New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-10-16
THE LESSON OF THE REVIEW.

President Taft has been consistent
and ardent advocate Of international
arbitration as substitute for war, lie
has cone further than any Of his prede-
cessors in negotiating stringent arbi'
tration treaties-treatics which would
hind the countries signing them to take
larger risks in case the judgment went
against them than have been taken
hitherto. lie is entitled to speak Win
exceptional authority rs a laborer for
peace. and that fact gives all the
greater weight to bis opinion, expressed
at the dinner given to the officers or
the navy on Monday night. that de
creasing the strength OF the naval
establishment would not be nj present a
heIpful step toward International peace.
The President wisely said:
do not. think the world has yet
reached a point where adNah'a @
[rCr,Id not be taken OF our inability 20
resist attack. or % meet other nations
on an equality in war. and ] hDheFe
that IL is essential in order that we
should Preserve our prestige by the tN-
hibTion of actual power OF rtslstah's
and of attack. until through our ihll-
,ncc. and with all other nations equally
anxious to bring about peace, there
shall be substituted some sort oi III
hunal or court or board OF arbitration
before which any nation SHAH De en-
ahled to call IN any other nation 10
answer. and 10 execute any ludSinehJ
delivered against Il after nearing.
Events I'm Europe show that no Euro
pean power can safely Join Just now in
2 programmc Of disarmament. The
leading nations there are more ar less
at the mercy Of hotheadcd smaller
powers ready 70 60 to war for racial
advantage or territorial agcrandIze-
ment. Arbitration makes little or no
appeal to governments whose actions
are controlled 10y racial untagouismS
Each great power feels that II needs
all It's present military and naval
strength TO protect itself against the
acgressions Of other powers, rs well as
to contribute effectively toward main
tanning the status quo 50 FAR rs the
disturbing small states are concerned.
Ii would be as eXtravaEant 10 ask
Europe to disarm to-day as 1t would
he to ask the police force here to dis
arm while the gunner Of the East
Side remained in the field.
The United States must keep its navy
up to the first class level or be dis
tanced by the other chief powers Of the
world in offensive and defensive pre-
paredness. The work to be done by the
navy has been increased by the build
ing of the Panama Canal, which must
he guarded by the Atlantic and Pacific
fleets, and every consideration Of sound
national policy points to the advisable
ity Of further naval development. The
Democratic party in the House Of Rep
resentatiyes blindly attempted az the
last session 10 check the nayy's growth,
and one peril involved in the capture Of
the Senate and the Presidency by the
Democrats would be a ruthless assault
on the navy under the cover Of peace
at-any-prlce policy.
The Democratic candidate Tor ircSl-
dent has yet 10 say word In rcbuke
of the little navy" plans Of Speaker
Clark and Leader Underwood. and
those who support him at the polls will
take the risk Of voting into the control
Of the government an organization
which would gladly sacrifice the adj
vantaces which the United States Is
now reaping from its thirty years
steady labor in developing a first class
feet