Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-12-30
WAR JUSTIFIED
SAYS ROOSEVELT
(Continued From Page ~
War Not Always Bad.

Discussing the mental confusion OF
the average citizen who thinks war in
itself Il wrong, Mr.. Roosevelt wrote
that war could be defined rs the use
Of force between nations and that the
question Of whether 1t was right or
wrong depended purely upon the pur.
pose for which and the spirit in which
| 1t was waged.
There are, of course. persons who
believe all force is immoral that 1t is
immoral to resist wrongdoinE by
force" he added. II have never TAX
en- much interest in individuals who
profess this kind OF morality and
do not know the extent to which they
practically apply 1t. But Of course if
they are right in the theory then 1t Is
wrong for man to endeavor by
force to save his wife, or sister or
daughter from rape or other abuse,
or to save his children from abduc-
ton and torture. 1t Is waste OF
time to discuss with any man posi-.
ton OF such folly, wickedness and pol
troonery
IF the man who objects to war OBJ
jects to the use Of force in civil life
his position Is logical, though absurd
and wicked. II the college presidents,
politicians, automobile manufacturers
and the like, who during the past year
or two have preached pacifism in It's
most ignoble form are willing to think
out the subject and are both sincere
and fairly intelligent, they must neces-
sarily condemn q police force or a
posse comitatus just as much as they
condemn armies. and they must re-
gard the activities Of the sheriff and
the constable as being essentially mill
itaristic and therefore to be abolish
ed. When we have discov-
cred a method by which right living
may be spread so universally In Chi
cago and New York that the two
cities can with safety abolish their
police forces, then and not until then
1t will be worth while to talk about
the abolition OF war
Owe Much TO War.
"The sociological society meets at
washington this year" continued the
paper. "only because the man after
whom the city was named was willing
to 20 to war If he and his associ-
ates had not gone to war there would
have been no possibility of discussing
social values In the United States for
the excellent reason that there would
have been no United States. II Lin
coin had not been willing to go to
We. to appeal t9 the sword, to intro
duce militarism On attremendous scale
throughout the United States, the SO
ciolodsts who will listen to this pa
per, IL they existed atfall, would not
be considering the social values emu
merated above but the social values
OF slavery and such governmental and
Industrial problems as can now be
studied in the Central American re-
publics." ~. 81 Il 81 I
julia ward Hoye, IeSriet Beechef
Stowe. IUNgfeltew L0N6N and Whit.
tier were TeferTed to az examples OF
men and women who though strong
against war. chose freedom and union
rather than peace.
cat present in this world and for
the immediate future" wrote MI.
Roosevelt in conclusion, ut IL Ger;
tain that the only way successfully 70
oppose the might which is the servant
OF wrong is by means Of the might
which is the servant of right"
Speakers on the program to discuss
Colonel Roosevelts paper included
DR.. John M. Mez OF the American
Peace society; Miss Mabel Boardman
OF the American Red Cross society
Prof. p. C.. Hayes Of the University OF
Illinois, and Prof. j. @. Dealey Oh
Brown university.