The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1914-08-18

COLONEL SAYS
TREATIES FUTILE
MONROE DOCTRINE PREsERvA.
TON OF AMERICAN
PEACE.

Hartford, Conn.,, Aug. 1s.-Nearl,
half of the political speech COL Roose
ivelt delivered before the Progressiv,
state convention here was devoted +,
discussion of "The great statcalysn
which has engulfed all Europe in war
If the Monroe Doctrine hadw MOI
been steadfastly maintained, he said
the United States, in all probability
would have been drawn into the pres
ent struggle.
Africa, south of the equator. is
now being drawn into the fight al
though without any interest in it We
would have been drawn in in the
same way if it had not been for the
observance of the great principle
which the Monroe Doctrine contains
the principle that this continent shall
not be treated as a place for terri.
torial aggrandizement by old world
powers.
Raps U. s. Peace Pacts.
The peace of the western hemis-
phere largely depends upon the preser-
walton OF this doctrine. 1t is for this
reason | feel that the arbitration
treaties now pending in the senate
would, If adopted, be inimical to the
/ interests of the United States and of
peace, in so far as they would have
any effect whatever. / doubt if they
would have much effect, because in
the event of their attempted execu-
tion against the interests of this peo-
pie l do not belieW they would be ex-
ecuted. But surely it is not an honor
able thing for this nation to enter
into treaties which either could not or
ought not to be kept. Such action
argues badly for our sincerity and
good faith.
Under the proposed treaties if as a
result of this war Denmark or Holland
should part with their islands in the
West Indies to some great old power,
or if at some future time Mexico
should similarly part with Magdalena
Bay to some old world power, we
would be solely bound to join in the
creation of commission which would
investigate all the matters at hand be-
fore we could take any action, and this
commission would include representa-
tives of out side powers.
Force Rules Anyway.
"Within a fortnight we have had
fresh proof of the utter worthliness of
treaties, of names signed to pieces of
paper, unless backed by force, if pow
er or interest demands their violation.
This fact has been demonstrated again |
and again within the last dozen years |
by almost every one of the great ma
tions who are now engaged in this |
war, or who stand with their armies |
partially modified and their fleets |
gathered because of the possibility of |
being drawn into it.
"These proposed arbitration treaties |
Of ours would not be worth the paper |
On which they are written If it became
to the interest of any great military |
power to violate them, and If 1t
thought it could violate them with
We would have bound our
selves in such cases as I have illus
rated to wait a year or so while
Joint commission pursued its weary |
course of investigation and during that
time old world military power, If 1t
desired to retain it's new possessions,
could make a Gibraltar of one Of our
West Indian islands, or of Magdalena
bav. or any other point of territory
which it acquired, and it could then
defy us to turn it out save at the
cost of war which might be as dread
full as any now raging"