The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-04-11

the Government at Washington for
humanity failure" to intervene or pro-
test in the interest Of Belgium:
tho issue remains Belgium. For
eighteen months our people were hidden
by their representative At washington
to feel nc resentment against a hideous
wrong. They were taught to tame their
human feelings by polished phrases Of
neutrality. The entire book is
a protest against the craven attitude Of
our Government"
In the Outlook Of September %.
1914. in an article on the Tragedies
and Lessons Of the World War there
were presented the subjoined remarks
on the limits Of American RESPONSE
bility and our duty Of neutrality as
regards Belgium:
IAN Of us on this continent ought to
appreciate how fortunate We are that
we Of this Western World have been
free from the working Of the causes
which have produced the bitter and vim
dictive hatred among the great military
Powers OF the Old World. We owe chs
immunity primarily to the policies
grouped together under the title Of the
Monroe Doctrine. Tho Monroe Doctrine
IL a. vital to the interests Of this hemi-
sphere as II ever has been.
we. all Of W. must stand ready 10y.
ally to support the Administration. ask
ing nothing except that me policy be one
that In truth and in fact tells for the
honor and interest Of our nation. and
in truth and fact is helpful to the cause
Of a permanent and righteous world
"I admire and respect the German
people. I am proud Of the German blood
In my veins. When . nation feels that
the issue Of a contest In which. from
whatever reason. Il inds itself engaged
will be national life or death. II IL n
evi,able that II should act 70 Az to save
itself from death and to perpetuate its
life. .
"a deputation OF Belgians has arrived
in this country to invoke our assistance
In the time Of their dreadful need. What
action our Government can or will take
I know not. II has been announced that
nc action can be taken that will inter-
fere with our entire neutrality. 1t If
certainly eminently desirable that We
should remain entirely neutral. and
nothing but urgent need would warrant
breaking our neutrality and taking sides
one way or the other.
"of course It would be folly to Jump
into the gulf ourselves to no good pur-
pose and very probably nothing that
We could have done would have helped
Belgium. We have not the smallest
responsibility for what has befallen her.
and am sure the sympathy Of this
country for the suffering OF the men.
women and children OF Belgium is very
real. Nevertheless. this sympathy is
compatible with full acknowledgment OF
the unwisdom of our uttering a single
word Of official protest unless we are pre-
pared to make that protest effective and
only the c~leares, and most urgent ma
tional duty would rye Justify us in
deviating from our rule of neutrality
and non-interference.'
These sentiments do not belong ia
"the polished phrases Of neutrality
which Colonel ROOSEVELT ccuse the
Government Mt Washington of using
in order to cover n craven, base, un-
manly. hypocritical and infamous fail
ure to do the nations duty with re-
gard to Belgium. The article from
which the extract is taken appeared
in the outlook under the signature of
"THEoDoRE ROOSEVELT"
Our question Of fact is whether the
sentiments attributed to him were
then really his, and whether he has
changed them now. This Is not n.y.
pothe,icnl in any sense.