The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-10-24
SAYS ADMINISTRATORS PEACE
POLICY SHOULD BE AID
IIERED TO.
People Should be Careful OF Express
siOns of Opinions FavOring Either
Side i'm COniiict-TrcaticS Will
Prove of Importance.

Of the association on foreign soil at
Montreal last year with the present
situation OF each half of the Eu-
ropean world rejoicing at the enOr-
nous losses. reaching into the hun
drcds of thousands, Of the other halt.'
Such human cdtastrope, such q
cataclysm in history, bcggars q vocab-
ulary inadequate for description and
throws gloom over the entire world"
nc continued. 1T makes the peace
full administration of justice and a
discussion of plans for its improve
mont, seem prOSaic and uninterestinS.
While we stand aghast at this awful
welter Of blood, destructive of the
happiness of Europe, we are pro-
foundly grateful for our splendid isO-
latiOn and the freedom from cntang-
ling alliances which Washington en-
joined upon the American people.
"The overwhelming importance to
us of keeping out of the struggle has
led President Wilson to warn the
pressions, and actions to maintain. as
FAR as possible, an impartial attitude,
and in this appeal he should have the
warmest approval and the sincerest
corporation of all of us. Most Of us
do not understand how much sisniti-
cameo European peoples give to hos
tile expressions OF our press and of
prominent men, which they are quite
inclined to regard as either inspired
or at least acquiesced in by our gov
ernment, and as embodying the views
'es~the~satlro~p ~pssnle.assxI ksys sdo+an&sast
prcciate the comparatively little
weight in judging our national attitude
that ought to be given to editorial ex-
pressiors. or hastily prepared COM
municatiOns based on current reports
nee essarily inaccurate or biased. The
language Of the president, in which
he declined to be drawn into q de-
cision or an expression of an opinion
on the complaints of beliigerents, was
most admirable, and showed to tn
world that we must show that VIC do
not intend to be drawn into this con-
troVcrsy in any way: that while We
arc willing to assist as much as pos
Siblc III bringing about peace, cur al
litude as judges cannot be invoked
until we are given formal authority.
with stipulated condition by the
parties to abide the Judgment.
I'VE arc the principal nation, and
might almost say the only nation, Of
the Christian world not SO related to
the struggle that both sides may real
ly regard us as disintercstcd friends.
1t is our highest duty, and the prcsi-
dent makes plain his earnest appre-
Ciation Of this, not to sacrifice and de-
stroy this great leverage for success
full mediation when the opportunity
arises, by ill-advised and premature
Judgments upon the merits. The SEN
sitlveness of the struggling par;ici-
pants TO every view, friendly or hos
tile, is most acute. Many of us can
remember how We felt when SINH
larly placed.
Meantime in the sound OF battle,
peace treaties are being made bctwccn
US ana many of the bcliigcrcnts, by
which we agree to IL period of one
year as locus penitcntiac before a
declaration of war. This docs not
seem large step, but it is something
ana might prove to be most \alua Die
under circumstances that one can
imagine. The present war, however,
haS been used by the opponents, of
arhi'rat!on to prove that treaties are
Of no avail, and that if a nation wish
eS 10 go to war, no treaty will prevent
II. No one who has advocated treat
les of arbitration rs "A means Of avoid
inS armed conflict has ever contend
cd mat th"y are an absolute insjlr-
ance against war. Nobody has con-
'oh"cd mat treaties are not broken. Is
it reason that sorno arc broken that
we should give up making them?
ANA now that we are discImsinc
compliance with treaties and the Cr-
feet of treaties Of arbitration and of
peac" upon the chances of war, is i,
not good time for us to clean our
own houses ana TO pat ourselves in a
position where We can rulGu to the
i"t'cr every treaty that we have en-
tered into: We have made many
treaties of Friendship ana pcacc-in-
decd treaties With all the world-in
which we have assured To aliens. sub.
icCtS or citizens of thc rtb,r marty. to