The Washington times., 1915-01-31
ON verge OF WAR,
II US. IS UNPREPARED
Oscar King Davis Declares Peo.
pie Are Blinded by Feeling
OF False Security.
CONTINUED from Fourth Pase>

power Whatever to furnish that prUtec-
eon and 10 ae. oy o1 for eGnsd
which It could not punish. President
aarrison's only recourse was to ask
Congress chose to do SO, well and good.
if not: the President could not compel
It, ana what then?
Italy Did Not Seek Strife.
obviusiy IL al depended Upon Italy as
to WHIST the outcome Of the affair should
be. II u suited the purposes of the
italian government at that 1uncture to
have wsr With the United States the
the pretsxt and nothing that our Gov
ernnent could say or do would prevent
We had neither desire nor ground for
war with Italy. but that did not make
cumstanceS.
Fortunately for US Italy had no de-
sire for war with the United States. and
In the end the incident was settled
ministration in expressing regret for It
ana OF Congress in appropriating $4,000
for the families Of the victims.
2. But II Italy had wanted war there was
'ns.,.o }psf one way IN which we might have
that was by making such show of
strength and readiness as would have
served to restrain her belligerent tenden-
caes. Nothing else would have counted.
Faced War With Great Britain.
These two incidents have illustrated
how the pretext may be found in the
country Of either side to . possible
conflict Of arms.
The pretext may be found in an in
cddent occurring in q third country,
however, and especially is that the fact
where the United States is concerned.
For in our celebrated and beloved
Monroe Doctrine we have given hos
tAge to military fortune which on more
than one occasion has brought up to
ity Of war on account of something that
has happened far away from our bor-
ders. ~
ts S the most ss0ps case s G'
England that came to its crisis in the
fall Of 1886, when It heached a stage
20 critical that President Cleveland sub
mn1tted the whole matter to Congress
In q special message which he closed
with these stirring words:
In making these recommendations
! am FULLY alive to the responsibility
Incurred. and keenly realize all the con-
sequences that may follow.
II am nevertheless firm in my con-
viction that while It Is a grievous thing
to contemplate the two great English
speaking peoples OF the world as be-
ing otherwise than friendly competitors
in the onward march of civilization:
and strenuous and worthy rivals in all
the arts of peace. there is no calamity
which Q great nation can invite which
equals that which follows supine SUBJ
mission to wrong and injustice and the
consequent loss of national self-respect
and honor beneath which are shielded
and defended a peoples safety and
greatness"
Cleveland Realized Danger.
Here was the President Of the United
states telling the people and the world
that he understood that war might fol-
low from his action. but that there
were things worse than war. and that
he was ready to face the consequences
of what he had done and what he rec
commended should be done.
This crises arose , oyer srsSa the ac.'on sSs os
was in q dispute with Venezuela over
the boundary line between that coun-
try and the territory Of British Guinea.
Great Britain's title to Gutna had been
obtained by conquest about the close
of the eighteenth century and was
therefore older than the Monroe Doc
trine itself, as well as older than the
Independent state Of Venezuela.
HSs fSr many bsd se
tween ySnezuela and Great Britain over
this boundary line. Venezuela had en-
deavored persistently to secure a set.
tlement Of the question. and often had
tire controversy to arbitration.
England had never agreed to such an
although she had expressed
q willingness to arbitrate the title to
certain part of the territory she claimed
she PROPOSED herself first to establish.
It was contended by Venezuela that
England had at different times advanced
different lines as the boundary. but that
croachment hpon territory claimed by
venezuNla as her own.
Urged England To Arbitrate.
In 1885 the United States. gravely con-
eerned in all this on account of the
Monroe doctrine. took the matter up
with the British government and urged
England to agree to arbitration. The
was presented to Lord Salisbury. the
November did Lord Salisbury answer.
and then his reply was a denial of the
avanced by this Govern
ment and a refusal to submit tho whole
matter to arbitration.
Thus far we had proceeded without
attempting to express an opinion as to
the right or wrong Of either side.
But when Great Britain's reply was
received President Cleveland was ready
to take q definite stand. He submitted
the whole matter to Congress. with the
recommendation that a special commits
sion be created which should make an
Investigation on behalf of the United
States and determine as nearly as pos
sible what the true boundary between
Venezuela and British Guiana was.
Stood by Monroe Doctrine.
President Cleveland told Congress. in
his special message. that he had taken
the matter up with Great Britain "in
the belief that the doctrine for which
we contend (the Monroe doctrine) was
clear and definite. that II was founded
upon substantial considerations. and in
volved our safety and welfare: that IT
was fully applicable to our present con-
ditons and to the state of the worlds
|progress. and that it was directly relat-
LED to the pending controversy. and
without any conviction as TO the final
)nerits. OF the dispute, but anxious to
learn N q satisfactory and conclusive
manner whether Great Britain sought,
under q claim OF boundary, to extend
her possessions OH this continent with
put right. or whether she merely
poueht possession Of territory fairly in
cluded within her lines of ownership"
directly Up to Congress.
When Great Britain refused to agree
hA NIL,