The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-11-07
ROOSEvELT'S
REFLECTIONS
rcontinued from Page one.l


they failed to provide methods for car
rying such ordinances into effect. In
every case the. result was the same.
Good citizens for the moment aban-
doned their weapons. The bad men
continued to carry them. Things grew
worse instead Of better: and then the
good men came to their senses and
clothed so-1e representative of the po-
lice power to employ force. potential or
existing, against the wroncdoers.
Affairs in the international world are
at this time in analogous condition.
There is no central police power. and
not the least likelihood of having one
organized. Well-meaning enthusiasts
have tried their hands to an almost un-
limited extent in the way of devising
trality treaties. disarmament proposals
and the like. with no force back of
them, and the result has been stupend-
GUS and discreditab1e failure. Prepared
ness for war on the part of individual
nations has sometimes but not always
averted war. Unpreparedness for war.
as In the case Of China, Korea and
Luxembourg. has invariably invited
smashing disaster. and sometimes COM
plete conquest. Surely these conditions
should teach lesson that any man
who runs may read unless his eyes
| have been blinded by folly or his heart
weakened by cowardice.
son for each individual nation is that
| as things ar now it must in time of
crisis rely on its own stout hearts and
| ready hands for self-defense. Exist
ing treaties are utterly worthless SO
far as concerns protecting any free, well
behaved people from one of the great
aggressive military mOnarchies of the
world. The all-inclusive arbitration
treaties such as those recently nego-
tiated by Messrs. Wilson and Bryan,
when taken in connection with our re-
fusal to act under existing treaties.
represent about the highest point Of
slightly mischievous faulty which can
be attained in International matters.
Inasmuch as we ourselves are the
power that initiated their negotiation,
We can do our plain duty to ourselves
and our neighbors only by ourselves
proceeding from the outset on the the
DRY. and by warning our neighbors. that
these treaties in any time Of crisis will
certainly not be respected by any SER
ious adversary, and probably will of
necessity be. violated by ourselves.
They do not in even the very smallest
| degree relieve us of the necessity of
preparedness for war. To this point
of our duty to preparedness 1 will re-
| turn later.
| The second point is that we ought
not and must not rest content merely
with working for our own defense. The
| utterly appalling calamity that has be-
| fallen the civilized world during the
| last three months, and above all the
horrible catastrophe that has over
whelmed Belgium. without Belgium's
having the smallest responsibility in
the matter, must make the least
| thoughtful realize how unsatisfactory
| Is the present basis of international re-
lations among civilized powers. In or
der to make things better several things
NJ ~ .-A H.
| the fact that mere selfish avoidance of
duty to others. even although covered
by such fine owrds as peace" and ''neu-
| trality,'' is a wretched thing, and an
obstacle to securing the peace of right
eousness throughout the world. We
must recognize clearly the old common
| law doctrine that a right without a
remedy is void. We must firmly grasp
the fact that measures should be taken
to put force back of good faith in the
observance of treaties. The worth Of
| treaties depends purely upon the good
faith with which they are executed;
and it is mischievous folly to enter into
treaties without providing for their exc
cution. and wicked folly to enter into
them If they ought not to be executed.
| An International Tribunal.
| 1t is necessary to devise means for
putting the collective and efficient
strength of all the great powers Of
|
power which Is wronged by another
power. In other words, we must de-
wise means for executing treaties in
good faith, by the establishment Of
some great international tribunal,
and by securing the enforcement Of
the DEGREES of this tribunal through
the action of a posse comitatus Of
powerful and civilized nations. all Of
them being bound by solemn agree
ment to coerce any power that Of
tends against the DEGREES Of the tri-
| bunal. That there will be grave diff
ficulties in successfully working out
| this plan I would be the first to con-
cede, and 1 would be the first to in
siSt that to work 1t out successfully
would be impossible unless the ma
tions acted in good faith. But the
plan is feasible, and it is the only one
which at the moment offers any
chance of success. Ever since the
days of Henry w Of France. there has
been a growth. slow and hating to be
sure but yet evidently a growth. in
recognition by the public conscience
of civilized nations that there should
be q method Of making the rules of
international morality obligatory and
binding among the powers. But
merely to trust to public opinion with
out organized force back of 1t is silly.
Force must be put back Of justice.
and nations must not shrink from the
duty of proceeding by any means that
are necessary against wrongdoers. 1t
is the failure to recognize these vital
truths that has rendered the actions
Of our government during the last
four or five years impotent to pre-
} serve world peace and fruitful only
in earning for us the half yelled deri-
, sion of other nations.
The attitude OF our own government
during the last three months shows
how worthless the present treaties
unbacked by force. are, and how ut
terly ineffective mere passive neutral
ity is to secure even the smallest ad-