Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-01-07
SHOULD THE UNITED STATES
ACT?

t January 2. 1915.
! Editor Honolulu Star-BuIletin.
Sir:-Would you kindly grant me
space for the following:
| In reading the publication. The
! Case OF Belgium in the Present War
an account Of the violation of the neu,
trality of Belgium and Of the laws OF
war on Belgian territory, published
for the Belgian delegates to the Unit
ed States. | find the commission was
received by the President of the Unit
! ed States in Washington on Septem-
Der 10. 1914. when Mr. HeMy Carton
de Wharf, in the name of the commits
sion, made the address. from which
] make this short extract: Ever since
her independence was first established
| Belgium has been declared neutral in
perpetuity. This neutrality guaran-
teed by the Powers has recently been
violated by one CT them. Had We
consented to abandon our neutrality
for the benefit of one of the belliger-
ents we would have betrayed our obi
cations toward the others And it
was the sense of our international OBJ
legations, as we'll as that of our dig.
nifty and honor that has driven us to
resistance. The United States, as
understand it, is here an obligant,
suarantor-in-fact. and being so, does
the following extract from the reply
OF President Wilson righteously rep
resent the conscience Of the citizens
of this great Republic and execution
OF their verdict necessary to the in
slant righting Of the wrong?
! now quote from our Presidents
reply: 1T would be unwise, it would
be premature for a single. govern
ment, however fortunately separator
from the present struggle, it would
even be inconsistent with the neutral
position of any nation, which like this
has no part in the Contest to form or
express final Judgment
Single government" Where was
England?
Neutral position!" An obligant, a
guarantor.in fact; mo part in the con-
test to form or express a final juGg-
ment" A nations conscience is al
ways in session-today as tomorrow
and as, in the individual its duty, at
least che OF its main duties, is that
of guide--instant in season. The pow
er OF the conscience, the dividing of
soul and body-well! if action be the
welfare of the soul-the life of a peo-.l
pie. True Judge not lest We BEL
judged" is the divine command. Why?
Because cons":ence Il: lf3hteniAi froAp
within-lfmitations inappheable in
this prima faE;a 9Gaise, the deIfnqIaht
having surrendered all reb8tgSl evil
dence in the admission bSfGefmany' !
chancellor Of the wrong wRoughtHand
being workedIond vBetgIano nation.
A great pow eBaan 6bligaIrt9R suaran-
tor-in-fact-Hs'ho part in the oentesbH'
What an opportunity to act lost; meaR-
while lCsETt thee, oh! CJuatryd'of
my and my childrep's adoptionitf The
shade Of Carlyle, yes, the disembpd,
led dead moves mc!as q "vo:L et; as1,
an 'incarnate word o! the millinns
living, dying HE'LL for war is helh7
at its hottest. Oh! the pity of it.! As &
nation our opportunity is not fol.
ever removed from US. When a man
Is to rehabilitate himself in the joy
Of the right he acts and with the JOY
srleVes, as admitting his weakness in
ais procrastination.
For the right, Mr.. President, will
fou not make protest? Thereby an
ic1pating the certain experience of
Ike activities within and from out
his free and enlightened people-the
United 'incarnate words, to that
which followed the passing of the
shade obespierre and near confre-
'es, when great multitudes of men
struck dumb heretofore and as it were
Jaw che another, how multitudinous
hey were and began speaking and
They are countable by
ne thousands and the millions, who
AVE already suffered cruel wrong
hrough this our country's weakness.
1t is not seemingly sufficient that
magazines, which but reach a limited
lumber OF readers, have given express
Ion OF the grievous wrong done the
ecple OF the United States The
olce OF the masses is to be heard
rom: they who are the martyrs, who
llndly, grandly obey and die for and
q accord with the light, which is in
nem Yes, there is a time coming.
eng sung OF in these our day, when
II men, as equal, will receive from f
lie administrators of a united world
he best eXternals with the best, which [
III be In all. o Man is drawing nearer
nd nearer to the faith that Right
BUSINESS exalteth a Nation" Let us {
zen save to this nation the great, the i.
-