Grand Forks herald., 1917-01-23
PEACE LEAGUE
SILLY. Y.SAYS 7. R.
Colonel Roosevelt Flags An
ti-war Proposals as "Pre-
posterous Absurdity."

Washington. y Jan. 23.-Colonel
Roosevelt took another fling at the
League to Enforce Peace in letter
to Senator w. f. Borah of Idaho.
made public today. The colonel de-
clared that the league, which former
much worse than a League to en-
force delay" as it is in reality "a
league in the interest Of wrongdoing."
The letter follows:
my Dear Senator Borah: notice
in newspaper letter from DIR.
Hamilton Holt, vice chairman Of the
League to Enforce Peace. in which
he refers to some recent remarks both
by YOU and myself.
"Mr. Holt takes exception to your
recent statement in the senate. Your
statement was absolutely justified, but
1t did not go nearly far enough.
Calls Title Misnomer.
'Mr. Holt points out. apparently as
matter of pride, that the League to
Enforce Peace has deliberately chos-
en- a deceptive title, and that 1t has
no more idea Of enforcing peace than
1t has of enforcing Righteousness. but
only. to use his own words, intends
to enforce delay
concern itself with the Righteousness
or unrighteousness of any action;
1t simply. proposes that, when a
wrong has been done, the wrongdo-
ing nation and the wronged nation
shall be forced to bring their case
beforo, some outside council and that
the league shall GO to war against
whichever refuses to take this, action.
tsThessssaresEsrtain wrongs which no
nation 6.igKt for one moment to dis
cuss before taking action: and it is
profoundly immoral for would be
philanthropists to decline to pass
judgment In such cases on the wrong
and merely propose to take action
against the action which itself acts:
for Of course it is likely that in such
case it is the wronged nation which
will act. Let me give a concrete
case:
III Germany should sink another
Iusitania, or Mexico commit another
massacre like that at Carrizal, and il
the United States in such case deemed
it its duty to take immediate action
las I for one would certainly advo-
cate) the proposal Of Mr.. Holt and
his associates is that the League to
Enforce Peace should declare war,
not against the wrongdoer, but
against the wronged party. A more
preposterous absurdity, a more wick
ed absurdity, could hardly be de-
vised.
Proposal Termed "siny."
."The proposal IL too silly to work
very much mischief, for in practice
no nation would be 80 base as to car
ry it out. But it is thoroughly inn
moral thing to ask the United States
to make promises which It would be
disgraceful to keep and which, more-
over. the nation. while composed Of
self-respecting men, could not keep
and would not have the slightest in
tention of keeping.
This is what the League to En-
force Peace. as interpreted by Mr..
Holt, is now doing. He and his asso-
ciates have adopted the proposal Of
MIR. Bryan's peace commission treat
les. which likewise provided tor talk
ing over before outsiders all wrongs,
including those to which no self-re-
specting nation would for one mo-
ment submit. But Mr.. Holt and his
associates stand on lower level than
Mr.. Bryan; for at least Mr.. Bryan did
not propose to go to war in the in
terest Of brutal offenders against
those :wronged nations which Instant
ly resented the wrongs,
"The position of Mr.. Holt and his
associates in these international pro-
posaIs is precisely like that of an in
div1dual who in private life should
demand that II a rufian slapped the
face of decent citizens wife and il
the decent citizen promptly knocked
the ruffian down, the peace league
should, In the interest OF tho ruffian,
attack the man who objected to hav-
ing his Wife's face slammed"