The Washington herald., 1914-04-25
THE OPEN FORUM.
Writer Takes Senator Borah to Task
for Let Alone" Sentiments


To the Editor: The Herald Of April "a
quoted Senator Borah as saying:
1T is said that the United States today
is the most unpopular member of the
family Of nations. The reason il
that We have an utter incapacity for at
tending to our own business and TO leave
the internal concerns of other govern
ments to the people within those govern
ments."
| Kindly permit me to ask the Senator
few questions and offer few comments
upon the principle involved in his stand,
as above taken.
| He admits a family of nations" and
that the United States of America, and
Mexico, and other countries named, are
| in that family and that the United
States of all the members Of that family
Is the most unpopular" Why? Because
We intermeddle in the affairs of other
lcountries-our neighbors-other members
] of this same family"
Wen. have We no responsibility as
| reighbors toward those members of tbe,
family who so misbehave themselves
as to endanger not merely themselves. bur
other members of this same family?
Does the Senator believe in the policy
| OF disinterestedness which might be
called indifference. to the demands of
humanity and present-day civilization?
Suppose We go to the Senator'S own
home and find some Of his neighbors
shooting each other, and some Of his
other neighbors wounded by the stray
bullets. one Of which hits the Senator,
would the municipality have a right to
step in and insist on a conduct on the
part Of these quarrelsome and vicious
neighbOrs, becoming a law abiding com
munity? And do not our police officers.
by this means. become the most un-
popular TO certain class OF peace dis
turbers?
But the Senator wound not consent to
it. He would attend to his own bust
ness whether the business of his other
neighbOrs suffered or not? Then why
is he Senator? Whom does he represent
If not his neighbOrs? Whose business is
he trying to attend to now if not his
neighbors?
Where is Abel. thy brother" was
asked of a murderer.
i know not" he answered. and asked.
Am l my brothers keeper
Does not the Senator's policy Of in
difference make it criminal misunderstood
ness to neglect to heed the cry Of dis
tTess? The United States is big il must
therefore help the weaker ''membar''
against those who. either by Ignorance
OF urteltIul purpose, would diSDOil and
break up the peace OF nations. The
tnit-d States is bound to maintain A
strict surveillance upon the tu-hu..nr
nelghbor. however unpleasant task =
may be. because the interests Of humanity
demand il: the interests Of tn. other
members in the family demand il.
the interests If the better and NOR. pcac,.
loving people of Mexico themselves de-
mand il.
l cannot believe that the Senator him
self Is a real advO ate Of the crimina.
disinterestedn SIS which he voices. He IS
tnfue need with a spirit of partisanshin
which, for the moment. units him To-
speak according To his better Judgment
He would be the first to reject the
principle he now advocates as. to b..
consistent in carrying il out in all its
logical sequences, he would unlock all
prison doors. and let every man do what
seemeth to MIN right and it would ba
nObOdy's els-. business" Il would be
the antediluvian spirit rampant again,
until only God could and would stop il.
: \. WHITE