Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-05-12
DEL|BERAT|ONT TIME
PAST, DECLARES 7. R.
Says U. S. Should Cut Off CON-
merce Relations With Ger
many in "a Hours
REVIEWS WILSON'S SPEECH
Doubts If Policy of Blood and Iron
Can Meet Policy of Milk
and Water
REVIEWS WILSON'S SPEECH
SheciaI 10 The Trlcrrnhh

Syracuse, n. Y. May 12.-Colonel
Theodore Roosevelt announced to-day
what action, in his opinion, this coun-
try should take toward Germany be-
cause of the sinking of the Lusitania.
Mr.. Roosevelt earnestly said that the
time for deliberation was past and that
within twenty-four hours this country
could and should take effective action
by declaring that all commerce with
Germany forthwith shall be forbidden
and that all commerce of every kind
permitted and encouraged with France,
England and the rest of the civilized
world"
Mr.. Roosevelt said that for America
to take this step would not mean war,
as the firm assertion of our rights
could not be so construed, but he
added that we would do we'll to re-
member that there are things worse
than war"
The Colonel has been reading care
fully President Wilson's speech in
Philadelphia and what seemed to inn
press him most was this passage
from it,
There is such a thing as a man be-
ing too proud to fight. There is such
a thing as nation being so right that
I it does not need to convince others bv
force that it is right"
Asked If he cared to make any corr
ment upon the speech of the Presi-
dent, Mr.. Roosevelt said:
II think that China is entitled 10
draw all the comfort she can from this
statement. and il would be well for the
United States to ponder seriously what
the effect upon China has been of man.
aging her foreign affairs during the
last fifteen years on the theory thus
enunciated.
IF the United States is satisfied with
occupying some time in the future the
precise international position that
Shlna now occupies, then the United
states can afford to act on this theory
But IL cannot act on this theory If it
desires to retain or regain the position
won for it by the men who fought
under Washington and by the men
who in the days of Abraham Lincoln
wore the blue under Grant and the
gray under Lee.
81 very earnestly hone that we will
The proper time for delIberation
was prior TO sending the message that
our government would hold Germany
10 strict accountability il il did the
things 1t has now actually done.
Inc 100 babies drowned on the
LIusltania' the hundreds OF women
drowned with them, scores of these
women and children being Americans,
ana the American ship. the Gulflight
which was torpedoed, offer an eloquent
commentary on the actual working OF
tie theory that force is not necessary
TO assert. and that a policy of blood
nii anu IRON can with efficacy be met by n
policy of milk and water.
see it stated in the press dis
patches from Washington that Ger
many now offers to stop the practice
on the high seas committed in vio-
ianon of neutral rights she is pledged
10 observe If we will abandon further
neutral rights which by her treaty she
mas solemnly pledged herself to see
that we exercise without molestation.
Such a proposal is not even entitled
10 an answer. The manufacturing and
shipplng OF arms and ammunition to
any pelngerent Is moral or immoral
according to the use to which the arms
ana ammunition are to be put If they
arg TO pe used to prevent the redress
OF the hideous wrongs inflicted on Bel
gum, then it is immoral to ship them.
II tney are to be used for the redress
OF tnose wrongs and the restoration OF
belglum to her deeply wronged and
uhoIending people, then it is emil
hemIIy moral to send them.
without twenty-four hours delay
tnls country could and should take
enectlve action by declaring that in
view or Germany's murderous offenses
against the rights of neutrals all COM
merce with Germany shall be forth
WIN WIN forbidden and commerce of every
kind permitted and encouraged with
france: England and the rest of the
civilized world. This would not be a
declaration of war. It would merely
prevent munitions of war being sent
to power which by its conduct has
| SHOWN Willingness to use munitions to
slaughter American women and chill
dren.
II do not believe the assertion of
our rights means war. but we will do
well to remember there are things
worse than war.
Let us as a nation understand thaN
peace is of worth only when it is the
handmaiden of international righteous
ness and of national self-respect."