The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1916-06-08
Magazine Writer Defends 7. r. In Story
Showing He Kept Peace in Controversy
With England Over Alaskan BOundry Case

ing. Inc po1nt Is that one OF the most
dangerous and one of the most de-
cisive moments in the history of the
international relations of the United
States passed by without one public
act or one public word to open the
slightest rift in the cordial popular
friendship between the United States
and the foreign nation concerned.
-Four Lessons to Europe"
1t turned out, after all, that Roose-
welt did not do the arbitrating be-
tween Germany and Venezuela. The
Hague Court was in existence. It
needed business. Roosevelt had al
ready given it its first case. That
was a dispute between the United
States and Mexico in the year 1902
over "The Pious Fund of the Cali
fornias." 1t amounted to a claim
against Mexico by certain American
Roman Catholic bishops. The Hague
Court decided that Mexico was to
pay those bishops an immediate lump
sum Of $1,400,000 and future annual
sum of $4,000, Mexican money
Roosevelt now gave The Hague
Court the Venezuelan dispute. In so do
ing, he won a special word of praise
from the most distinguished of French
Pacifists, Baron d'Estournelles de
Constant, who, a few years later, In
summing up Roosevelt's greatest con-
tributions to realistic Pacifism, said:
President Roosevelt has given four
striking lessons to Europe: first. in
having brought before the Arbitra-
ton Tribunal at The Hague the ques-
ton between Mexico and the United
States over the Pious Fund claims,
while Europe was soothing at the
peace court which it had created;
second, in obliging Europe to settle
the Venezuelan affair practically;
third, in proposing a second Peace
Conference at The Hague to complete
the work of the first; and, fourth, in
now intervening to put an end to the
conflict between Russia and Japan
in the Far East"
Phe decision was made in 1904. In
that same year certain powers mott
fed Roosevelt that they were about
to proceed against the custOm-houses
OF San Domingo. Roosevelt learned
something from Venezuela and he
had learned something from The
Hague. He had learned that this bonn
harding and blockading of Caribbean
countries was going to be continuous,
unless the United States managed to
-ajC'2 or COerce delinquent Caribbean
pct'rtriCs into some sort Of sulveucy.
He thereupon invented the policy
which was denounced by all Pacifists
but which brought peace-the policy
OF custom-house protectorates.
Speaking of Cuba. If Roosevelt had
desired bloodshed, he could have had
it there in streams. 1t was under
Roosevelt that We were obliged to
begin Our second occupation of Cuban
soil. In 1906 the Liberals revolted
against the Moderates. Our agree
ment with Cuba was that we were
to intervene for the maintenance
of government adequate for the pro-
lection Of life, property and individual
The "Des Moines" hap
pened into the harbor of Havana.
The president of Cuba, Palma, was
powerless and terrified. He asked for
marines. The "Des Moines" sent
them. 1t looked as IL we were about
to take Cuba by force Of arms.
Roosevelt called the marines back
to their ship. In place Of marines,
he sent Taft. 1t was great con-
trast. Taft, unarmed and disarming,
proceeded to Havana, and conferred.
He tried at first to set up new ma
tive government. 1t could not be
done. The Cubans could not agree
among themselves. Palma resigned.
There was then no government at all.
Taft stepped into the vacuum and
completely filled 1t. He became PRO
visional Governor" There was no bat.
tie Roosevelt had gone into Cuba. just
as he had previously gone into Santo
diplomatic seepage.
The Question of Japanese
immigration.
In October of 1906, the school au-
thorities of San Francisco excluded
all Japanese OF all ages from the
regular public schools and directed
them to attend special public school !
In which they were TO be segregated.
Japan protested proudly and bitterly,
both by popular demonstrations in
Toxic and by diplomatic representa-
tions at Washington, appealing to the
treaty Of 1893.
In December, within two months
after the issuance of the San Fran
cisco school order Roosevelt said to
Congress: 'In the matter now before |
me. affecting the Japanese, every /
thing that is in my power to do will |
be done, and all the forces, military |
and civil. Of the United States which |
may lawfully employ, will be so en-
nIovod fo opforoa tho ,ioI,to /
Of aliens under treaties"
This sentence penetrated Asia to its |
farthest literate regions. In the |
Light of India" Bahia Bharati re-
5ponded: "The American president |
has proved himself to be the one ruler |
Of the modern world who has hts |
finger on the pulse of world politics !
Of the present and of the future"
Roosevelt had promised to use the
forces. Of the United States. |
He did so. He enlarged the garrison
Of United States troops in San Fran
cisco and let IL be known that all yio-
ence directed against Japanese
would be quenched.
He believed that Japanese mass.
was intclerable, and did
not hesitate to say so. 1.-THE Japan.
ese would themselves not tolerate the
intrusion into their country of a mass
If Americans who would displace
10 IN, thu -