The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1916-01-31
IN
TALK ATTACKS
.PREST.W WILSON
Says United States Bound
by Treaty Obligations
to Protect Belgium.
SOME PUBLIC MEN
AFRAID OF GERMANY
Declares Latter in Con-
ternptuous Defiance Con-
tinues to Sink Ships.
SOME PUBLIC MEN
AFRAID OF GERMANY

New York, Jan. 30.-Theodore
Roosevelt discussed Promise and
Performance in International Rela-
tons" before the Brooklyn Institute
of Arts and Sciences in Brooklyn to-
night The former presidents adj
dress in part, was as follows;
TN private life no human being
thinks it to the credit of any man
that he makes q promise unless the
promise is kept. But when we deal
with nations instead Of individuals, a
large number of reasonably well dis
posed people loudly take the view that
the promise is itself meritorious and
that the keeping of it is something
wholly irrelevant. A treaty is merely
a promise. If it is evident when
made, that it cannot or ought not to
be kept, then those making the treaty
are self-evidently either wicked or
foolish. If it can be kept, but new
ertheless is not kept, those who fail TO
keep it are guilty of dishonorable
conduct. The politicians in power
who do such deeds are merely the
agents of the people and if these pub
lie servants act dishonorably the dis
honor reflects upon the people them
selves. Well meaning persons would
be uise IL thay' kent the. lanaioGz be-
tween public and private promises
steadily in view. The analogy ap-
plies to pacificist speeches; it applies
to treaties; It applies to what are
~aEylJ v.o+aC
"Readers of David Copperfield viii
remember that Mr.. Micawber's spe-
cialty was to issue notes. He never
honored these notes when they be-
came due. His mind was SO consti-
tuted that he felt that when note
became due he met it adequately by
writing another. His creditors, how
ever, did not take so charitable view
of the performance. They did not
have single trick minds. To those ac-
ouainted with United States diplo-
matte history during the last year or
two there viii be no necessity of pur-
suing the analogy further"
Colonel Roosevelt mentioned the
Hague conventions in their relation to
the violation of Belgium of the neu-
trality of Belgium, declaring it was
Mdishonorable conduct on the part of
the United States to take no action in
the matter" Taking up the question
of American export Of munitions to
the belligerents, he declared;
EXPORTING MUNITIONS.
eft is immoral to export munitions
or materials out of which munitions
can be made, in order to prevent Bel
GUM from freeing herself. 1t is
highly moral to export munitions
which will help Belgium to free her
self. 1t is an act of gross infamy on
the part Of this government and this
people TO take any step which VIII
help the wrongdoer against the
wronged and such step would betaken
If we imposed an embargo in the In
terest of Germany against the Allies
"a year ago this government no
titled Germany that it would hold her
To = strict accountability il she sunk
ships and murdered women
and children. Again and again in
contemptuous defiance of the warning
Germany has sunk these ships and kill
ed non-combatants until the plumber
mounts up into the thousands.
Whether the acts were done by Ger
man submarines OF by Austrian sub
marines or, as is now claimed, by
Turkish submarines OF, a. : y posi-
blv be claimed in the future, by Bull
garian submarines, represents mere
" the contemptuous desire Of Ger
many-the directing and debating
mind of the Central Powers-to give
this government chance to crawl out
Of making good It's final words We
took no effective action whatever to
stop these repeated murders. They
were finally stopped because the Brit
ish fleet destroyed so many subma-
rines that the warfare ceased being
profitable to Germany. Now, it is
announced in the press that the Ger
man government and our government
are actually haggling over the number
of dollars which they think theAmer-
lean people viii pocket as a payment
for their murdered women and chill
dren. At the same time the German