Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-16
PRESIDENTS FOREIGN POLICIES
ARE ATTACKED BY ELI1U ROOT
Former Senator Tells New York Republ-
cans No Election Since 1865 Has Been So
Important as the One Approaching.

NEW YORK. February 16.-The poll
cies of President Wilson and the demo-
cratic administration toward the in
ternatiopal situations arising out of
the European war and the Mexican dis
turbances, and, as relating to domestic
conditions, toward the tariff, were at
tackled by former United States Senator
Elihu Root last night in his address
as temporary chairman of the New
York state republican convention, in
assembly here.
No other presidential election since
1854 has been so fraught with conse-
auences so vital to national life as the
one now approaching. Mr.. Root said,
and all ordinary considerations which
play so great a part in presidential
campaigns ARE and ought to be dwarf;
ed into insignifcance." He promised
that il the republican party is return
ed to power the people may expect
foreign policy which will leave no
doubt anywhere in the world of Amer
ica's purpose and courage to protect
and defend her independence. her ter
ritory and the lives and just rights of
her citizens under the laws of nations.
and that the people may expect also
that the government will stand for
full and adequate preparation by the
American people for their own de-
fense''
Mr.. Root charged the present admin
istration with "the lack of foresight
to make timely provision for backing
up of American diplomacy by actual or
assured military force: with 1.-The for
feiture of the worlds respect for our
assertion of rights by pursuing the
policy of making threats and of fail
ing to make them good and with "a
loss of the moral forces of the civilized
world through failure to truly inter-
pref to the world the spirit of the
American democracy in it's attitude
toward the terrible events which ac-
companied the early stages of the war"
These. said Mr.. Root. were the admin
istration's three fundamental errors. ,.
First Time in Opposition.
The temporary chairman said in
part:
For the first time in twenty years
we enter the field as the party of OPP
position. and indeed it is a much
longer time. for in 1896, in all respects
save the tariff. the real opposition to
the sturdy and patriotic course of
President Cleveland was to be found
in the party that followed Mr.. Bryan.
1t is our duty as the opposition to
bring the democratic party to the bar
of public judgment. to put it upon its
defense so far as We see just and sub
stantia1 grounds to criticise its con-
duct, and to ask the voters of the
country to decide whether that party.
organized as it fs, represented as 1t
has been since it came into power,
has shown itself competent to govern
the country. as it should be governed,
and whether its spirit, its policies and
its performance are the best that the
American people cab do in the way
OF popular self-government.
nfar Snr hA lame Gt IN yf.,a he
fore the European, war began. Mr..
Root declared that during the eighteen
months of democratic control there had
been "a steady decrease in American
production, in exports and in revenues,
and steady increase in imports and
expenditures" Enterprise had halted,
he asserted. and new. undertakings no
longer made their appearance. and the
p country's productive industries were
1aboring under misf1t tariff devised
by the democratic party in spirit of
suspicion. distrust and hostility to-
ward American business enterprise,
and transportation and commerce had
become dull and Respondent" The
tariff commission created under repub-
1fcan legislation to ascertain the facts
upon which tariff laws should be based,
Mr.. Root said, had been driven out OF
business and no substitute provided.
At Washington. he declared there
was a nervous dread lest somebody
make money, and ENVY OF business
success was an element IN the Irdm-
ing of legislation and the administra-
ton of the laws.
Effect of the War.
Mr.. Root continued:
THE great war has not changed the
lesson which we had already learned
when it began. 1t has but obscured
further demonstration. 1t has caused
an enormous demand for some things
which the United States is able to pro-
duce in large quantities. and in these
lines of production, while other In
dustries still fanguish, there have been
exports and a great influx Of money
But this Is temporary, it must soon
cease. and when the factories have
stopped and their laborers are no
LONGER employed we must deal with a
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 COMPETE
tive foreign production. which, in July.
1914. had already entered American
markets to supersede American prod
ucts under the tariff law of 1913. The
war has thus given to American prod
ucts an immunity from competition far
more effective than any possible pro-
tective tariff. But that is temporary,
and when the war is over. when for
American market. compared with i'm
poverished Europe. will be more than
ever before the object of desire and
effort and we shall become the dump
ing ground of the world to the destruc-
tion of our own industries. unless that
Is prevented by a wise and competent
government
Taking up foreign relations, Mr. Root
said that for the first time within the
memory of men now living these re-
1ations ARE recognized as vital" He
took up first the Mexican problem, re-
viewing the situation when President
Wilson was inaugurated.
His duty then was plain" Mr.. Root
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