Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-12-29
PAPER BY TEDDY
READ AT MEETING
Social Values and National Existence
Is Theme OF Wordy Note by
Ex-President.
MAKES ATTACK ON PACIFICIST
Unable TO Understand Their Way OF
IIhinking-Cails Them Lazy and
Luxury Loving Persons,

and National Existence" furnished a
them for an animated discussion to-
dav before the American Sociology
society In annual session here. It was
read By Professor Edward A. Ross Of
the University of Wisconsin, president
tof the society.
Infinitely, the most important fact
Ito remember in connection with war
and militarism in relation to moral
aud social values" wrote Mr.. Roose-
welt, is that if an INSCRIPTIONS war
like and militaristic nation is not held
in check by the warlike ability Of
Ineighboring militaristic and well be-
haved nations, then the latter will be
spared the necessity Of dealing with
moral and social values because it
won't be allowed to deal with anything
/ It seems to me positively comic to fail
to appreciate, with the example of Bel
GUM before our eyes, that the real
Question which modern peace loving
nations have to face is not how the
militaristie or warlike spirit within
their own borders will affect these
values but how failure on their part
to resist the militarism Of an unscrup-
ulous neighbor will affect them"
| Cites Ancient History.
| Mr.. Roosevelt referred to medieval
Persia and Russia and to modern
China. Korea and Armenia to show
; what happened to nations which ap-
piled practically the theories of pa
Icifcists.
In the 18th century" said his paper,
( Persia had become a highly civilized
nation with the cultivated class Of lit
erary men and philosophers, with uni
yersities and great mercantile inter
ests. These literary men and mer-
chants took toward the realities Of war
much the same attitude that is taken
in our own country by gentlemen Of
the stamp Of Messrs. David Starr Jor-
dan and Henry Ford Unfortunately
, for these predecessors Of modern pa
ci1cists they were in striking distance
OF Genghis Kahn and his M0ngols, and.
as of course invariably happens in such
, case, when the onrush came the pa
, clflcists' theories were worth just
about what a tissue paper barrier
would amount to against a tidal wave.
: Russia at the time was slowly strug-
Cling upward toward civilization. But
she had not developed military effici-
ency; she had not developed efficiency
in war. The MOngols overwhelmed
her as fire overwhelms stubble. The
chief differences against which Russia
/ has had to struggle in modern times
] are due ultimately to the one allies
, sentia1 fact that in the early part Of
, the 18th century she had not developed
} the warlike strength to enable her to
, hold her own against q militaristic
7 neighbor
= Says Some Unable to Learn.
There are well meaning people, ut
terly incapable Of learning any les
son taught by history, utterly incapa-
i, bic OF understanding Alright what has
gone on before their very eyes during
the past year or two, who neyerthe-
less wish to turn this country into an
Occidental China, the kind of China
which every intelligent Chnaman Of
the present day is seeking to abolish.
There are plenty Of politicians. by nc
means as well meaning. who find it to
their profit to pander to the desire of
most men to live softly and easily and
avoid risks and effort. Timid and lazy
, men, absorbed in ease and luxury, and
all soft and slothful people naturally
hail with delight anybody who will
give them high sounding names behind
which to cloak their unwilllngness 20
run risks or to toll and endure. Emo
tional philanthropists to whom think
ing is a distasteful form of mental ex-
ercise enthusiastically champion this
attitude"
Calls War Only @F0ree."
Discussing the mental confusion OF
the average citizen who thinks war in
itself is wrong, Mr. Roosevelt wrote
that war could be defined as the use
e Of force between nations and that the
5 question of whether it was right on
t wrong depended purely upon the pur-
4 pose for which and the spirit in which
! it was waged.
n There are, Of course, persons whd
D believe all force is immoral, that it is
= immoral to resist wrong doing BY
n force, he added. Il have never taken
= much interest in individuals who pro
Q Tess this kind of morality; and I dc
z not know the extent to which they
q practically apply it. But of course Ii
j they are right in the theory then it is
? wrong for man to endeavor by force
= to save his wife or sister OF daughter
from rape or other abuse, or to save
r his children from abduction and tor
{ ture. II is waste of time to discuss
e with any man 8 position of such folly
( wickedness and poltroonry.
e IF the man who objects to war oh.
q iects to the use of force in civil life his
position is logical although absurd and
wicked. II the college professors, pol
iticians, automobile manufacturers and
% the Ike who in the past year or two
have reached paeifcism in its most
|, ignoble form are willing to think out
0 the subject and are both sincere
!, and fairly intelligent they must nee
a essarily condemn policy of force OF
: a posse eomatis just as much as they
:. condemn armies, and they must re-
Y gard the activities OF the sheriff and
4 the eonstables as being essentially
Y mllltarIstic and therefnra 10 h, aho1