Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1917-07-07
STATEMENT OF
CAUSES OF WAR
Statement Issued by Com
mlttee OF Public lnforma-
ton on How War Came to
America.

order to make the New World safe
tor democracy our forefathers estaD-
llsned here the policy that soon came
To De known as the Monroe doctrine.
Warning the Old World not to inter-
iere III the political polical life OF the
New, our Government pledged itself
III return to abstain from interior
eHCe III ne political conflicts of
Europe, and history has yindicated
the wisdom OF this course. We were
then TOO weak TO influence the destl-
nles OF Europe, and it was vital to
mankind that this first great expert
ment OF and by the people should not
be disturbed by foreign attack.
keenforced by the experience OF
our expanding national life, this doc
trlne has been ever since the domi-
mating element in the growth OF our
torelgn policy. Whether or not we
could nave maintained it in case OF
concerted attack from abroad, it has
seemed OF such Importance to US that
we were at all times ready to got to
war in its defense. And though since
IL was first enunciated our strength
has grown by leaps and bounds, al
though IN tnat time the vast increase
Oh our foreign trade and OF travel
abroad, modern transport, modern
mails, the caoIes aud the wireless,
nave brought US close to Europe and
nave uldue our Isolation more and
moie imaginary, there mas been until
Inc outbreak OF the present connict,
small Qesire on our part TO aDrogate
oi even amend the old familiar ira
4ittoI Wnlen has Ior SO long given US
peace.
IN both conferences at the Hague,
IN 1883 andd 1907, we reaf1irmed
TINS policy. AS our delegates signed
the Afst convention Ia regard TO ar
0ltidGioH, tney read into the minutes
lAl5 7LaGeMsnt:
Nothing contained in this con-
ventlon shall be SO construed as to
require the United States OF America
TO depart from its traditional policy
OF not lntruding upon, interfering
with, OF entangIing Itself in the politi
Cal questions or policy or internal
administration OF any foreign State;
nor snail anything contain in the
SAID convention be construed to i'm
ply REIMBURSEMENT by the United
States OF America OF its traditional
attitude toward purely American
questions"
At the Hague we pledged our
selves, in case we ever went to war,
TO observe certain broad general rules
OF decency and fair lighting. But
at the same time we cleared ourselves
irom any responsibility for forcing
other nations to observe similar
pledges. And in 1906, when our
delegates took part in the Algeciras
Conference, which was to regulate
the aHalrs OF the distracted Kingdom
OF Morocco, they followed the same
formula there. While acquiescing
in the new regime which guaranteed
the independence and integrity of
Morocco, we explicitly announced
that we assumed no police RESPONSE
bllity for the enforcement OF the
treaty. And If any honest doubt
was left as to our attitude in regard
to the enforcement OF Old World
agreements, 1t was dispelled five years
later, when our Government refused
TO protest against the overthrow of
the Aete Algeciras.
We declined to be drawn into
quarrels abroad which might en-
danger in any way our traditional
policy.
Our second great tradltlon IN inter-
national relations has been our per-
sistent effort to secure stable and
equitable agreement OF the nations
upon which such a maritime code as
would assure to all the world just
freedom of the seas.
This effort was born of our vital
need For although it was possible
for the Republic to keep aloof from
the nineteenth century disputes that
rent the Continent of Europe, we
could not be Indifferent to the way in
which war was conducted at sea. IN
those early years of our national life,
when we were still but few COM
munities ranged along the Atlantic
coast, we were seafaring people,
At time when our frontiersmen had
not yet reached the Missippi, the
fame of our daring clipper ships had
spread to all the Seven Seas. So
while we could watch the triumph
ant march and the tragic counter
march of Napoleon grand army with
detached Indifference, his Continental