The state herald., 1916-06-02
HOW ROOSEVELT.
kept PEACE
By WILLIAM HARD
h Observation-Disclosures

~ Bo6mu 10 me once neArQ . man
say: Nov II Roosevelt were presi-
dent, We would have been plunged
into this terrible war straight on" In
truth heard this remark 30 frequent
ly that determined to 90 over the
diplomatic records Of the two Roose-
welt administrations.
find that Roosevelt had many
bully opportunities to plunge the
United States into foreign conflicts.
I find that he was obliged to face and
handle three great crises with three
OF the greatest countries In the world.
l fnd that he was Obliged to take q
hand. 4 decisive future-fxing hand, in
the AFFAIRS Of three small countries
small but nearby and turbulent and
dangerous to the worlds peace. ] find
that he was obliged to have dealings
with many other countries In matters
capable Of bearing fruit either Of
friendship or Of hatred. find that
he wrote on a visiting card the terms
on which q violent European contro-
versy was settled. fnd that for
eigners think Of him as q great his
torical figure not because Of the part
he took In railway legislation or In
pure.food legislation or in conserva-
ton legislation or in any other activ-
ity Of domestic politics, but because Of
the part he took In international poll
tics--in the politics Of the world at
large. fnd that Europe and Asia
regard him a. having been primarily
for good or for ill-a diplomat.
This is the Roosevelt least known
to Americans.
The Alaskan Boundary Question.
His first dimculty was with Great
Britain. II was acute. It had to do
with the Alaskan boundary. The
British put forth claim which. as
Roosevelt remarked. was "just as IN
defensible as II they should now sud
denly claim the island Of Nantucket"
Alaska is u kite. II has a main body
and then. huttering southwark along
the Pacific coast toward the state Of
Washington, q tail. The dimensions
OF this tail were determined, long be-
fore Alaska passed from Russia to the
United States. by q treaty of the year
1925 between Russia and Great Bri-
tain. II provided that the boundary
between Alaska and the British pos.
sessions should run along the crest Of
the mountains BY which the coast was
rAralleled. The United States accord
ingly occupied the coast region with
out resistance.
In 1898. however. there was dis
covery of a considerable quantity OF
gold In the Klondike. The Canadians
Immediately insisted on also discover.
ing q semi-suhmerged coastal noun
tain range which spent large part
NJ IT, trHar Ia nf tho
Pacific and which, when II rose to the
or scattered headlands. Here was the
boundary. along the crest OF this alb
surd range. leaplrE from headland TO
headland across great bodies OF navi-
gable water! The United States
would get q succession OF headlanh.
tips and Canada would get success.
sion OF deep.water inlets. on ono OF
which was situated Skngway. the best
entrance to the Klondike goldAelds.
This line, calculated to fatten the
part Of any vaudeville performer. be
came automatically serious In the ex.
treme. Under Mckinley a Joint
Commission" was appointed to con.
slider twelve topics in dispute between
the British Empire and the American
Republic. One Of the twelve was tho
Alaskan boundary. The representa-.
tives Of the Empire refused to come
to terms on any OF the others until
their version Of the Alaskan boundary
had been conceded to them. Il could
not be conceded. and the Joint Com.
mission" collapsed.
At this point Roosevelt became
president. Quietly In the routine OF
diplomatic intercourse. he refused alb.
solutely to accept Great Britain's am.
phibious mountain-range line and re.
fused also. with equal absoluteness. to
arbitrate II. John Hay. - Secretary Of
State. pointed out the fatal tendency
Of arbitrators to compromise" This
matter could not be compromised. As
Roosevelt said On another occasion.
"Uncle Sam does not intend 70 wrong
any one. but neither does he intend.
n his pocket 10 picked or his face
slapped. to 'arbitrate' with the wrong.
doer." What then? A Commission was
erected. II was not . Commission
with Q third-party arbitrator on II. II
was Q Commission equally divided be-
tween the two countries. Tho repre-
sentatives OF the United States were
VI Muhb&IuuuCbu 4uu ttOot VI
New York and Turner Of Washington.
The representatives Of tho British
Empire were two Canadians md one
Englishman. The EnElishmau was
England's Lord Chief 1ustice-Aiver.
stone.
This Commission met In London In
1908. Its purpose was indicated both
by Roosevelt and by Hay. Roosevelt
said (through strictly diplomatic chan.
neis): II wish TO make one last effort
TO bring about an agreement which
Will enable the people Of both eoun.
triss TO say that the result represents
the feelings Of the Representatives Of
both eountrIss."
In the meantime Roosevelt moved
United States troops into Alaska. He
lot II be strictly automatically known
that those troops. II the Commission
should fall. would bc used ito reduce
the country TO possession" He paused.
On October 20. 1908. tho Commits
sion uttered its decision. Lord Al.
verstone voted with tho ihrco repre-.
sentativoa Of the United States against
his own two Canadian colleagues.
Great Britain bowed TO the applause