New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-10-05
A REPLY TO PRESIDENT ELIOT
Splendid Isolation VS.. the Protection Of
American Citizens Abroad.
To the Editor of The Tribune.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: President Eliot, in his letter on the
Presidential campaign, has stated one issue
with great distinctness. He says:
I America has now turned its back on the
/ familiar policy of Rome and Great Britain OF
protecting or avenging their wandering cio-
zens by force of arms and has set up quite
different policy OF her own"
1 It is quite true that have turned our
back on the policy which was that of Rome
and Great Britain and, l may add, OF France.
II has also been that Of this country. Daniel
Webster said, when Secretary Of State:
Their duty to interfere becomes imperative
in cases affecting their own citizens"
John Fiske put it more strongly when he
said:
"a government touches tho lowest point of
ienominy when it confesses to an inability
TO protect the lives and property OF Its
citizens"
! When our wandering citizens we're captured
and their property seized by the Barbary
Corsairs. Thomas jefferson said in his annual
message Of 1904:
"To those who expect us to calculate
whether a compliance with unjust demands
will not cost US less than war, we must
leave as question of calculation for them
also whether to retire from unjust demands
will not cost them less than war;
When our citizens were captured and taken
into Tripoli jefferson supplied cash, ammu-
milton and provisions for an army furnished
by Hamet Of Tripoli, and compelled the Dey
of Tripoli to make honorable terms With our
government The Pope publicly declared
that:
"Amcrica had done more for Christendom
arainst the barbarians than all the powers
of Europe united"
We expressed our sympathy and extended
our friendly aid to the South American re-
publics In their revolt against Spain. We
extended sympathy and friendly aid to the
Greeks IA their revolution against Turkey.
When Kossuth and other Austrian refugees
took refuge in Turkey after the suppression
of the Hungarian revolution Of 164S we sent
man-of-war to receive them from Turkey
and brought them to this country. In 1876
President Grant sent an armed force to Sa-
lonica when our citizens there were threat
ened by . mob. AS recently as 1894 marines
from the Marblehead were sent ashore at
Bluefields TO protect our citizens there. We
Joined Tire other powers in the punitive
Administration have twice sent troops into
Mexico. IN 1892 Secretary Blaine sent dis
patch to our Minister at Constantinople, in
which he said:
at viii now, as always, be your duty and
your care to protect American citizens in the
full and free enjoyment Of their domiciliary
rights ami to protect them therein from any
illegal, al bitrary unreasonable and vexatious
interference on the part Of the Ottoman
authorities"
In 1898 Secretary Foster instructed Mr..
White, who was then our representative at
London:
"To convey to the Secretary Of State for
Foreign Affairs Of Great Britain the cordial
disposition Of the Government Of the United
States to act concurrently and harmoniously
with the Government Of Great Britain In the
protection and vindicaton Of the rights of
the citizens or subjects of either nation in
Turkey"
Congress at about the same time adopted
resolution pledging the support Of Congress
TO the President gin the most vigorous action
he may take for the protection and security
of American citizens in Turkey"
Nothing could really be more injurious to
what President Eliot calls backward peo-
pies" than the policy which he advocates.
These backward peoples" need foreign CAPT
tai and skill for the development Of their
natural resources. China, for example, has
abundant coal mines, and has not been able
TO develop these, and its people have gone
cold for want Of fuel when they had an ample
supply which they did not know how to obtain
or use. But it cannot be for one moment ex-
pected that people of another country will
put their energy and capital and lives into
what is really most beneficial for n foreign
country unless they are to be protected by
the home government in the enjoyment of
rights there guaranteed them by treaty.
President Eliot's idea seems to be TO ad
here to the policy of splendid isolation that
some Americans have advocated. For my part
prefer TO say with Emerson, "The world was
made for honest trade" II is by commerce
that civilization is to be extended. l do not
say commerce alone, but all the benevolent
and Outstanding influences of missionaries,
physicians hospitals and education 60 hand in
hand with commerce, and the question for the
American people to decide is whether this
country is prepared to protect the rights of
its citizens in foreign countries or whether
it will say: "They have no business there, we
will leave them to their fate"