Evening star., 1915-07-22


province Topped off her, until one-hal'
of her territory is now under japanese
Russian, English and French control
Seeking to Chinafy Country.
THE professional pacifists, the peace
at any price. resistance, universal
arbitration people are now seeking to
Chinafy this country. While the best
people in China are painfully endeav-
oring to raise the new China to a po-
sition of international aspect and OF
national self-respect. well meaning
people here are doing their best to re-
duce this country to the level OF I'M
potence TO which the old China has
sunk-to which she has sunk primari-
iN because for generations the moral
fiber of the Chinese people has been
closely eaten into by the doctrines OF
the professional pacifiStS, so that she
has shown herself incapable during the
last thirty years Sof preparing herself
against war and for self-defense.
Probably the worst feature OF our
national life is the habit of using
words with no relation to facts, of
making promises which are not to be
kept: as | said above. of treating elo-
cution as an adequate substitution tor
action. This habit has worked partlc-
ular damage to us in international re-
lations, and, most of all. in connection
with the arbitration treaties. peace
conventions and the like into which
We have entered. We can accomplish
nothing real for international peace
until we understand that it is dis
graceful not to make our deeds square
with our words, and, therefore, dis
graceful to make a promise which we
either ought not to or cannot keep.
During the past year or SO this ma
ton has negotiated some thirty all
inclusive peace treaties. by which it Is
agreed that if any issue arises. no
matter of what kind. between itself
and any other nation it would take no
final steps about it until a commission
of investigation had discussed the
matter for year. This was an ex-
plicit promise in each case that II
American women were raped and
American men murdered, as has actu-
ally occurred in Mexico, or American
men, women and children drowned on
the high seas. as in the case of the
Gulf1ight and Lusitania, or If for
eign power secured and fortified Mag
dalena bay or the Island of st. Thomas,
we would appoint commission and
listen to years conversation on the
subject before taking any action.
Suggests Course in Lusitania Case.
England and France entered into
these treaties with us, and we begged
Germany to enter into one: and al
though Germany refused, yet if we
were right in entering into them with
England and France we deprived our
selves of moral justification in refus-
ing to fulfill their spirit as regards
Germany Personally. l believe that
it was absolutely necessary. when the
concrete case arose, to repudiate the
principle to which We had thus COM
mitted ourselves But it was a shame
full thing to have put ourselves in such
position that it had to be repudl-
afe
decline to follow the principle in the
case of the LuSitania without at the
same time making frank confession OF
our error and misconduct by notifying
all the powers with whom we had al
ready made the treaties that they were
withdrawn. because in practice we had
found it impossible and improper to
follow out the principle to which they
committed us.
I'm the same way, let the individuals
who advocate disarmament say clearly
just what they mean. If this nation Is
to disarm that is, if it is to take the
old-Chinese attitude about prepared,
ness for war then it must be prepared
to adopt the Chinese attitude of help
less submission to any conditions
which foreign powers choose to i'm
such conditions if disorder continues
in Mexico we shall not object to some
European or Asiatic power taking pos
session of Mexico or any part of 1t and
tDeN GOING "Ildl IL cHOoSeS tHeIe. iIct
it be understood that if in such case
some power wishes to take possession
of the Panama canal we shall not be-
cause we are not able to, raise any
effective protest. These are the things
that disarmament means, for disarma-
ment would represent merely the
Chinafcation of this country.
Il advocate preparedness against
war as the best type of peace insur-
ance. Preparedness for war may be
not only the best but the only correc-
tive for the spirit of militarism.
Switzerland is the most democratic Of
republics and the least militaristic: and