Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-08-18
Senator, Lodges Forceful Utteranes.

There is In all the United States
but one living man as an authority
upon international relations. who
tshares the respect and confidence Of
the American public with Senator
Henry Cabot. Lodge. and that man is
tE1ihu Root. Lodge and Root are
properly regarded as the two best in.
formed public men Of this generation,
foreign government and the nice Ques-,
tions Of International law. Up to
Saturday night both. had maintained
silence upon thergreats questions in
this field which have 5arisen during
the past few months.t On Saturday
night, Senator Lodge broke this sill
ence-and to good purpose.=Manches-
ter Union. a.:
Senator Lodge states I'M language
which we did not command in ex-
pressing our disappointment because
of "watchful waiting" and "ceaseless
talking" that while thousands = Of
Americans have lost their lives in
Mexico and as a result Of the Euro
pean war, we have done nothing but
talk. In his own words:
1T is all talk: let's do something or
stop talking. Nothing is worse than
perpetual talk with nothing done. I
condemn our attitude Of not going in
or staying out. don't want to pre-
cipitate the country into war, but r
don't want to stand by and watch the
killing Of Americans. the outrage Of
women and the destroying Of Ameri-
can property. Over 1000 Americans
have been killed and we do nothing
about it but talk.
Il have a notion-old-fashion per-
haps it may be-that the American
citizens. whether at home or abroad.
are entitled to the protection Of their
government, II they observe the law.
The American citizen must be ready
to give his life for his government il
necessary and the duty Of the govern
ment is reciprocal; the government
must protect the citizen. or he won't
protect the government. He is en-
titled to the protection Of the govern
ment. yes. by land and by sea, and
that brings me to a consideration of
the European war.
This war has weighed on tho mind
Of every. thinking man. It is fortunate
that we are not involved. The Ameri-
can flag should protect every Ameri-
can citizen. whether he was natural
lied yesterday or whether his ances-
tors came to this country 800 years
ago. There are two things necessary
to maintain peace. and the American
people want no peace that carries
humiliation. shame and dishonor. We
want to keep the peace, first, by
preservation Of neutrality.
Neutrality has its rights and it's
duties. Our rights as neutrals must
be preserved. Our great opportuni-
ties as the leading neutral nation were
lost when the war began. Think Of
Mckinley and Hay. Of Roosevelt and
Root, and the position they maintained
for this country Of ours. We no lon
ger hold that place. believe that
had men like these been in power the
Lusitania incident would never have
occurred. We would not alone have
stood as the great neutral nation but
would have rallied all others to US.
We should have stood with calmness.
firmness and quiet determination.
which are the great guarantors Of
peace. We have lost that opportunity.
There is a question Of right on both
sides, but attractions Of our rights
must not pass unchallenged.
I'VE also have our duties. Our ono
great duty is to be neutral. not to per-
init action favorable to one belligerent
as against another. II we try to re-
dress conditions created by the war.
we help that belligerent whom these
conditions affect. We must keep our
hands of and maintain our rights.
When the President takes the right
ground in dealing with these questions
he shall have my support. When he
fails, I shall criticize him."