The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-05-09

truth as to these charges can be conclu-
siv"ly shown and the responsibility can
be measured by the standard of inter-
national law and justice. The guilty
will then inevitably incur the odium of
the civilized world. and those falsely
charged will be vindicated. 1t is this
future Judgment of enlightened nations,
as clearly set forth by President Wilson.
which To-Day must restrain the warning
powers from inhuman practices. rather
than condemnation by neutral powers for
charges made in the heat of conflict and
based Upon Incomplete knowledge of all
the circumstances.
In view of tho simple facts set forth
above. the abstract question as to wheth-
er il is the right and duty of the United
States, in any case. to protest against
a violation of n Hague convention need
hardly he considered Since. however.
Mr.. Roosevelt bases his condemnation of
the government entirely upon his as
sumption that this obligation does exist,
il is well to note that no such right or
duty is set forth affirmatively in any
document signed at The Hague. Presi-
dent Roosevelt's own delegates. more
over. took particular care to absolve the
l-nitc'l States from the obligation which
h now takes for granted when they ap-
PENDED to the agreement the following
explicit reservation:
Nothing contained in this convention
shall I've so construed as to require the
United States of America to depart from
its traditional policy of not intruding
upon. interfering With, or entangling it,
self In the political questions of policy
or internal administration Of any foreign
state"
The purpose Of this proviso was. of
trine, which guarantees our noninter-
ference in European politics in return
for the ronintcrserence OF foreign nations
on this hemisphere. Surely Mr.. Roose
Welt must have been aware of this when
he ordered the signature Of the United
States to these conventions" and no less
surely row. if he will stop and think, he
must realize that the assumption by this
government CT j.: obligation as guaran-
tor CT the neutrality or independence of
any foreign state would involve COM
plete abandonment of the Monroe Doc
trine-a contamination which he, of all
men. would be the last to desire or to
concede.
Duty to Humanity.
There remains the broader and less
tangible ground Of duty to humanity"
so naturally and readily seized upon as
a basis Of criticism by one who invari-
ably places social justice" high above
the written law.
There Is something essentially ig-
noble" Mr.. Roosevelt writes. "in having
failed to stand up in generous and manly
fashion for the rights of others who were
grievously wronged. in having failed to
do our duty" And he adds:
THE failure of Messrs. Wilson and
Prysn TO do their duty to humanity and
to carry out the obligations of this ma
ton in the case of Belgium has put III
at n dreadful disadvantage as regards
every Protest made on behalf CT our own
interests
This is our Colonel at his best; none
other would have the audacity to marry
altru.sm and self-interest at the altar
Of misstatement We have already
shown beyond the possibility Of question
that by President Roosevelts own d.
rection the United States not only did
not assume. but explicitly disavowed,
any obligation whatever '.in the case of
Belgium We now might fittingly In.
quire whether the safeguarding Of 'our
own interests" under the pretense Of
serving Humanity might not be Justly
pronounced something far more ''essen-
TALLY ignoble'' than anything "Messrs.
Wilson and Bryan" have done. II might
also be well to remind Mr.. Roosevelt
tina: even he nnce swore soiemnly, even
though somewhA, tentatively II we may
Judge from his subsequent acts, to pre-
serve, protect. and defend"-what? The
rights Of others grievously wronsed!'