New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-01
Everett Colby Declares
President Could Have
Averted Great. War.
CONDEMNS COURSE
TOWARD GERMANY
Progressive Believes Roosevelt
Will Be Wilson'S Opponent
for Presidency

ono Of tho Progressive leaders Of New
Jersey. delivered an address At Brown
University this evening on the politi-
cal issues OF the coming campaign. lie
dwclt at length on the duty Of the
United states in the grea. wal ana
this led him 10 criticism Of Preside ut
Wilson and his policies. Mr.. Colby de
clarcd his belief that the opposing can
didates this year would be Wilson ana
Roosevelt. and the latter, he insisted
would be a safe man for President.
Mr.. Colby directed special attention
10 the question. "Shall the government
OF the United States rcpudlate its ira
ditional policy of remaining aloof from
the affairs of European states ana
enter upon a vigorous foreign poncy
10 enforce obcdicrcc 20 lntcrnauoHs,,
law whenever ana wherever violated
This he discussed IN connection WIN
the German invasion of Belgium, ana
asked:
"What action should our government
have taken upon Germany preach OF
faith and contract, and what policy
shall we adopt in landing similar oc-
currenccs in the future p
Mr.. Colby cited the steps which ied
NO 20 the Hldl'iHtHS VI wv
Doctrine, and said:
International Law.
"But the question We are now fac
inc ia no longer whether or not We
shall intrude upon. interfere with or
entangle ourselves in the internal al
fairs OF Europe. but whether or not We
shall inject into the gelatinous and
nebulous thing called international law
the stifrening q. d clarifying elements
of force and coercion.
"Thc aim of sincere peace advocates
is not 10 NEEDLE in quarrels between
states. but 10 establish the empire OF
law and TO provide for the enforce
ment Of its DEGREES. Such an empire
was established by the delegates 20
the Hague Conference in 1899, and the
United State, helped to lay the corner.
stone of the empire when II subscribed
10 the preamble OF the convention for
the pacific settlement of international
disputes, which reads as follows: An
mate by a strong desire to concert
for the maintenance Of the general
peace and DESTROYS OF extending the
empire Of law we agree 10
the following provisions.
while recent events may lead us 90
assume that the words empire Il law
we're not used by some of the delegate
al least at their face value. they arc ~
point of fact vital and farreachins.
in recognizing an empire OF law inc
convention acknowledged the right and
implied duty on the part OF the mem
bers Of the confederated states Of the
empire TO coerce any transgresscr VINO
violated the covenants entered into be-
tween them.
For the first time in history il would
seem the civilized nations Of the world,
after due deliberation. had by specific
and formal utterance settled the centu-
ries-old controversy as 10 whether or
not there is such a thing a. inter
national law by putting behind in;erna-
tional codes and agreements the neces-
sary force 10 compel obedience thereto
and compliance Herewith.
Under these circumstances the ou'[
Of our government was clear W nen the
German Minister at Brussels notified
the Belgian Foreign Office OF the sec
ord day Of August. 1914, that ms gov
eminent proposed TO cross the belgian
border, the government OF the United
States should have notified the German
government that upon the violation o.
Belgian neutrality. guaranteed not
y
tho treaty Of 1899 entered into be
tween Belgium and Holland and CON
CURED in by Prussia, Il would imne-
diatelv sever diplomatic relations and
deny postal facilities TO her mails.
Would Have Averted War.
"A conference Of the neutral powers
should have then been called, and II
Germany still held 70 her determine
ton TO violate her obligations the gov
eminent Of the United States should
have urged that the neutral powers at
once move their economic and armed
forces against her in defence OF the
empire of law. Had this course been
pursued | believe the war would have
been averted and the Declaration of
Paris and the Hague conventions
made effective instruments for the
preservation Of peace for all time 20
come.
an 1900 We entered into the final
protocol between the plenipotentiarie
Of the European powers at the
conclusion Of the Boxer uprising
which forced China TO erect a common
orative monument over the spot where
a German official had been assassinat-
ed, bearing an inscription in the Latin,
German and Chinese languages eE-
pressing the regret of his majesty the
Emperor Of China for the murder COM
mitted.
But in 1915, when Germany muir
ders our own women and children. vio-
lates her treaties and ravishes Belgium.
there Is no demand that Germany erect
monument 20 commemorate her vic
Tins in Belgium or those who lost
their lives in the Lusitania. but, on the
contrary, We continued TO exchange pO-
lite and friendly greetings in well
rounded phrases and recognized in the
words Of our State Department that
German views and the German infu-
euce in the field Of international obi
cations are always engaged upon the
side Of justice and humanity
What judgment the American pco-
pie will render upon this feature or
the Wilson administration ! do not at
tempt 10 prophecy
Mr. Colby expressed his belief that
IN the coming Presidential campaign
each party would seek 10 select as its
standard bearer the man its members
believed who most perfectly embodied
the spirit Of Americanism in the great
est crisis in this cOuntry's history
Tie man. 10 doel. rod tho pcromtua-