The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-03-01


quarter that has since elapsed. Com
munications by sea and land have
greatly improved. intercourse with
foreign countries has increased. inter
national relations have been multi
piled. But human nature is substan-
TALLY unchanged, and nationa ambi-
tons and rivalries, stimulated by
greater prizes are more intense and
perhaps more explosive than ever be-
fore. Whatever be the future pros
poets of the human race, we have not
yet reached that stage Of rational
and moral development in which JUS
tice, righteousness. and public law
can dispense with the sanctions OF
Of physical force.
" 'Tis our true policy to steer clear
Of permanent alliances with any por-
ton of the foreign world
This passage is not encouraging to
the advocates of International organ
izations 10 compel peace among the
nations. And il not by physical COM
pulsion, at any rate by the pressure
of public opinion we Americans
, should, and | think do, all devotuly
desire to see peace permanently es-
tablishel in the word. 1t must be
recognized that in the last half cen
fury the nations of the earth have
come into closer relations with one
another than ever before, that the
welfare of each is much more init
mately bound up with the welfare of
all than in any preceding period in
the history of the world. and that the
: preservation of universal peace is
matter of Individual concern to each
member of the family of nations,
America. for instance. being pro-
foundly affected and it may well be
endangered by wars in Europe, Asia
or Africa.
This is a change brought about
by historical evolution which, of
course. could not have been foreseen.
The tremendous problem created by
II has not yet been solved. And
though ! profoundly sympathize with
the object of the proposed leagues
and concerts to enforce or establish
universal peace | am unable to con
vince myself that any method hither-
to proposed of accomplishing that
result will be found either feasible in
itself or desirable for adoption by the
United States.
Perhaps some progress might be
made if we focused attention on the
fact that every nation besides being
exclusive sovereign over its own ter.
ritory and territorial waters has also
joint and equal authority with every
other nation on the high seas which.
as we say, are therefore free to all.
On that actual jurisdicial basis it
seems TO be possible, and indeed
probable that an international struc.
ture might b, reared for bringing to-
gether the nations of the world and
commissioning those with nayies
Jointly to maintain the freedom of
the seas and to restrain and punish
any belligerent who infringed on the
rights of neutrals or violated the es.
tablished principles of maritime inter
national law. In other words, if you
want to prevent wars, naval interna.
tionalism is the most hopeful form
oil attacking the problem-and that for
the reason that every nation shares
with all others joint and equal SOW.
ereignty over the high seas.
But this suggestion of information.
al naval cooperation for the mainten.
ance of the freedom of the seas and
the integrity of the maritime law of
nations, so far from disposing me to
crltcize Washingtons policy of alb.
stention from participation i'm Euro.
pean politics. only strengthens and
confirms my approval and admiration
OF it. 1t is still true that America has
no interest in the European balance
OF power or no concern with the DIV.
hastic' racial and religious struggles
or with the territorial ambitions and
other rivalries which lear foreign
countrie TO attack one another. En-.
rope has a complex of political inter.
ests which have only a remote rela.
ton to America And it would Ger.
'ainiy be most unwise for us gratuit.
uousiy to implicate ourselves in the
ordinary combinations and collisions
oil her friendships, on enmities.' Our
geographical location, our national in