Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-12-30
WAR JUSTIFIED
Says ROOSEVELT |
Former President Writes
Paper Which Is Read
at National Meet
NIGHT OF RIGHT IS
CALLED NECESSARY
National Existence of This
Country Due to Ability
to Resist Force

washington, D. O., Dec. ga pa
per by Theodore Roosevelt on $50
cial Values and National Existence 2
furnished theme for an animated
discussion today before the American
Sociological society in annual session
here. 1t was read by Prof. Edward
A. Ross Of the University of Wiscon-
sin, president of the society.
Infinitely the most important fact
to remember in connection with the
war and militarism in relation to NOR
al and social values wrote Mr..
Roosevelt, SIS that If an unscrupulous,
warlike and militaristic nation is not
held in check by the warlike ability
OF neighboring militaristic and well
behaved nation, then the latter will
be spared the necessity of dealing
with moral and social values because
1t won't be allowed to deal with any
thing. 1t seems to me positively COM
1c to fail to appreciate, with the ex-
ample Of Belgium before our eyes,
that the real question which modern
peace loving nations have to face is
not how the militaristic or warlike
spirit within their own borders will
affect these values but how failure
on their part to resist the militarism
of an unscrupulous neighbor will af
feet them"
Cites Persia's Fate.
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 paci-
fists
"In the thirteenth century" said his
paper, Persia had become highly
civilized nation with the cultivated
class Of literary men and philoso-
piers, with universities and great
mercantile interests These literary
men and merchants took toward the
realities Of war much the same atti.
tude that Is taken in our own country
by gentlemen of the stamp of Messrs.
David Starr Jordan and Henry Ford.
Unfortunately for these predecessors
Of the modern pacifsts. they were in
striking distance of Genghis Kahn
and his Mongols, and, as of course in
variably happens in such case, when
the onrush came the pacifists' theor-
les were worth just about what tis.
sue paper barrier would amount to
against a tidal wave. Russia at the
time was slowly struggling upward
toward civilization. But she had not
developed military efficiency; she had
not developed efficiency in war. The
Mongols overwhelmed her as fire
overwhelms stubDle. The chief diff.
ficulties against which Russia has had
to struggle in modern times are due
to the one all essential
fact that in the early part of the thir-
teenth century she had not developed
the warlike strength to enable her to
hold her own against militaristic
neighbour"
Motives Are Good.
There are well meaning people, ut
terly incapable Of learning any lesson
taught by history, utterly incapable
of understanding Alright what has
gone on before their very eyes during
the past year or two, who neverthe.
less wish to turn this country into an
occidental China-the kind Of China
which every intelligent Chinaman of
the present day is seeking to abolish.
There are plenty of politicians, by no
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 lux
ury. and all soft and slothful people
naturally hail with delight anybody
who will give them high sounding
names behind which to cloak their
to run risks or to toll
and endure. Emotional philanthro-
pists to whom thinking is a distaste-
" form of mental exercise enthusias.
ically champion this attitude
{Continued on Page 5.)