The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1916-05-26
iitWeoQsEMlI-
'kEPTPEACE
BY WILLIAM HARD
n METROPOLITAN MA

A. OOAAC W AAO = IAN Us
say: Now IL Roosevelt were presi-
dent, we would have been plunged
into this terrible wal straight or" In
truth I heard this remark SO frequent
~ that I determined to go over the
diplomatic records OF the two Roose-
welt administrations.
l and that Roosevelt had many
bully opportunities to plunge the
United States into foreign conflicts.
l ind that he was obliged to face and
handle three great crises with three
OF the greatest countries In the world.
/ find that he was obliged to take q
hand, a decisive future-fixing 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. l find that
he wrote on a visiting card the terms
on which a violent European contro-
versy was settled. find that for
eigners think OF him as a 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-
fly OF domestic politics. but because OF
the part he took in international poll
tics-in the politics OF the world at
large. I find that Europe and Asia
regard him as having been primarily
for good or for fla diplomat.
This is the Roosevelt least known
10 Americans.
The Alaskan Boundary Question.
His first difficulty was with Great
Britain. It was acute. II had to do
with the Alaskan boundary. The
British put forth a claim which. as
Roosevelt remarked. was Just as in
d~efensibla as IL they should nov sud
denly claim the island OF Nantucket"
Alaska is a kite. 1t has a main body
and then. futtering southwark along
the Pacific coast toward the state OF
Washin gton, a tail. The dimensions
Of this tail were determined, long be-
fore Alaska passed from Russia to the
United States. by a treaty OF the year
1925 between Russia and Great Bri-
tain. Il provided that the boundary
between Alaska and the British pos
sessions should run along the crest OF
the mountains by which the coast was
paraIleled. The United States accord
ingly occupied the coast region with
out resistance.
In 1898. however. there was a dis
covery OF a considerable quantity OF
gold in the K!oudike. The Canadians
Immediately insisted on also discover
ing a semi-submsrged coastal noun
tain range which spent a large part
Of its time under the waters OF the
Pacific and which. when it rose to tia
surface. rose principally in the form
Of scattered headlands. Here vas the
boundary. along the crest OF this alb
surd range. leaping from headland to
~headland across great bodies OF navt-
gable water! The United Statss
would get q succession OF headiaad-
lips and Canada would get a success
sion OF deep-vater inlets. on one Of
which was situated Skagway. the best
entrance to the Klondike goldfelds.
This line. calculated to fatten the
part OF any vaudeville performer. be
zane automatically serious in the ex.
rene. Under Mckinley a Joint
Commission was appointed to CON
slider twelve topics In dispute between
the British Empire and the American
Republic. One OF tha twalve was the
Alaskan boundary. The representa-
tives OF the Empire refused to come
~ 2 IA vi - ~ Lho oIAA1io hbNti
their version OF the Alaskan boundary
had been conceded to them. It 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 ab-
Y solutely to accept Great Britain's m
: phibious mountain range line and re-
fused also. with equal absoluteness, to
r arbitrate II. John Hay. as Secretary "
: State. pointed out the fatal tendency
! of arbitratOrs to compromise" This
matter could not be compromised. As
: Roosevelt said on another occasion.
Z Uncle Sam does not intend to wrong
. any one. but neither does he intend.
? K his pocket is picked or his face
slapped. to 'arbitrate' with the wrong
ioer." What then! A Commission q
7 sr0cted. 1t was not a Commission
). with q third party arbitrator on it. It
t a Commission equally divided be
e tween the two countries. The repre-
i sentatives OF the United States were
Lodge OF Massachusetts and Root OF
b New York and Turner OF Washington.
The representatives Of the British
Empire we're two Canadians and one
> Englishman. The Englishman was
Engiand's Lord Chief Justice-Alver-
stone.
This Commission met in London in
1903. It's purpose was indicated both
By Roosevelt and by Hay. Roosevelt
said Through strictly diplomatic chan.
aels): II wish to make nj last effort
70 bring about an agreement which
sill enable h people Of both cour'
tries 70 sAy thai the result represents
ne feelings Of the representatives ot
soth countrieo."
IN the meantime Roosevelt moved
Omitted States troops into Alaska. He
ot It be strictly automatically known
hat those troops. II the Commission
should fail. would be used TO reduce
he country to possession" He paused
on October 30. 1908. the Commits
: rlon uttered IT. decision. Lord Al
eeestone voted With tho three repee
9 nentatives OF the United States agAins
So own two Canadian colleagues
0reat Britain bowed to the applause
. q the world. The PAclnsts perceived
hat the honor Of . nation can easily