Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-04-17
PEACE PLAN BASE
ROOSEVELT VIEW
Propaganda Of American Women Is
Called silly in Letter Prom
Former President
Is GIVEN OFT BY MRS. RUBLEE
Purposes OF Body Seeking to End
World Strife Are Causticaliy At
tackled by Colonel.

Chicago. Ill. April 1.-THE text OF
the letter written by Theodore Roose-
welt 10 Mrs. George RubIee OF Wash
ington denouncing the principles Of
the "Woman's Party for Constructive
Peace" was made public yesterday
In his letter Colonel Roosevelt fol
lows the tenor Of his various utter
ances since the European war began,
among them his book. America and
the World War"
The receipt OF the letter caused
some commotion among the women
who have been pushing the peace and
disarmament propaganda and Miss
Jane Adams and Mrs. " l. Thomas,
Chicago officials Of the organization,
were unwilling 20 give out the text
In the course of the letter Colonel
Roosevelt saws 10 Mrs. Rublee;
Il emphatically advise you not 20
Join such an organization The plat
form of principles inclosed in your
letter seems to be both silly and base.
This does not mean that all those
signing and championing il are silly
and base II is unfortunately true
that the very worst movements in hui
man history have sometimes had very
high minded men and women enlisted
in their support. According 10 my
views, the effort 10 break up this
union. in order to perpetuate slavery,
would have meant most dreadful woe
70 mankind, II successful, vet my own
kinsfolk on my mothers side all took
part in IT, and I do not believe there
ever was movement which enlisted
more ardent support from big-hearted
men and women or which was served
with greater fervor and disinterested-
ness.
Cites Case of Civil War.
Fifty years ago the copperheads of
the north held exactly the views about
peace which are set forth in the plat
form you inclosed and 10 a man they
voted against Abraham Lincoln They
did all they could 10 break up the
union and 70 insure the triumph Of
slavery. because they put peace as the
highest OF sll good; just exactly as it
IS put by the people who have con-
structed that paper YOU sent me. Some
OF the finest and most honorable men
I have known in my life we're former
copperheads One of the men OF whom
7 am fondest al this present day was
once a copperhead.
Nevertheless. I should stigmatize
the copperhead movement of so years
ago exactly as I stigmatize the move
ment preached by the individuals
whose paper you inclose TO me More
over. a very large proportion of the
peace at any price or copperhead sym
pathizers were undoubtedly physical
towards; and equally undoubtedly
very large proportion Of ultra pacif-
cists OF today who uphold such views
as those outlined in the paper YOU
inclosed. in championing peace with
out regard TO righteousness. are re-
ally more Influenced by physical COW
a-dice. They fear death or pain OF
discomfort beyond anything else and
like 10 hide their fear behind high
sounding words.
Calls Plan Base and silly.
Il speak with scientific. accuracy
when I speak of this movement as
both base and silly II is silly be
cause II is absolutely futile. Il pro-
poses 10 go on with just the same kind
OF futile agitation which, by the eX-
perience of a century and. above all,
by the experience Of the last 80 years,
has proved wholly useless and on the
whole slightly mischievous. Not one
particle of good will be obtained by
any such action as that outlined in
that paper YOU sent.
But this is not all. II is base as
we'll as futile. There is nothing more
repuIsive than TO see people agitating
for general righteousness in the alb
stract when they dare not stand up
against wickedness in the concrete. !
on the whole there is nothing that
does so much damage to church as
a minister who thunders continuously I
against wrong in the abstract, or
against wrong committed by the Phar-
isees a couple OF thosand years ago. (
but who cannot be persuaded 10 stand /
up against present day wrong in the
concrete and the professional pacifist /
leaders IN the United States are in |
exactly this position.
81 assume. OF course, that you are