The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1911-09-16

oldleS anu france ana England, Is
succeeded by a disposition closely to
scrutinize these agreements.
The true friends of peace and inter
national friendliness are not those who
assume treaty is perfect simply be-
cause it provides for arbitration. We
want the best treaties possible. We
want no jokers in arbitration, any
more than in anything else. A single
equivocal clause is enough to poison
an otherwise well considered agree.
ment. The disposition scarchingly to
examine the proposed pacts with Eng
land and France is a favorable sign OF
the deliberateness of the popular judg-
ment. 1t has long been we'll known
that certain provisions of the treaty
with Great Britain were Objectionable
to many Of our German-American and
Irsh-American citizens. The Irish and
Germans who have refused to accept
these treaties at their face value, who
have insisted on analyZing them, and
have pointed out whatever is thought
amiss, deserve long credit mark for
studying the treaties cautiously. To
do that is good citizenship. And it is
poor citizenship and bad craftsmanship
likewise to jump at the conclusion that
everything in these pacts must neces-
sarily be good. because the general
purport of the treaties may be sound.
There is time enough to think. Let us
not be precipitate.
AS their principal sponsor, President
Taft is naturally anxious about the
fate of these agreements, his god
fatherly solicitude for them tends to
make him oblivious to their faults. But
their Importance is us capable of being
exaggerated as it is of being underes-
timated. We're they confirmed, after
elimination of whatever may appear
Objectionable, their ratification would
be an episode impressive in it's larger
outlines, and marking an appreciable
step in the way Of broadening the
scope of arbitration
1t should, however, be particularly
observed that the difficulties that have
been overcome were not very great.
Or all the major Powers, England and
France are among those least likely
under any contingency, to have war
with ourselves. The kinship of race,
the contingency of a great share of
England's territorial dominions, extern
sive community OF interest, are knit
ting the bonds of friendship between
the United States and England closer
every year. AS to France, she is our
old ally, a nation of whom we have al
ways been fond, and who has derived
her present democratic institutions
from us. AS between France and Eng
land, the two are making common
cause in the Morocco situation, and
England and France are relying upon
each other in the event of a possible
Anglo-Germanic-Gallic crisis.
So viewed in its aspect of world noli-
tics, 1t is seen at once that this mutual
pact, while significant, is not so sharp-
~ defined an event as would be, saw.
similar agreement between England
and Germany, or between ourselves
and Japan. War between the German
and the British Empires is not an alto.
gether remote possibility, neither is
war between the United States and
Japan, wholly fantastic speculation,
But war between the United States and
england, or the United States and
France, is almost inconceivable, and
clash between England and France
could only be brought about by some
altogether unlooked-for upheaval in
European affairs. 1t is the slightness
OF the obstacles encountered, the ease
In bringing our own country, France
and England together, which lends a
certain academic quality to the treaties
now before the senate.