New Britain herald., 1916-02-16

longer employed we must deal with d situation for which wise forethought should make provision.
 More important still. the war has paralyzed the peaceful industries of all Europe, and has stopped that com petitive foreign production which in July, 1914, had already entered Am erican markets to supersede American products under the tariff law of 1913
 The war has thus given to American products an immunity from competi- tion far more effective than any pos sible protective tariff But that is temporary. and when the war Is over, when foreign production begins again the American market, compared with impoverished Europe, will be more than ever before the object of desire and effort, and we shall become the dumping ground of the world to the destruction of our own industries un- less that is prevented by a wise aud competent government"
 Reviews Mexican Problem.
 Taking up foreign relations, MT.
 
 the memory of men now living these relations "are recognized as vital.' lie took up first the Mexican problem, re- viewing the situation when President Wilson was inaugurated.
 Roots Third Criticism
 Discussing his third cpiticism-"a loss of moral forces of the civilized world through failure to truly inter- pret to the world the spirit of the American democracy'-Mr. Root al- 1uded to the violation of Belg1um's neutrality and held that the Ameri- can party were entitled not merely to feel but to speak concerning the wrong done to Belgium"
 "A single official expression by the United States" he said, "a single sen- tence denying assent and recording disapprOval of what Germany did in Belgium would have given the people of America that leadership to which they were entitled in their earnest groping for the light. It would have ranged behind American leadership the conscience and morality of the neutral world. It would nave brought to American diplomacy the respect and strength of loyalty to a great cause. But it was not to be. The American government failed to rise to the demands of the great occasions.
 Will Lead to War.
 We have been following the path If neace. We have been blindly stumbling along the road that con- tinued, will lead to inevitable war. Our diplomacy has dealt with symp- toms and ignored causes. The great decisive question upon which our peace depends is the question whether the rule of action applied to Belgium is to be tolerated. If it is tolerated bv the civilized world this nation will have to fight for it's life. There will he no escape. That is the critical noint of defense for the peace of America.
 When our government failed to tell the truth about Belgium, 1t lost the opportunity for leadership of the moral sense of the American people, and 1t lost the power which a know ledge of that leadership and sympa- thetic response from the moral sense of the world would have given to our diplomacy. When our government failed to make any provision what ever for defending it's rights in case they should be trampled upon, 1t lost the power which a belief in its readl- hess and will to maintain it's rights would have given to it's diplomatic representations. When our govern luent gave notice to Germany that 1t ould destroy American lives and American ships at it's peril, our words, which would have been potent 1f sus- tained by adequate preparation to lyo hxy nTeStlg6 and authority of the moral leadership of a great people, Tn a great cause, were treated with a contempt which should have been foreseen; and when our government failed to make those words good, it's diplomacy was bank rupt.
 Upon the record of performance which I have tried to describe, will the American people say that the democratic party is entitled to be continued in power?
 Two Distinct Causes.
 ''The defects of the present ad- ministration arise from two distinct causes The first is the temperament and training of the president. The second is the incapacity of the demo- cratic party as it is represented in Washington in both the legislative and in the executive departments either to originate wise policies or to follow them when proposed by others nor to administer them effectively if they are established. The democrats in congress are never controlled ex- cept with a club, and government with a club is always spasmodic and defective.
 These characteristics will not 1 change: President Wilson cannot