New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-10-11
u. S. Without Policy
or Preparation to
Meet 1t.
NO EXCUSE FOR
ENDURING WILSON
Nation Cannot Afford to
Remain "Elocutionary
Ostrich"

"The time for the ostrich elocution-
ary ostrlch-policy for the United
States has passed." Colonel Theodore
Roosevelt asserted in statement
issued last night. "The war stares at
US from just beyond the three-mile
limit" he declared, "and we face it
without policy, plan, purpose or pre-
paration."
The U-boat raids off the coast of New
England, the Colonel charged, were the
direct result of President Wilson's sub
missive policy toward the nations at
war in regard TO the rights of neutrals.
The first mistake, he said, was made
when the President permitted the viola
ton of Belgian neutrality, and this has
been added to since by the Lusitania
and other incidents. The boldness of
the Germans in sending a submarine to
waylay shipping on the American coast
was the elimination, he said, of Euro
pean contempt for the United States.
He attributes Germany's action to the
fact that President Wilson, after de-
| claring that the United States would
stand as the champion of the rights Of
neutrals, has deserted the neutral ma
tions, left them leaderless and the prey
of the belligerents.
Great Duty Laid on United States
Following is Colonel Rosevelt's state
ment in full:
When at the outbreak of the war
the German armies stood at the gates
of Belgium a question of momentous
Importance to this and coming genera
tions was raised. 1t was a great ques-
tion that concerned all neutral nations
and America especially as the leading
neutral power. 1t rested with US as a
nation to decide whether or not we ia
vored the abandonment Of duty.
president Wilson avoided taking any
stsnd.for the right. He stated that the
war and its issues were no concern Of
ours. He was silent when Belgium suf-
fered terrible wrong.
THE German statesmen, who di-
rected the armies toward Belgium,
faced two alternative either the
had become a fact supported by the
opinion Of the world-a fact which. if
violated. would bring down upon the
aggressor the protest and weight of
neutral opinion-or else neutral rights
were merely an empty fiction. In the
latter case, if the Germans did not use
| Belgium as a territory through which
to pass in order to attack France, they
reasoned that their enemies would use
| Belgium without protest by other neu-
trails as a mobilization ground for Al
attack against them.
Wilson Licensed Invasion.
'Tf the United States failed to protest
against this attack by Germany it was
safe for these German chiefs to assume
that there would be no protest by
America against English or French mis-
conduct.
"With an Indifferent neutral world,
the German chiefs decided that the ad-
vantage would lie with those who
rushed through Belgium first. Presi-
dent Wilson's inaction, his failure to
make any protest, proved that tn r es-
timation of the status of international
law, the keeping of which depended
mainly upon the vigor and initiative Of
America, was correct.
"President Wilson declared that the
war and the issues of right and wrong
involved in its conduct and methods
were of no concern to America, thn
leading neutral. He thereby put Amer
ica in the position of refusing to do her
duty to others, which inspired contempt
in others. This invited aggression by
others.
World Law Broken Down.
ain the face Of this aggression he
speedily put America in position Of
refusing to do her duty TO her own
citizens. Step by step international
law has been broken down. By the at
tacks of German submarines upon mer-
chantmen the lives OF hundreds OF
Americans were sacrificed in a course
which eliminated in the sinking of the
Lusitania. In similar fashion the
commercial rights OF property upon the
sea were invaded by England and the
structure Of international law for the
protection of commerce and private
property was broken down.
"The invasion OF the rights of men
and women to their lives was far more
serious than the invasion Of property
rights. and il was this invasion that
called for the first and strongest ac-
tion on our part; but il we had taken
such action it would have become our
duty-a duty then easily performed
to protect our property rights instantly
and fully.
MANY men question whether II will
ever again be safe for nations TO be-
come interdependent by allowing them
selves. so far as their necessaries are
concerned, to depend upon foreign
sources of supply. The theory of hav-
ing each nation or group or nations
build a Chinese wall around It's bor-
ders is being seriously discussed be
cause OF the complete breakdown OF
the code of international rights. The
responsibility for this breakdown rests