ve the. vital interest, the independ-
ence or honor Of the nation, and we
should at the same time make provision
which will tend to bring about a pa .
cifc solution Of all disputes not covered
by the treaty.
"on these two questions of duty ana
honor the nation. II true to itself. can