The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-12-22

TirneS.)
An ex President of the United States
publicly advocated in the Sunday New
York Times a course OF national on
duct so dangerous that il would be
difficult for II ~unacquainted with Mr..
RooseveltS idiosycrasies to refrain
from describing il as insanity.
1t is, OF course, not tina but only
the oUtgivings Of a disappointed meE.
who always (even while III the mos
responsible of of1ces) has been utter
ly irresponsible as to fact, law, conse-
quence, or deduction, and who il
Smarting CAS- possibly no other liviue
being could smart) under the destiny
which has denied him, with his re
markable theatrical talents. a position
on the stage at the most dramatic mo-
ment of history.
Mr.. Roosevelt is grieved, as ali his
co~untryrnen are, at the "unlawfUl"
acts which have marked the war. He
enumerateS the German invasion q
Belgium, the Japanese capture Of
kiaO-Chau, the sinking of the Kaiser
Wilhelm der Crosse by the British
ship Highfyer in Spanish waters. the
alleged sowing Of mines in the open
sea, and the like
Mr.. Roosevelt would nave us take
action in all of these cases. il We
had had an intelligent and Tesolute
President and Secretary Of State, they
would have taken action on July %.
so, or 81. certainly not later than
August IL Such q. President ana
Secretary Of Of State, instead of peace
ably carrying on the government Of
the United States. would have "devot-
ed all their energies to the terrible
problems of the day" They would
not have observed a timid and spirit
less neutrality" but would haVe
EIix~AI ~ 80 49, ~l
ing action" If we had had in the
Presidential chair a man of intelti-
gence and resolution (like, let us Sa
Theodore ROOSEVELT we should have
done what We were Solemnly bound
TO do" The mutual recriminatione
hurled at II another by England.
Germany. France and Belgium-eu
avows the ex-President-"not only
gave him president WILSON, warrant
for action, but required him to act
Thus rashly and violently writes Mr..
Roosevelt. Ignorant Of the fact thai
The Hague rules regarding neutrality.
regarding mines, regarding everything
Which troubles Mr.. Roosevelt and sad
dens us all, nave never beer ratified
by Great Britain, nor by France, no:
by Belgium, and that by their oWu
provision these articles are binding
only if ratified by all belligerents; ie-
norant likeWise Of the fact that the
United States, in ratifying certain o.
The Hague rules, added the express
stipulation tina the action was not to
be taken as involving this governnenI
in any way in an obligation to en-
force their observance on other pow
ers; snatching up the agues notions
current among s~treet-corner idlers
concerning the laws Of war and the
rights and duties of nations; forget
full Of the grave results hat woUld
follow our Intervention: Indifferent Il
The welfare of the hundred millions q
our own kindred; neglectful of the
true duties Of neutrality, and. above
all, sublimely superior to the difficulty
Of as~certaining the truth and judging
righteous Judgment amid the Whirl-
charge; this man would ave the
United States government step into
the ring as the referee Of the fight
laying down the rules and breaking
heads all around to enforce them
Our true course" he exclaims
SHOULD be to judge each nation or
its conduct, unhesitatingly antagoniz
ing every nation that does i'll"
Has a more amazing speech eve.
peen given utterance by anybody Ou
Of badIam?
It was not a Roosevelt who. in re
ply to the plea, "Master, speak TO ~.
brother that he divide the inheritanc,
with me-" answered, Man, who mad,
me a judge or a divider over YOU o.
The only comment that sober me,
Z can make Oh such wild words as thes
: OF Mr.. Roosevelt is this: that, if the.
r had been published five days earle,
the country would have gone to it
knees with its disposition to Civ
; thanks profoundly increased by
sense of it's escape from the incon
celvable calamity OF having in tn
Mite House at such an hour this in
~carnatOn Of raShnesS. violence. an,
lrresponsibility, in room Of the saga
clous man who today, at the head @
the nation, walks with recollected feo
The imDeriled path of peace.
lnOcuiatiOn for lIngliSh Garden Pen