Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1912-01-04
ROOSEVELT RAPS
PEACE TREATIES
DECLARES GENERAL. ARRlTRA
TON AGREEMENTS ARE
WORTHLESS.
DISCUSSES %ABROGATION
Asserts Congress Acted Right, but
That We Will Be Exposed to
Worlds Derlslon If Docu-
ments Are Ratified.

New York.-Col. Theodore Roose-
welt, in the Outlook, emphasized his
ahtagonism toward the general arbi.
tration treaties, which are among the
chief policies of the national admins
tration. He bitterly denounced them
as being designed to tell against
peace and put us as a nation in an
attitude of unctious and odious hypoc-
risy."
By inference, at least, he severely
criticises President Taft in regard to
the treaty matter. Abrogation of the
Russian treaty, he declares, puts this
nation where it can not sin honor"
adopt the proposed arbitration trea-
ties. In his editorial the former pres
ident said: F..
81 cordially approve the action taken
by congress in abrogating the Rus
sian treaty, because men must vote
and act on the situation that actually
confronts them, and in the actual
event congressman had only two al
ternatives, namely, to abrogate the
treaty or to submit to the continu-
ance of conditions which have become
intolerable to our national self-re-
spect and which represent continuing
wrong, especially to American citizens
of Jewish faith.
Il still believe that in so serious a
matter it would have been well first
to endeavor to ecure a decision by
the Hague court on the Interpretation
of the existing treaty. l am confident
that such a decision would of neces-
sity have been in our favor; and if so,
it would have enabled Russia to have
retired from an untenable position
with good grace and no loss Of self
~respect-an object that should always
be held in view in dealing with any
foreign nation with which at any time
we have difficulties; while If the de-
cision as to the Interpretation of the
clause in question had been adverse
to us, we would then at once have alb
rogated the treaty and have been
clearly right in so doing.
Under these circumstances to rat
ify the general arbitration treaties
would put the American people in an
attitude of peculiarly contemplate
hypocrisy and would rightly expose us
to the derision Of all thinking man
kind; for w would put ourselves in
the position of making sweeping and
insincere promises impossible Of per-
Torrance at the very time, when by
our own actions we showed that we
would, certainly not keep such prom
ises, O translate them into action.
Believes in Arbitration.
Il believe that W. can normally ar
bitrate the question of the interpreta-
ton of a treaty, even if only as the
preliminary to adopting the very Sc
rious action of de%nouncing such a
But | do not believe that we
can arbltrate with the intention of
abiding by the arbitration such ques-
ton as treating all our citizens alike
without regard to their creed in the
of passports, or such questions
as the Monroe doctrine, the admission
of Asiatic immigration in mass, the
refusal of states to pay bonds, or
many other similar matters.
Il short, / do not believe that we
can afford to arbitrate questions of
vital interest and national honor or
questions OF settled American govern
mental policy. Moreover, the attitude
we are now taking as regards the abb
rogation OF the Russian treaty shows
beyond possibility of doubt that if we
were SO foolish or so timid as to
agree, as an abstract matter, by gen.
eral arbitration treaties to arbitrate
such matters, we should repudiate the
agreement whenever a concrete case
arose in which any considerable num-
Der of our citizens took an active in
Under such circumstances to pro-
ceed with the ratification of the gen.
eral arbitration treaties unamended
would be not merely a farce, but a
played at the expense of our
reputation for national good faith and
sincerity"
H |